By Mary Jekielek Insprucker
September 2005

Shirley Caesar

If this were Jeopardy , the answer would be, "She was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, won 11 Grammy awards and the NAACP Achievement Award, starred in MCI commercials, recorded over 40 albums, and is friends with Oprah." The correct Jeopardy response would be, "Who is Shirley Caesar?"

Born and raised in North Carolina , and still living in Raleigh where she is pastor to the Mount Calvary Word of Faith Holy Church, Caesar fell into a life she never dreamed possible as a young girl. "I never thought I'd be where I am at 50, or any age, because growing up during segregation I had no idea I'd be accepted," said the 66-year-old.

Segregation was not the only obstacle Caesar faced when she began singing in church as a young girl. Her father died when Caesar was 8-years-old, which left her to care for a semi-invalid mother. "I never had a childhood," Caesar said.

Perhaps the lack of a childhood is what has made her a crusader for children. "God has charged me with stopping the violence and helping the young folk out of trouble. Our youth are going down the tube."

Caesar also feels she has a calling to the elderly and would like to use 46 acres of land that she has for a family life, senior, and activity center. Although there is no funding currently in place, Caesar has no doubt the project, titled Calvary City , will become a reality. "The Lord gave me this vision and it will come into fruition in my lifetime. God's going to do this."

Caesar said she might even turn to Oprah for help with the cause. Oprah recently honored Caesar, along with 24 other outstanding African American women including Maya Angelou and Coretta Scott King, at a celebration in California . "I lost my sister January 27 and was going through a very hard time," said Caesar. "Receiving this honor helped me a lot."

Caesar said Oprah treated her like a queen housing her in a $1750 a night resort room with in room facials, massages, and limos galore. "I already knew many of the celebrities at the event, but I got a chance to also meet Tina Turner and Diana Ross," said Caesar, who has had notable appearances in the televised Live from Disneyworld Night of Joy, The Gospel According to VH1 , and a White House performance for George Bush. With a schoolgirl giggle she added, "John Travolta kissed my hand and Tom Cruise, Usher and Alicia Keys came up to me."

However, it was not the celebrities, but the moments within the moments that impressed Caesar. "We were at Sunday morning gospel and Oprah put her hand on my shoulder. It was very moving," said Caesar.

Another souvenir experience occurred with Janet Jackson. "She was over in the corner crying and apologizing to me for doing it," said Caesar. "I told her it was okay. She told me that as a Jehovah's Witness she was never able to listen to my music when she was little. Now that she's grown she said she listens to it and it was helping her go through the ordeal with the Michael Jackson trial."

As for Jackson 's trial, alleging misconduct with youths, Caesar was emphatic about his innocence. "Believe me when I tell you he didn't do this and he is a wonderful person. There's something about a person's spirit that bears witness into your spirit, and that's what happened when I met him."

Caesar first met Michael Jackson in 1989 in California when he asked her to sing with him on one of his albums. "I went to the studio and while I was waiting for him I had a donut and some orange juice. When he came in he reached out for me, but I told him to wait until I wiped the jelly from my hands. Then I hugged him and told him I had always seen him as a son because before he changed his features I felt he favored me. I told him I appreciated that he never got on drugs or alcohol. He was wearing dark glasses and a black hat and his phone never stopped ringing so I asked him how he dealt with all the demands people put on him and he answered, 'You simply say no.'"

Age isn't holding her back, at 63 she released the Shirley Caesar and Friends CD featuring Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight. This past July she hosted the Wilt Thou Be Made Whole conference, and her latest musical offering, Shu-Bel , will have her rapping with Tonex.