Pastor Shirley Caesar

Shirley Caesar, born Shirley Ann Caesar-Williams on October 13, 1938, in Durham, North Carolina, is an American gospel singer and ordained Pentecostal pastor. She began her professional music career in 1951 at the age of 12, and from 1958 to 1966 she was a member of the renowned gospel group The Caravans. She launched her solo career in 1966. Caesar’s solo catalog includes songs such as “Yes Lord, Yes,” “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” “No Charge,” “Sweeping Through the City (I Won’t Be Back),” “No Coward Soldier,” “Holy Boldness,” and “Choose Ye This Day.” In addition to her music career, she founded the Mount Calvary Word of Faith Church in Durham, North Carolina, and established the Shirley Caesar Outreach Ministries to assist the needy in her community. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Shaw University, graduating magna cum laude. Throughout her career, Caesar has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has also won multiple Grammy Awards and Dove Awards.