NASHVILLE (AP) — Singer Joe Ligon, the dynamic frontman of the Grammy-winning gospel group Mighty Clouds of Joy, has died. He was 80.
His manager, Isaac Lindsey, said Monday that Ligon died on Sunday in Georgia. Ligon's death also was confirmed by his former booking agent Ricky DeRae.
Ligon was born in Troy, Alabama, but moved to Los Angeles and started the gospel quartet in the 1950s. They were influenced by R&B groups such as The Temptations, as well as the Rev. Julius Cheeks, a Los Angeles singer known for his baritone voice and onstage antics.
The original members of the band include Johnny Martin, Elmo and Ermant Franklin, Leon Polk and Richard Wallace. They won back-to-back Grammy Awards in 1978 and 1979 for best soul gospel performance, traditional, and again in 1991 for best traditional soul gospel album.
"Steal Away to Jesus" was their first recording in 1960, with their first album debuting in 1961 on Peacock Records.
With a singing style derived from Southern Baptist churches, Ligon would shout, scream and jump into the crowds, which he called "cuttin' the fool," and would deliver sermons in between songs. Among Mighty Clouds of Joy's most popular songs: "Time," which crossed over to the R&B charts in 1974, and "Mighty High," a 1975 disco hit.
They become the first gospel act to ever appear on "Soul Train," which earned them criticism among traditional gospel music fans.
"We were one of the first groups to do contemporary gospel. And we got stoned for it," Ligon told The Associated Press in a 1993 interview.
Their crossover success brought them added recognition, and they opened for the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon and Aretha Franklin. They played for President Jimmy Carter and toured extensively overseas.
Ligon told the AP that at the age of 56 he could hit every note that he could at the age of 18.
"Gospel singers don't retire, you know, they just die doing what they do," he said.