Doris Akers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doris Akers
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Doris Mae Akers |
| Born | May 21, 1923 Brookfield, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | July 26, 1995 (aged 72) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Genres | Gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, arranger, recording artist |
| Instruments | Piano, Voice |
| Years active | 1945–1995 |
| Labels | Score, Superb, Songs of the Cross, Imperial, RCA Victor, Christian Faith, Manna Records, Praise, Worship |
| Associated acts | Simmons-Akers Singers, Sky Pilot Choir |
Doris Mae Akers (born May 21, 1923 – died July 26, 1995) was an amazing African-American gospel music composer, arranger, and singer. Many people consider her one of the most important gospel composers of the 1900s. She wrote over 500 songs! Doris Akers was famous for her work with the Sky Pilot Choir. In 2001, she was honored by being added to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Contents
About Doris Akers
Her Early Life
Doris Akers was born in Brookfield, Missouri. Her parents were Floyd Akers and Pearl M. Kelly. They had married in 1909. Doris had nine brothers and sisters.
She started playing the piano by ear when she was just six years old. This means she could play songs just by listening to them, without needing sheet music! When she was ten, she wrote her very first song, called "Keep the Fire Burning in Me." In the 1930s, she formed a music group with her siblings, Edward, Marian, and Donald. They called themselves "Dot and The Swingsters."
Starting Her Music Career
In 1945, when Doris was 22, she moved to Los Angeles. A famous gospel singer named Sallie Martin asked Doris to join her group, The Sallie Martin Singers, in 1946. Doris played piano and sang. Sallie Martin often toured with Professor Thomas A. Dorsey, who was known as the "Father of Gospel Music." This experience taught Doris a lot about the music business.
After two years, Doris left Sallie Martin's group to start her own. In 1947, she published her first song, "I Want A Double Portion Of God's Love."
In 1948, she teamed up with Dorothy Vernell Simmons and Hattie Hawkins to form the Simmons-Akers Trio. They recorded many songs for different record companies. Doris also started her own company, "Simmons and Akers Music House," in 1948. She wanted to share and keep her original gospel songs safe.
In the mid-1950s, Doris began working with Manna Music. In 1957, she recorded her first solo album, "Sing Praises Unto The Lord." This album featured many of her early songs. Her group, the Simmons Akers Gospel Singers, sang with her.
In 1958, Doris worked with her friend, the legendary Mahalia Jackson. Together, they wrote "Lord, Don't Move the Mountain." This song became a huge hit, selling over a million copies! Another gospel star, Inez Andrews, also had a hit with this song later on.
While living in Los Angeles, Doris became the director of the Sky Pilot Choir. This choir was special because it included people from different backgrounds. The choir appeared on records, TV shows, and radio programs. Doris created new, modern versions of old spiritual songs. This brought many people to hear the choir perform. A young Billy Preston, who later became a famous musician, sometimes played the organ for them. Doris stopped working with the Sky Pilot Choir in 1965. But they got back together in 1974 to record another album.
Doris continued to record albums in the 1960s. Some of her albums included "Forever Faithful" and "Highway to Heaven." In 1970, she moved to Columbus, Ohio. She kept recording, writing songs, and traveling to perform. Her album, "The Artistry of Doris Akers," came out in 1979.
Later Career and Fame
In the 1980s, Doris Akers released a new gospel album every year. She also recorded some albums in Canada that were not sold in the United States.
Later, she started recording for the Gaither label. She appeared in some of their concerts and TV shows. In the early 1990s, she was featured in Bill Gaither's gospel videos like Old Friends and Precious Memories.
People lovingly called her "Miss Gospel Music." This was because she was admired by everyone in the music world. She was amazing at every part of gospel music, including singing, playing keyboards, leading choirs, writing music, and publishing songs. She worked with many of the first gospel music stars. She also wrote many well-known gospel songs. Some of her famous songs include "Lead Me and Guide Me," "You Can't Beat God Giving," and "Sweet, Sweet Spirit." These songs sold millions for other gospel artists! Doris once shared that the song "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" came to her during a prayer session with her choir before a church service.
Her Last Years
Doris Akers spent her final years in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She worked as the Minister of Music at Grace Temple Deliverance Center. In August 1994, she broke her ankle. When she went to the doctor, she found out she had spinal cancer. Doris Akers passed away on July 26, 1995. She was remembered by her two sisters, Nellie and Bernice, and her brother, Donald Akers.
Doris Akers' Legacy
Doris Akers received many awards for her amazing work. She was named "Gospel Music Composer of the Year" two years in a row, in 1960 and 1961. In July 1976, her hometown of Kirksville, Missouri, held a special "Doris Akers Day." About 20,000 people came to a concert to celebrate her!
In 1992, the Smithsonian Institution honored Doris Akers. They called her "the foremost black gospel songwriter in the United States." After she passed away, she was added to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2011, Doris Akers was also inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Images for kids
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A newspaper clipping from 1949 showing the Simmons-Akers Singers: Dorothy Simmons, Doris Akers, and Hattie Hawkins.
