Albertina Walker

Albertina Walker (1929–2010) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, and humanitarian. Born in Chicago, Illinois, she began singing in the children's choir at West Point Missionary Baptist Church at age four. She became a protégé of Mahalia Jackson before founding the influential gospel group The Caravans in 1951. Through her leadership of The Caravans, Walker mentored numerous gospel artists, including James Cleveland, Shirley Caesar, Inez Andrews, and Dorothy Norwood. Her catalog of recorded songs includes titles such as "Lord Keep Me Day By Day," "I Won’t Be Back (Sweeping Through the City)," "No Coward Soldier," "Holy Boldness," and "Choose Ye This Day." Walker received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the Chicago Theological Seminary in 1994. She won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album in 1995 for *Songs Of The Church: Live In Memphis*. She was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001.