Cassietta George

The potent, clarion voice of Cassietta George rips through crowds with a moving, joyful noise. Though she had a distinguished solo career during the '60s and '70s, many still best remember George for her work with one of the best all-female gospel quartets of all time, the Caravans, in which she was one of the lead singers and a key songwriter.

George was born in Memphis, Tennessee. When she was four, she began singing in her father's church. Before getting involved with the Caravans in 1954, George had experience singing with other quartets, and her style was heavily influenced by that of Clara Ward. While in the seminal group, she sang beside such greats as James Cleveland, Albertina Walker, Inez Andrews, Delores Washington and Shirley Caesar, but only spent a year with them before leaving. George returned to the Caravans in 1960 and sang with them for the next five years. After that, she launched a successful solo career, recording over ten albums in Los Angeles for Audio Arts, Inc., touring constantly and writing over a hundred songs. Along the way, George was twice nominated for a Grammy.