It was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s favorite song, and he often invited gospel singer Mahalia Jackson to sing it at civil rights rallies to inspire the crowds; at his request she sang it at his funeral in April 1968. Kings last words were, just before being shot, to play it at a mass he was supposed to attend that night. Opera singer Leontyne Price sang it at the state funeral of President Lyndon Baines Johnson in January 1973, and Aretha Franklin sang it at Mahalia Jacksons funeral in 1972. Aretha Franklin also recorded a live version of the song for her album Amazing Grace (1972) as a medley with Youve Got a Friend. It was sung by Nina Simone at the Westbury Music Fair on April 7, 1968, three days after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 02:17:23 +0000