Albertina Walker

October 8, 2010 Albertina Walker, gospel singer, died.

Walker was born August 29, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. She started singing in church choirs at an early age and by the time she was a teenager, she was touring with Mahalia Jackson. In 1951, Walker formed The Caravans and soon after she earned the title “Queen of Gospel.”

In 1967, she disbanded The Caravans and began performing as a solo artist. She recorded her first solo album, “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” in 1975. Walker recorded over 60 albums, including “Please Be Patient with Me” (1979), “I Can Go to God in Prayer” (1981), “Impossible Dream” (1997), and “Joy Will Come” (1997). She garnered ten Grammy nominations and won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Gospel Album for “Songs of The Church.”

Walker was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and in 2005 the Grammys honored her for her contributions to the gospel music industry.