Business Inc.
Atlanta is a Gospel Music Mecca
City's Civil Rights history and music of salvation are inextricably linked.
If the Civil Rights Movement is the story of Atlanta, then gospel music may very well be its soundtrack. The movement charted and changed the course of American history and the music of that time, particularly gospel, served as the spiritual salve for a generation. That connection remains strong, even through today, says Teresa Hairston, founder of the Gospel Heritage Foundation. The foundation, which Hairston founded in 1996, held its 17th annual Praise & Worship Conference, this past weekend in Atlanta to celebrate the genre's legacy and importance as a vehicle for education. Despite music business turmoil as consumer behavior changed the way recordings are accessed and the greater ease for piracy via technology, gospel remains stable. …
