She liked to sing gospel songs for herself. There were times when she felt like she was so far from God and the gospel songs were deep and had special meanings. They could bring back the communication and connection between oneself and God. (2) Mahalia first heard Bessie Smiths song,Careless Love? when her cousin, Young Fred, brought home the new recordings. Young Fred was Aunt Duke's son and he and Mahalia were very close growing up. Mahalia and Fred would listen to the new recordings for hours on Fred's phonograph, helping to ease a long, tiresome day of school and work. Outside of Mahalia's family, the thing of next most importance in her life was her church, Mount Moriah Baptist Church. (3) She claims that it was the foot tapping and hand clapping of the congregation in her church that she credit for herbounce? of her music. She enjoyed singing the songs, which testified the glory of the Lord. A Baptist all her life, it was actually her adoration of the Sanctified or Holiness church that affected her life and art. Although the Baptists had an organ and sang songs, the Sanctified Church had cymbals, drums, strings and tambourines that went along with the beat of vigorous hand clapping. Mahalia go so into the church music that she claims she was carried away by the spirit and the passion that filled her as she performed literally transported her out of herself. Mahalia always loved the church because of its powerful music. From her experiences in the church, she grew to sing the way she does today. (1) It was the way the preacher would sing, chant, cry, moan and shout in a groaning way that penetrated into her and other members of the congregation's hearts. (1) Fred, Mahalia's cousin and good friend was killed in an after-hours saloon brawl. This was her signal that she needed to move on with her life and get out of her Aunts house where she was abused. (1) She was ready to move out of adolescence and experience what life had to offer for her.
