The 'Gospel' truth: Documentary explores the music that has transcended its origins and now spreads 'the good word'

Stacey L. Holman knows a good story when she hears one.

This is why she jumped at the chance to work on the four-hour series, “Gospel.”

“We discovered that when we were working on the ‘The Black Church’ series, that there were so many other stories to be told,” Holman says. “We really didn’t get a chance to dive into the actual story of how gospel’s journey to mainstream happened.”

“Gospel” a four-hour documentary takes a look at modern gospel music. It will air in two parts at 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, and Tuesday, Feb. 13, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1. It will also be available to stream on the PBS app.

From the blues to hip-hop, African Americans have been the driving force of sonic innovation for over a century.

The 'Gospel' truth: Documentary explores the music that has transcended its origins and now spreads 'the good word'

Musical styles come and go, but there is one sound that has been a constant source of strength, courage and wisdom from the pulpit to the choir lofts on any given Sunday: the gospel.

In “Gospel,” dozens of clergymen, singers and scholars talk about their connection to the music that has transcended its origins and now spreads “the good word” all around the world.

The series features interviews with notable names including Dionne Warwick, U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, Rev. Otis Moss III, professor Michael Eric Dyson, and awe-inspiring musical performances of Gospel favorites “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus,” “Total Praise,” and others from talents including The Belle Singers, Cory Henry, Celisse and more.

Gospel is more than the soundtrack of the African American experience, “it’s the beating heart and soul,” says Henry Louis Gates Jr., the host of the series. “From the Great Migration to today, the history of Black gospel music and preaching is one of constant movement, and it’s long been a dream of mine to bring it to public television. We’re blessed to have such outstanding partners in delivering this series and concert at a time in our nation when the need for Gospel’s transcendent, healing powers is so great.”

“It was such an honor to reunite with the incredible team that produced ‘The Black Church’ on another powerful examination of Black spiritual expression for PBS,” Holman says. “For centuries, the sacred sounds of gospel music and Black preaching have testified to God’s goodness and grace while embracing the rhythms and riffs of blues, jazz and hip-hop. They were the way that African Americans found their voice and their power in a strange land, and have resonated far beyond the church’s walls. By weaving intimate interviews with dynamic live gospel performances throughout the series, we want our viewers to fully experience and be energized by this uniquely African American art form of prayer, praise and promise.”

Holman says the great migration of gospel music happened in four places – Chicago, Detroit, California and the South.

“This was an easier way to streamline the thread and narrative of the story,” she says. “The funny thing about gospel is that it’s everywhere. Most people think it was Mahalia Jackson, Tommy Dorsey and Rosetta Tharpe, who all brought jazz elements to gospel, which cemented the sound. Then you have all these popular genres that are fused with it. There’s soul, rhythm and blues and funk.”

Because research began years ago for the series, Holman describes getting the four-part series ready for airing as “painful.”

“One thing I wanted to make sure is that each hour flowed into the next one,” she says. “We wanted to find the moments that speak to people. We have Mahalia Jackson who is using her platform to really preach. We also had stories that we had to leave on the cutting room floor. There were some characters we had in ‘Black Church’ and we revisited them. We then tied them together to learn something new and shed some light on the narrative.”