J. M. Gates
| J. M. Gates | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James M. Gates |
| Born |
July 14, 1884 Hogansville, Georgia, United States |
| Died | August 18, 1945 (aged 61) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | Gospel |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1926 - 1941 |
| Labels | |
J.M. Gates (born James M. Gates July 14, 1884 – August 18, 1945) was an American preacher who recorded sermons and gospel songs extensively between the mid-1920s and 1940s. Recording over 200 sides in his career, Gates was one of the most prolific preachers of the pre-war era, and was largely responsible for the popularity in recorded sermons. Among the Reverend's most successful sermons, include Death's Black Train Is Coming", "I'm Gonna Die with the Staff in My Hand"", and "Death Might Be Your Santa Claus".
Gates was born in the rural community of Hogansville, Georgia, 50 miles northeast of Atlanta. In 1913, Gates and his wife Nellie relocated to a neighborhood in Atlanta, Summerhill, a popular location for the city's migrant workers and immigrants. He joined Mount Calvary Baptist Church and, when the preacher resigned to pastor another church in Detroit, Gates became ordained minister of the congregation in 1916. During his 26-year tenure, the Reverend Gates was highly celebrated for a preaching style rooted in black folk evangelicalism, effectively appealing to the church's migrant congregation.
The Reverend's reputation as a dynamic old-time preacher caught the attention of Polk Brockman, a talent scout who had already found success with Fiddlin' John Carson and Lucie Bogan. On April 24, 1926, under Brockman's supervision, Gates recorded five sermons for Columbia Records with the benefits of Western Electric's state-of-the-art electric recording system, and preaching in front of his participating congregation in Mount Calvary Baptist Church. The Reverend's first record, a cover of the 19th century folk composition "Death's Black Train Is Coming", was released in July to tremendous commercial success, selling over 35,000 copies by October. With "Death's Black Train Is Coming", Gates was the first individual to achieve widespread success with the recorded sermon, and set the precedent for others like Reverend A. W. Nix and Reverend J. C. Burnett. Gospel writer Lerone A. Martin noted that, unlike his predecessors, Gates' delivery of his sermons, which included antiphony, black vernacular, and emotion, especially appealed to urban African-Americans.
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