Albertina Walker

Albertina Walker August 29, 1929160 October 8, 2010 was an American gospel singer, song writer, actress, and humanitarian. She was popularly referred to as the Queen of Gospel Music.

Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camille Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and her father in Bibb County, Georgia. They moved to Chicago between 19171920 where they lived out their lives. Albertina had four siblings born in Bibb County and four born in Chicago. Albertina began singing in the youth choir at the West Point Baptist Church at an early age, and joined several Gospel groups thereafter, including Pete Williams Singers, The Willie Webb Singers and the Robert Anderson Singers. Albertina was greatly influenced by Mahalia Jackson, her friend and confidante, whom Jackson took on the road when Albertina was just a teenager. Mahalia used to kid me. Shed say, Girl, you need to go sing by yourself, recalled Walker in a 2010 Washington Post interview. Albertina Walker did just that. In 1951, she formed the group called The Caravans. She was popularly referred to as the Queen of Gospel Music, initially by such notables as the late Reverend

Source: Wikipedia