Dorothy Love Coates & the Gospel Harmonettes

Biography

Dorothy Love Coates, born Dorothy McGriff on January 30, 1928, in Birmingham, Alabama, to a preacher father, began her musical journey singing with her mother's family group, the Royal Travellers. She joined the Gospel Harmonettes (later the Original Gospel Harmonettes) in 1947, becoming its driving force with her raspy, powerful voice and preacher-like fire that outshone even male gospel singers. The group, initially led by pianist Evelyn Starks and featuring Mildred Madison Miller, Odessa Edwards, Vera Conner Kolb, and Willie Mae Newberry Garth, gained early fame through a 1940 National Baptist Convention appearance and a radio show sponsored by A.G. Gaston. Under Coates' leadership, they secured recording deals with RCA Victor in 1949 and Specialty Records in 1951, producing hits like 'You Can't Hurry God (He's Right On Time)', '99 1/2 Won't Do', and 'That's Enough', which she composed.

Coates' career peaked in the 1950s as the group's lead, known for her fervent performances where members had to guide her back onstage due to ecstatic energy—a style later imitated by James Brown. After the group briefly retired in 1958, she reformed it in 1961 with her sister Lillian McGriff, recording for Savoy and even Motown, while continuing as the Dorothy Love Coates Singers. Her compositions addressed social issues, including civil rights themes in songs like 'The Hymn' (1964) and 'Human Bondage' (1967 LP). She performed at Carnegie Hall (1953), Apollo Theatre, and Madison Square Garden, and resisted crossover to secular music.

A civil rights activist involved with Martin Luther King Jr. from 1959-1961, Coates left a legacy as a gospel matriarch whose urgent, jubilation-filled style defined the Golden Age (1945-1960). She recorded 20 albums, influenced white quartets with her arrangements, and was praised by Rolling Stone as a great writer of gospel's golden era. Coates passed away on April 9, 2002.

Fun Facts

• Coates' ecstatic performances were so intense that group members had to lead her back onstage, a genuine habit later copied by James Brown as part of his act.
• She resisted all invitations to cross over to secular music, staying true to gospel despite opportunities.
• The group appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts in 1949, winning an RCA contract, though illness prevented her from singing on those sessions.
• Her song 'The Hymn' (1964) directly referenced the JFK assassination and the 1963 Birmingham church bombing, affirming 'God is still on the throne.'

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Roberta Martin Singers - stylistic model for the group (early group formation) [1940s]
• Robert Anderson - mentor (N/A) [1940s]
• Rev. W. Herbert Brewster - mentor (N/A) [1940s]

Key Collaborators

• Evelyn Starks - pianist and early leader of Gospel Harmonettes (early recordings and performances) [1940s-1950s]
• Mildred Madison Miller - lead singer and group member (Original Gospel Harmonettes hits) [1940s-1950s]
• Odessa Edwards - group member, later retired (early Harmonettes recordings) [1940s-1950s]
• Vera Conner Kolb - group member (Original Gospel Harmonettes) [1940s-1950s]
• Willie Mae Newberry Garth - group member (Original Gospel Harmonettes) [1940s-1950s]
• Lillian McGriff - sister, member of reformed group and Dorothy Love Coates Singers (1960s recordings) [1960s]
• Cleo Kennedy - recruited friend after Edwards' departure (continued Harmonettes tours) [1950s]
• Carl Coates - husband, bass singer and manager for Nightingales (N/A) [1959 onward]
• Alex Bradford - gospel talent scout who signed group to Specialty (1951 Specialty deal)

Artists Influenced

• James Brown - copied her ecstatic stage performance style (1960s act) [1960s]
• White gospel quartets - recorded her poetic arrangements and imitated rapid delivery (after 'Getaway Jordan') [1950s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia