Mahalia Jackson

Tearing down racial divides with her hugely powerful voice, Mahalia Jackson became the "The Queen of Gospel" and a significant figure in the civil rights movement. First starting to sing at four-years-old in her local church choir, Jackson was discovered by gospel composer Thomas A. Dorsey and shot to fame in 1948 when her recording of Move On Up A Little Higher sold 8 million copies and she was later given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award and named in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. Rusty Old Halo provided another big hit and, despite refusing to sing secular songs, she became the biggest black female star of her era, performing at President John F Kennedy's inauguration in 1961 and later at Martin Luther King's funeral. She won Grammy Awards for her recordings of the songs How I Got Over You, Guide Me Oh Thou Great Jehovah, Make A Joyful Noise Unto The Lord and Every Time I Feel The Spirit, before dying in 1972 from heart failure caused by diabetes, with 50,000 people paying their respects at her funeral.