Shirley Caesar is a Gospel music singer, songwriter and recording artist whose career has spanned over six decades. A multi-award-winning artist, with eleven GRAMMY® Awards, fifteen Dove Awards and thirteen Stellar Awards to her credit, she is known as the “First Lady of Gospel Music”.
Beginning recording at the age of 13 in 1951, Shirley Caesar has released over thirty albums throughout her career. From 1958-1966 she recorded and performed with The Caravans, a legendary Gospel group alongside Albertina Walker, Cassietta George, Dorthy Norwood, Inez Andrews, Delores Washington. Her most recent album Fill This House debuted #1 on the Billboard Gospel charts.
In 2016, Shirley not only received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but she also went viral with her “beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes” song which occurred during one of her sermons. From that, she created of the #unameit challenge and opened her eponymous store using the profits to help others during the holiday season.
According to Soundscan, she has sold 2.2 million albums since 1991. She has made several notable appearances, including the televised Live from Disney World Night of Joy, the Gospel According to VH1, a White House performance for George Bush, and a speech on the Evolution of Gospel Music to the US Treasury Department.
In 2017, Caeser was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Recording Academy. She currently pastors Mount Calvary Word of Faith Church in Raleigh, NC.