Margie Joseph Gives Her Testimony Through New CD “Latter Rain”

Washington, D.C. - If the name Margie Joseph sounds familiar, it should. Many of you may remember her days in secular music when recording for Stax and Atlantic Records produced by renowned persons like Arif Mardin, Lamont Dozier, Darryl Carter, Fred Briggs and the late Johnny Bristol to name a few. Often having been compared to many other great female soul sisters in the 70’s, Joseph, with her captivating and soothing voice, has decided she will Always Sing For Jesus, a contemporary sound from the new CD, Latter Rain, to be released on February 21, 2006.

It has often been a difficult task for some blues, jazz or R&B recording artists, to "crossover" to the gospel venue. However, Margie Joseph is not apprehensive about it at all. She says, "I have revered God and have been a Christian all of my life and I am only being obedient to Him." After a 20-year hiatus of seeking God and working as program manager in community- and faith-based organizations, Margie believes she is ready to evangelize the Word through her new gospel CD titled Latter Rain. The new gospel CD, produced by Dale Ramsey and recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, is on her label, Sistahpraise Records Inc., the name inspired by her own beliefs that she was born to praise the Lord God.

The Mississippi native grew up in church and always had a passion to sing. It wasn’t until she attended Dillard University in New Orleans that her dream of a singing career became reality. It all started at a meeting with DJ Larry McKinley. Joseph recalls the poignant moment. “Larry had heard about me from my colleagues and requested that I audition for him. He really liked what he heard and arranged for me to perform with the late great jazz artist Cannonball Adderly,” she recounts. “Then, it was on to Muscle Shoals to cut my first two recordings produced by the famous Willie T (Turbington) and George Davis, with the Okeh label, a Columbia Records subsidiary,” she says.

Later on, she moved to another imprint, Volt, a Stax Records subsidiary, where she recorded a Billboard- charting single Your Sweet Lovin'/What's The Matter Baby in 1970. That hit was followed by others like two remakes of The Supremes classics, Stop In The Name Of Love and My World Is Empty Without You. As fate would have it, Joseph eventually was signed to Atlantic Records and connected with famed record producer Arif Mardin, who at the time was known for his earlier work with Aretha Franklin. That collaboration led to other successes like her musical interpretations of Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together and Paul McCartney’s My Love, a Top Ten charting single for Joseph in 1974. What is largely viewed as a peak of Joseph’s secular music career was the 1975 release of her album entitled Margie. Working with the legendary Lamont Dozier, of Holland-Dozier- Holland, the project spawned cuts like Words (Are Impossible) and I Can’t Move No Mountains. Other projects followed, as did a hiatus from the industry.