Thomas Dorsey (b. 1899) is credited in coining the phrase “gospel music”. As a prolific composer and choir leader, he incorporated vocal “call and response” into this generally religious music. It’s spiritual feeling is merged with moaning and pleading vocals, which led on to jump blues and early soul singers like the Staples Singers and rockabilly singers like Elvis Presley. Ray Charles and Sam Cooke also performed gospel music but Aretha Franklin, who is famed to be America’s most famous gospel singer took gospel to a different level.
The Stylistic traits of gospel music are, call and response, ad-libs / melismatic phrases, emotional commitment and group vocal singing.
Gospel technical traits are vocal agility, depth and warmth of vocal tone in the low larynx to boost lower frequencies, smooth transition through with regular movement between registers to enhance emotion and vibrato to accent longer phrases. “The Seeker” and “Here I am”, are two great examples of Parton using, the stylistic and technical traits of gospel music.