From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Albertina Walker (b. August 29, 1929) is an African-American gospel singer.

Walker was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She begin singing in the youth choir at the West Point Baptist Church at an early age, and joined several Gospel groups thereafter, including The Pete Williams Singers and the Robert Anderson Singers.

In the early 1950s Walker founded her own gospel group The Caravans, enlisting fellow singers from The Robert Anderson Singers (Ora Lee Hopkins, Elyse Yancey and Nellie Grace Daniels). The Caravans soon became one of the most popular Gospel groups of all time, and it's flunctuating membership has included gospel superstars: James Cleveland, Bessie Griffin, Shirley Caesar, Dorothy Norwood, Inez Andrews, Loleatta Holloway, Cassietta George, and Delores Washington. Walker's discovery of talent via The Caravans earned her the title "The Star Maker". Walker retired The Caravans in the late 1960s and went on to phenominal success as a solo artist.

Albertina has earned many awards and honors over her six decades of music ministry. Among them, a 1995 Grammy Award for the Best Traditional Gospel Album (Songs of The Church); 10 Grammy Award nominations; 5 Gold Records; 3 Stellar Awards; 3 Dove Awards; several Gospel Music Workshop of America Excellence Awards; an induction into the 2001 Gospel Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2005, the Grammys, honored her contributions to the gospel music industry. She is also the recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship. President George Bush honored Albertina Walker for her contribution to gospel music May 31, 2002.

Ms. Walker is featured in the book entitled Who's Who In Black America as well as other volumes related to the Golden Age of Gospel Music. She has received several keys to various cities and was honored at the Chicago Gospel Festival where a bench bearing her name was placed in downtown Chicago's Grant Park. The City of Chicago paid tribute to Albertina by renaming 35th and Cottage Grove "Albertina Walker and The Caravans Drive". Albertina was also conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters Degree by the Chicago Theological Seminary, an institution of the University of Chicago Illinois.

Albertina recently recorded a reunion album with her group The Caravans entilted "Paved The Way", which was released by Malaco Records September 5, 2006. The group consisted of Albertina Walker, Dorothy Norwood, Inez Andrews, and Delores Washington. The album was dubbed by Billboard Magazine as one of the most memorable releases of 2006 (Deborah Evans Price, Dec. 9, 2006) and entered the Billboard charts in the top ten and has remained in the top forty for sixteen weeks. "Paved the Way" was recently nominated for a Grammy, Dove, & Soul Train Music Award.

This article about a United States rhythm and blues singer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.