Richard Becker Collection of Alex Bradford Gospel Music Materials
name: label: Creator
content: Becker, Richard
label: Creator
content: Bradford, Alex
topic: label: Topic
content: Gospel music
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Richard Becker donated the materials to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History in January 2001.
creator: label: Creator
content: Becker, Richard
label: Creator
content: Bradford, Alex
setName: label: See more items in
content: Richard Becker Collection of Alex Bradford Gospel Music Materials
abstract: label: Summary
content: Papers relating to Alex Bradford's career as a composer of Gospel music. Included among the materials are playbills, published sheet music, music manuscripts, gospel song books, play scripts, newspaper clippings and articles, and one LP record.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Alex Bradford was a musical and theater legend who served as a bridge between the gospel and secular worlds in music and performance. Bradford was responsible for the rise and popularity of the mass gospel choir. Alex Bradford was born in Bessemer, Alabama in the late 1920s during an era of racial segregation. A racially motivated altercation eventually led his mother to send him to New York. Before he left Alabama, Bradford performed on stage and sang in various children's choirs. Bradford was a talented and influential gospel singer, performer, song writer, and stage play author. Richard Becker, an accomplished music producer, worked with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Becker's first collaboration with Bradford resulted in their production of Black Nativity, based on a play by Langston Hughes. Commissioned to do a second stage musical, the two created Your Arms Too Short to Box With God, based on the Biblical book of Matthew. Your Arms was the first musical production fully funded at the Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC. The musical made its debut on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre, on December 22, 1976. The original cast included Al Green, Patti LaBelle, and newcomer Jennifer Holliday.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.66 Cubic feet (2 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1950-1997, undated
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0761
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Sheet music
label: Type
content: Songbooks
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Theater programs
label: Type
content: Parts (musical)
label: Type
content: Playbills
label: Type
content: Programs
label: Type
content: Scripts (documents)
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Music
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into one series.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist, 2015.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sheet music -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Songbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings -- 1930-1990
label: Genre/Form
content: Theater programs -- 1970-1980
label: Genre/Form
content: Parts (musical)
label: Genre/Form
content: Playbills
label: Genre/Form
content: Programs
label: Genre/Form
content: Scripts (documents)
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Music -- Manuscripts
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Collection documents the career of Alex Bradford as a composer of gospel music. Most of the materials relate to the musical production Your Arms Too Short to Box with God and include playbills and an LP. There are music manuscripts, published sheet music, and three Gospel song books of Bradford's music. In addition, there are playscripts for some of Bradford's other musical productions. Newspaper clippings and magazine articles document the importance of Bradford's creative work to the African American community. Lastly, playbills from the League of New York Theatres and Producers Antoinette Perry Award (Tony Awards) ceremonies are also found among the materials. The materials are arranged in chronological order.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History


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