Sarah Brown’s debut solo album is a tribute to Mahalia Jackson, gospel music’s first superstar whose soul-soothing spirituals were delivered with sophistication and spell binding style.

From Aylesbury, Sarah Brown was raised on her sisters’ Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin records.
She honed her expressive voice and range from a young age in the local Pentacostal church then when her parents split she moved with her mum to Luton and at 17 joined The Inspirational Choir Of The Pentecostal First Born Church Of The Living God. One of their featured singers, Brown sang with the group for 10 years, appearing on their 1985 debut album Sweet Inspiration and on Madness’ 1983 Number 2 hit single Wings Of A Dove. In the 90s she sung with Incognito, as a part of an ensemble with Quincy Jones at the 25th Montreux Jazz Festival and made up one part of jazz duo Lush Life. An in demand sessioneer, she has also sung with Pink Floyd, George Michael, Stevie Wonder and Simply Red and toured with Roxy Music, Simple Minds and Duran Duran.

Sarah’s album is also remuneration for the nourishment Mahalia’s music has given her, of the hope and sanctuary through hard times faced over the years. Growing up in a volatile household with an abusive father, Brown found catharsis in Mahalia’s albums as a teen. “When everyone was out I would put her records on the gramophone and sing and scream along and when I was singing and screaming, I was escaping, I was free, I felt no fear,” she says. More recently, she came through a messy divorce. “I was broken again,” she says. “My dreams were shattered but I turned to Mahalia and her songs provided the rainbow and salvation I needed.”