Singing in church since the age of four, Chicago-born Albertina Walker had already been a member of a number of choirs and touring gospel groups by the time she organized her own group in 1951 at the age of 22. That group was the legendary Caravans, which launched the careers of James Cleveland, Shirley Caesar, Dorothy Norwood, Inez Andrews, Cassietta George, Delores Washington and others. The Caravans achieved great success in gospel music with hits like “Day by Day,” “Mary Don’t You Weep” and “I Wont Be Back.” Miss Walker began a solo career after leaving the Caravans, recording her first solo album in 1975. To date, she has recorded over 60 albums, including the 1995 Grammy Award-winning Song of the Church. In 1988, she founded the Albertina Walker Scholarship Foundation for the Creative and Performing Arts, which offers financial assistance to college students who aspire to serve in the gospel community.
