rkel would have to remain anonymous. While with Columbia, George Avakian was assigned to be Mahalia?s artist and repertoire man. (5) When Mahalia performed time was a key element to her. She wanted to make sure she had enough time to leave the audience with her intended message. Mahalia became annoyed with the television and radio broadcasters because she claimed that the first thing they wanted to do was to rush her and start warning her of her time limits. ?Before you knew it, they?d start cutting you off?, she claimed. To her, real gospel singing was more then just entertainment. She stressed her desire to get a message in people?s heads and did not want to be rushed. She was starting to make good money and felt that people show respect her and listen to her requests. These were her five years of her ascendancy into the white music market. (1) In between concerts and broadcasts, Mahalia could be found with Mildred and her cousin John Stevens, who drove the ladies around in Mahalia?s purple Cadillac. Mahalia remembers the difficulties they went through as they traveled and they harsh prejudices they faced. She can recall a time when they couldn?t find a single place to eat or sleep along the major highways. People refused to serve them because of their skin color. Some gasoline stations even refused to sell them gas, making their journeys very difficult. In the pre-civil war days, black-touring companies were in fierce competition. It ...
