The Canton Spirituals

Originating from Canton, Mississippi, the Canton Spirituals earned acclaim as pioneers who fused traditional gospel with contemporary R&B and urban textures. Harvey Watkins, Sr. assembled the ensemble in 1943 alongside Reverend I.S. Watkins, Claude "Bubba" Nichols, Warren G. Ward, Isaac Bolton, Eddie Jackson, Theo Thompson, and Roscoe Lucious. After the elder Watkins died in 1994, his son Harvey Watkins, Jr. assumed direction of the group. Across the span from 1978 to 2013 the Canton Spirituals issued some 20 albums and collected Stellar, Dove, Soul Train, GMWA Excellence, and Urban Network Awards for their influence on modern and contemporary gospel.