Contemporary gospel singer, songwriter, and recording artist, Jackie Ball, is smiling a lot these days, and well she should! Her just released debut gospel CD, “Do You Know Jesus?” (The Crown Music Group) features the supercharged tracks, “Call Him,” “Ain’t Nobody,” and “Tell Him.” The songs are receiving growing airplay and glowing reviews in such markets as Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Richmond, Austin, Houston, Denver, Seattle, Little Rock, Oklahoma City, as well as in other regions of the country… Ball’s five-octave vocal range is also being lauded for its bold mastery of intertwining contemporary gospel music with good old R&B at its best. “Do You Know Jesus?” is produced by David E. and Charles “Chuck” Jackson, the latter of whom, once teamed with the late Marvin Yancy to write and produce hit after hit for the incredible Natalie Cole, which included such classics as, “Our Love,” “Inseparable,” “This Will Be” and many more… In addition, Vassal Benford, CEO and Founder of Diamond Entertainment Group, shared in the executive production of Ball’s CD. Over the years, Benford has also created, produced and marketed over 150 albums for such artists as, “Jade,” Deborah Cox, Tramaine Hawkins and Whitney Houston, which have garnered over 50 Platinum Records.
While Ball, a long-time resident of Southern California, is a newcomer to the contemporary gospel recording scene, she is far from being a neophyte to the music industry. In the early 1980s, music icon Clive Davis - who knows a thing of two about music - was blown away by Ball’s vocal skills and inked her, along with Linda Stokes and Kim Ball, to a recording deal with his company, Arista Records. The three women, with Ball on lead vocals, were collectively known as “Magic Lady,” and later went on to record albums for A&M and Motown Records, respectively.
Born and raised in Detroit, Ball had the opportunity to see and hear “real singing” up-close and personal, as the Motor City was, and still is, a haven for world-class singers, musicians and producers. Ball attended Mumford High School, where she performed in gospel choirs with several members of Detroit’s future premier gospel families, The Winans and The Clark Sisters. In addition to performing in Mumford’s choirs, Ball grew up singing in the church, where her late father, Elder William Moses Ball, was one of the founding ministers of Greater Grace Temple. The church will celebrate its 80th anniversary in mid-August, 2007, and Ball, is ecstatic to return to her home church and Detroit roots, to sing at Greater Grace’s celebratory events.
While R&B has been Ball’s strong suit, gospel has always been a genre of music that has pulled strongly at her heart and spirit. After “Magic Lady” disbanded, Ball met and married David E., a talented Los Angeles songwriter and keyboardist. The two began to collaborate on writing contemporary gospel-R&B inspired songs. The couple also waited on the Lord to order their next steps in the music industry. Well, the steps have been ordered, and the gospel music world has taken notice, as Ball is determined to praise God in her own way and on her own musical terms. Jackie Ball is not the first gospel recording artist to ride on the eclectic wings of gospel and R&B spirited music; she’s simply one of the best…and that’s the gospel truth!