Mahalia Jackson

Anyone ever tell you history is dull, tedious and irrelevant? Not us. And for some particularly fascinating and relevant insights into black history, ditch the textbooks and head to these stage shows, which explore everything from the politics in...

Taped at the historic Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on March 16, the two-hour Celebration of Gospel — Rise Up! Renew! Rejoice! will premiere on television this Sunday, April 1, at 8pm ET/PT on BET. Steve Harvey once again serves as host of the...

The Top Five Lincoln and Douglas on stage “The Rivalry,” a play about the Lincoln-Douglas debates. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Saturday, Nov. 12. Harpers Ferry Middle School, Bolivar, W.Va.; 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, Saturday,...

Bessie Smith to Lady Gaga is a wide swath in modern music, and "Women Who Rock" includes them and many in between Friday, Nov. 18, on PBS (check local listings). "Rock and roll is a very wide river," says filmmaker Carol Stein. She and Susan Wittenberg...

Few people can get away with telling an anecdote about being on safari in Africa and make it sound like a trip to the supermarket. But for Elton John, that's precisely how and where he became inspired to call his keyboard-playing pal Leon Russell after...

Anyone who has been raised under the sway of a spiritual belief system -- Christian or Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or pagan -- knows that when a crisis arises, one thing you do is listen for a sound. A still, small......