One of the first African-African vocal groups to earn international acclaim, the Fisk Jubilee Singers formed in 1871 at Fisk University, an historically black college in Nashville, Tennessee. Originally organized to raise funds for the financially-strapped school, the Fisk Jubilee Singers began touring the globe under the leadership of music director George L. White, performing a cappella spirituals and parlor songs that showcased not only their voices, but their culture, too. The group's membership changed frequently, as older performers graduated from Fisk University and younger singers joined the group. Music directors came and went, too. Despite these fluctuations, the Fisk Jubilee Singers have remained a mainstay of American culture for more than a century, making numerous contributions to gospel music along the way. The group performed the earliest-known recording of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" in 1909, earned a spot in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2000, won a Dove Award for the song "Poor Man Lazarus" (from the album In Bright Mansions) in 2004, and received a National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush in 2008. The Fisk Jubilee Singers also appeared on a number of albums and compilations throughout the decades, including 1955's The Gold And Blue Album, 1966's Songs Of Worship - Folk Music Of the World, 2005's Fisk Jubilee Singers Vol. 3 (1924-1940), 2010's There Breathes A Hope (The Story Of John Work II And His Fisk Jubilee Quartet, 1909 - 1916), and 2020's Grammy-nominated Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album).
