Christian R&B
| Christian rhythm and blues | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Rhythm and blues, gospel |
| Cultural origins | 1940s–1950s, United States |
| Typical instruments | Drum kit, bass guitar, saxophone, horns, piano, organ, electric guitar, vocals, background vocals |
| Fusion genres | |
| Hip hop/R&B, rockabilly | |
Christian R&B (also known as Gospel R&B, Rhythm & Praise music, and R&P) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music consisting of Christian-based lyrics or of musicians typically known for writing such songs, with the purpose to uplift, entertain, or to simply give a Christian perspective of any topic. Some people may view Christian R&B as a subgenre of gospel music, or a cross-genre under both gospel and R&B.
It should be noted that gospel music is one of the roots or influences of R&B music. Therefore, it is almost inappropriate to categorize Christian R&B as a subgenre under R&B. While it might seem as if R&B should be the subgenre of gospel music, R&B is rooted in several music genres and have matured and evolved over decades, making its musical characteristics audibly different from the musical nuances of gospel music. It is ironic, but still conceivable, for modern musicians to mix R&B elements with gospel music elements.
R&B originated between the 1940s and 1950s, and Christian R&B followed behind. Christian rhythm and blues have the same musical characteristics heard in regular or secular R&B music, and the only major difference between the two are the lyrics. Some Christians who perform R&B may not explicitly mention God, Jesus Christ, or other overt religious terms, but their lyrics may still fit the standards of “righteousness” or may be ethically neutral.
A few early gospel R&B musicians can be pointed out as far back as the 1950s. One R&B vocal group, for example, known as the Orioles, sung “gospel-styled reworkings of songs that had been popular country, blues, or R&B songs.” In 1953, the Orioles recorded a gospel song called Crying in the Chapel, yet, the band was considered as R&B.
A strong influence merging gospel and R&B came from Sam Cooke. He started out as the lead singer for the gospel group Soul Stirrers, but had always loved blues and jazz. He would incorporate elements from these two music styles into his gospel recordings. Even though he was making a nice living, he wanted to venture into secular music. In 1956, for fear he would upset his fans, band mates, and his record label, he released his first R&B single (called Lovable) under the assumed name Dale Cooke. Because his voice is distinctive, people weren't fooled by the name Dale Cooke.
Soon, other singers followed Cooke's footsteps, crossing over from gospel to R&B/soul and merging the two.Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown are other important figures who combined gospel and R&B.
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