Ward, Clara (1924-1973), was an American gospel singer and composer. Gospel music is a type of American music drawn from Christian worship that was founded in African American religious communities. Ward gained fame in the 1940’s and 1950’s as the leader of the gospel group the Famous Ward Singers. The group became known for its colorful costumes and lively performance style. See Gospel music .
Clara Mae Ward was born in Philadelphia in April 1924. In 1934, she became part of a gospel trio with her mother, Gertrude, and her sister, Willa. They called themselves the Consecrated Gospel Singers, later the Ward Singers. Both girls could sing and play the piano. In 1943, the group gained national attention after performing at the National Baptist Convention in Chicago. In the 1940’s, Gertrude stopped performing and became the group’s manager. After 1947, Willa no longer toured regularly with the group. At the same time, Marion Williams and Henrietta Waddy joined Clara Ward to form the Famous Ward Singers. The group’s recording of “Surely, God Is Able” (1950), featuring Ward’s and Williams’s powerful lead vocals, became one of the first gospel records to sell a million copies.
By the 1950’s, the group added Frances Steadman and Kitty Parham. Clara arranged most of the music. Esther Ford later joined the group. The Famous Ward Singers’ other hit songs include “How I Got Over” (1951), “I’m Climbing Higher and Higher” (1954), and “Packing Up” (1958).
In the early 1950’s, Clara and Gertrude Ward founded a publishing company, Ward’s House of Music. In 1958, Williams, Waddy, Steadman, Parham, and Ford left the group to form the Stars of Faith.
In the 1960’s, Clara Ward began performing as a solo artist and recorded popular music. She died on Jan. 16, 1973.
See also Gospel music ; Williams, Marion .
