The Clara Ward Singers - The Mike Douglas Show 03 03 1966
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- FAN VIDEO (by special request) no copyright infringement intended. The Clara Ward singers were a multi generational gospel group that toured the world. Here they are on the Mike Douglas Show. I have edited out the time code. I am not familiar with this group and only came upon them based on a fan request. Please share your knowledge of the group, the songs featured, etc. below in the comments. I may incorporate your comments into the title and/or description. From comments: Ahh yes the Clara Ward Singers. This was 1966. Their possibility 1st appearance on this show. Members consist of Clara Ward, Gertrude Ward ( Clara’s Mother), Gloria Berry, Vermettya Royster, Madeline Thompson, Malvilyn Statham, and Alton Williams at the organ. Malvilyn Statham leads “Dry Bones” Clara Ward singing “It Is No Secret” and “Old Landmark”. Another from comments: Wow. This is amazing footage. Miss Gloria Berry on the left was friend of my moms. She invited us to see her with the Ward in Disneyland when I was about 8. I remember Clara singing Old Landmark. When they got to the shouting part, my mother jumped up and started shouting with them Lol. Clara and the girls yelling “go head,go head”. Good times.
Set List:
1) Dry Bones - lead: Malvilyn Statham
2) It Is No Secret - lead: Clara Ward; ad libs: Vermettya Royster
3) Old Landmark - lead: Clara Ward
4) Down by the Riverside - leads: Clara Ward, Kay Starr, Vermettya Royster
That tambourine tho! 😳💖🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👏
Clara ward And the ward singers were the greatest female gospel groups ever hands down✊❤️
We need them NOW!
Agreed. Who would appreciate them though? The youth? No twerking.Just pure class, praise and talent...What passes for "music" today is disgusting. Even much of the praise music is as watered down as much of today's Religion.
Vermettya Royster killing it during final chorus. She is the most phenomenal vocalist I’ve ever heard, a female Ruffin/Womack and DeeDee Warwick all in one.
What a great group from the music to the lyrics, and I loved them.
My dad promoted them in New Jersey for years until he got sick.
WRLB RADIO STATION IN LONG BRANCH NJ.
OH , WHAT A GOOD TIME ❤❤❤❤
Wow. This is amazing footage. Miss Gloria Berry on the left was friend of my moms. She invited us to see her with the Ward in Disneyland when I was about 8. I remember Clara singing Old Landmark. When they got to the shouting part, my mother jumped up and started shouting with them Lol. Clara and the girls yelling “go head,go head”. Good times
What a wonderful legacy!
I would like to hear more stories!!
@@sethcurry1627 That’s all I have Lol. Miss Berry was a sweet woman. I’ve seen Clara Ward many of times at concerts. I’ve been to her mothers church a few time back then and seen them there a lot.
@@dannyhammond5241 did she pass?
@@WoodeyTimothy yes they are all gone they all are deceased
Sometimes you'll get into the spirit just listening to this on TH-cam
I have such an appreciation for Clara Ward and the Clara Ward Singers. They all were great singers, and they song the Gospel. They were truly some great singers. We just don’t have singers like this in the Gospel world. I’m sorry, but I’m an old soul.
Wow, she was dancing and playing that tambourine!
These singers surely had the Holy Ghost Hallelujah Hallelujah!!
Set List:
1) Dry Bones - lead: Malvilyn Statham
2) It Is No Secret - lead: Clara Ward; ad libs: Vermettya Royster
3) Old Landmark - lead: Clara Ward
4) Down by the Riverside - leads: Clara Ward, Kay Starr, Vermettya Royster
Thank you!
Vermettya always comes with the fire!
Aretha Franklin cited Clara Ward as one of her early influences.
Just an FYI…if one has not seen the video release of Aretha’s 1972 live recording of the “Amazing Grace” album…Ms Clara Ward was there on one of the nights of the recording…seated next to Aretha’s father (probably as his “guest”). It is a great moment in Gospel history to not only watch Aretha at the top of her vocal game, but to also see Clara Ward along with Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts (of The Rolling Stones) in the audience. Ms Ward was seated up front, while Mick & Charlie were sitting further back, but they clearly become visible as they were moved to stand up and “participate” as is common with Gospel music when the Spirit begins to move. 😊
Love Clara ward and singers to hear organ. Take back
i was a kid when i watched the mike douglas show. watching this reminds me there were some people doing things to bring the 2 races together in the entertainment business. i'm sure mike got some flack bringing the group on. it was funny watching him "get in the Spirit". i love watching on shows like these. thanks for posting.
Roger, this is a duplicate of my comment under another of your vids, but in case it's of interest to anyone:
Dr. Calvin Statham was the music teacher at my junior high school in Baltimore County (MD) during at least part of the 1970s. He was dynamic, warm, gifted, and deeply loved. Ditto for his wife, Dr. Malvilyn Statham, who sang at one of our school concerts (perhaps more than one). From the 1st note it was clear that she was massively talented, but I'm guessing that none of us white kids knew about her belonging to the Clara Ward Singers or even knew of Clara Ward. (Pre-pre-pre-internet.)
Last I checked, Dr. and Dr. are still with us. And thank you VERY MUCH for sharing these gems.
I also had the good fortune to have Dr. Statham as a student. Such a blessing in my life!!!
Hello! Calvin & Malvilyn are STILL here with us! STILL in Baltimore County, Md. They are my family members (cousins). They worship at Shiloh Baptist Church of Edgemere in Baltimore County under Bishop Heber M. Brown II.
I love Clara and her story. Her and her mom had a very tumultuous relationship. Willa Ward's book How I Got Over is a wonderful read!
It really is! It’s an honest book for sure.
Amazing classic video. The Ward Singers was like The Supremes of gospel back then.
They don't have singers like that no more they all are upstairs my Lord those singers knew how to sing back then Clara Ward and the ward singer who my favorite along with the Roberta Martin singers I grew up listening to all of these singers I have all the Clair award songs I remember the Mike Douglas show from way back I'm a old soul nothing like old-fashioned music gospel music
That jumping is everything
Real Music 🎶
Clara's tearing it up y'all on It Is No Secret!!!
Wasnt she just beautiful eh ....the first ward singers song i heard at 15 year old was "come in the room" on tbe fontana label ...was electrifying ....& They still are.
I have her LP on MGM-Verve but it is nice to see her singing "It Is No Secret What God Can Do"!
in... credi...ble!
Gloria is killing on soprano! I love seeing Clara and the girls!
That looks like and sounds like Vermettya Royster singing those very high notes; especially towards the end of the song " Dry Bones" and she consistently sings those high notes throughout every song. Just take a good look at each performance and notice their facial expressions and who's singing certain parts.
@@Calvin375 you can hear Vermettya’s rasp on the middle on “lord”
@@JonathanGardnerTV I've seen and heard Vermettya sing those notes in other songs as a solo performer. She controls that raspiness in her voice when she wants to. Plus, you just saw and heard her sing those high notes in the ad-,libs on " It's No Secret What GOD Can Do". She was as clear as a bell, and then, she slid right back into her raspy vocals. She executed that vocal transition flawlessly. That's called vocal control. Plus, she extended her hands out and dropped her pallette to open up to sing those higher notes at the end of " Dry Bones".
@@Calvin375 Vermeytta is a high, raspy singer but at the end of dry bones, it’s Gloria Berry. That’s the note I was in awe of
@@WoodeyTimothy Look at it again. That was Vermettya Royster. You can even see she's singing those higher notes on both songs; especially on "Dry Bones".
💜💥
April 2022: if Only the FM gospel stations would return to playing these sanctified songs of Zion one the radio and take off the current dry watered down dribble currently on the air, our Souls would be refreshed and SAVED once Again
@grand slam absolutely!
Mike getting his praise on
Thank you for posting . They were so anointed
SING Ladies!!😊🙌💙
Thank you Roger, thank you!!!! I love CLARA WARD!!!! You made my day!!!!
Omg I love the Clara Ward singers❤❤
Seeing #ClaraWard’s mother was NICE! She ENSURED her #singers were JUBILANTLY PIONEERING through the BLATANT racism era. ❤❤❤
Vermettya Royster was serious business
THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!!!!! Loved them!
Malvilyn Statham leads “Dry Bones”
Clara Ward singing “It Is No Secret” and “Old Landmark”
wow
Ahh yes the Clara Ward Singers. This was 1966. Their possibility 1st appearance on this show. Members consist of Clara Ward, Gertrude Ward ( Clara’s Mother), Gloria Berry, Vermettya Royster, Madeline Thompson, Malvilyn Statham, and Alton Williams at the organ.
Thank you so much. I am so happy you saw and commented.
Love this!!
Clara looked a bit ty-red. Awesome singing, though. Wonderful clip. No other show like The Mike Douglas show at the time, I'm learning from these vintage clips.
She literally sang herself to death
Them wigs
Is that Tyrone Scott on the organ?
I can see where Aretha Franklin recieved her inspiration
What is the name of the Clara Ward singers who's standing in the middle. I believe I might have met her some years ago in San Francisco, before she became a Clara Ward dinger.
That’s Vermettya Royster. She also went secular and was lead soloist for a group called Sisters Love.
Malvilyn Statham done got up from playing the piano the camera missed it lol
I had some problems with the conversion. Some brief scenes were badly distorted and I had to edit them. This may be what happened that you observed.
Is there a lot of fuzz in the sound for any of you? I'd love to hear this without the fuzzy sound. Thank you!
getrude was accidentally serving. there's something elegant about her in this appearance.
❤❤❤❤❤they just don't do it like that anymore
I bet the Clark sisters definitely took some stuff from them style wise and took it to another level
No they did not!.
@@sinclairlewis6764 nope
Yes they did
I never heard of her before Aretha Franklin movie
Ms. Ward was Lady Soul’s musical mother.
Clara ward had widespread fame before Aretha and her group had the first number one platinum selling record for a female gospel group “Surely god is able”
8:50
Clara Ward is an example of if Tina Turner would have used her voice to glorify God!!!! She looks like her too, a Holy Tina! ❤
who's holding the sopranos part in this performance?
I am not that familiar with the group. Maybe one of the fans will answer.
Gloria Berry on the far left.
@@ZhairMillerGospelArchive On the last song ( down by the river side) one of the back up singers comes down to join Clara and Kay, and she is very loud-- almost too loud. Who is that?
@@sweetiepie1862 lol. That is Vermettya Royster. She could squall like no other!
@@sweetiepie1862 That was Vermettya Royster. She's the only contralto in the group who also sings soprano when Mildred Means was not around. Most of the time, Vermettya sings in the middle between the soprano( Mildred) and the alto section, which means, she sings Mezzo soprano ( 2nd soprano) the majority of the time.
Ok how was that a gospel song OMG that was just entertainment for the audience
I just researched Clara & read ab her life. Watching her have to fake w. her mom like that is cringeworthy.
Real Music 🎶