Reverend Clay Evans, preacher extraordinaire, Gospel singer and founding pastor of Chicago’s historic Fellowship Baptist Church will receive the Ambassador Bobby Jones Legends Award during the 32nd Stellar Awards celebration on March 25th in Las Vegas, Nevada.<\/p>\n
The 91 year old elder statesman has a long and storied history.\u00a0 Born in Brownsville, Tennessee, he came to Chicago and started singing with various groups, among them he joined Bertha Melson and a young Reverend James Cleveland (before he was the King of Gospel) in the Lux Singers.\u00a0 Longtime friend and former assistant pastor Reverend Jesse Jackson shared these words: “Clay Evans is the living proliferation of his own message, It Is No Secret What God Can Do.\u00a0 He’s left an indelible impression on the church and Gospel Music for over 50 years.\u00a0 From his early days in Chicago singing in the Lux Singers with the King of Gospel Reverend James Cleveland to the founding of the Ship to his work in the civil rights movement and support of Dr. King to the many recordings, nationwide television and radio broadcasts and worldwide travels of the 150 voice Fellowship Choir to his work to educate and motivate countless numbers of young people through the Clay Evans Scholarship Fund, not only is he a living legend (at 91 and counting), he is worthy of double honor.\u00a0 Thank you Don Jackson, thank you Dr. Bobby Jones for celebrating this esteemed giant during the time that he can appreciate it.”<\/p>\n
Reverend Evans topped the Billboard charts in the latter half of 2016 with the release of Reverend Clay Evans and the Ship, What A Legacy.\u00a0 The CD featured music from the early years of the choir and spent 16 consecutive weeks on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart making it into the top 3.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Reverend Clay Evans, preacher extraordinaire, Gospel singer and founding pastor of Chicago’s historic Fellowship Baptist Church will receive the Ambassador Bobby Jones Legends Award during the 32nd Stellar Awards celebration on March 25th in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 91 year old elder statesman has a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":10221,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3400,3409],"tags":[41,91,525,2110,352,3835],"class_list":["post-10571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artist-news-and-updates","category-artists","category-stellar-awards-awards","tag-chicago","tag-fellowship-baptist-church","tag-gospel-music","tag-reverend-clay-evans","tag-stellar-awards","tag-what-a-legacy"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Clay-Evans-Slider.png?fit=1024%2C431&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13648,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/reverend-clay-evans-passes\/","url_meta":{"origin":10571,"position":0},"title":"Reverend Clay Evans Passes","author":"Gregory Gay","date":"December 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Tributes have been pouring in from around the globe as Gospel music lovers remember the Reverend Clay Evans, who passed away on Wednesday, November 27th at the age of 94. Evans, a native of Brownsville, Tennessee relocated to Chicago during his formative years and joined the Lux Singers where he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Rev-Evans-gives-direction.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Rev-Evans-gives-direction.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Rev-Evans-gives-direction.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Rev-Evans-gives-direction.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Rev-Evans-gives-direction.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9931,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/happy-birthday-reverend-clay-evans\/","url_meta":{"origin":10571,"position":1},"title":"Happy Birthday Reverend Clay Evans","author":"Gregory Gay","date":"June 23, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"GOSPELflava joins others across the country wishing a Happy 91st birthday to the Gospel music legend and iconic pastor, preacher civil rights leader and humanitarian, the founding pastor of Chicago's Fellowship Baptist Church, the one and only Reverend Clay Evans.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 It wouldn't be enough to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life Status (Births & Obituaries)"","block_context":{"text":"Life Status (Births & Obituaries)","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/category\/life-status-births-and-obituaries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Clay Evans","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.gospelflava.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Clay-Evans-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10219,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/reverend-clay-evans-hits-billboard-chart-with-what-a-legacy\/","url_meta":{"origin":10571,"position":2},"title":"Reverend Clay Evans Hits Billboard Chart With What A Legacy","author":"John Burton Jr.","date":"September 20, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The Chicago Gospel sound is celebrated in What A Legacy, a new retrospective CD celebrating 50 years of recordings from the inimitable Reverend Clay Evans and the Fellowship Baptist Church Choir.\u00a0 People have taken a liking to the disc as it makes it way onto the Billboard Top Gospel Albums\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Album Releases"","block_context":{"text":"Album Releases","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/category\/artists\/album-releases\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Clay-Evans-Slider.png?fit=1024%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Clay-Evans-Slider.png?fit=1024%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Clay-Evans-Slider.png?fit=1024%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Clay-Evans-Slider.png?fit=1024%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":191,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/lady-tramaine-hawkins-headlines-birthday-salute-to-reverend-clay-evans-and-dr-lou-della-evans-reid\/","url_meta":{"origin":10571,"position":3},"title":"Lady Tramaine Hawkins Headlines Birthday Salute to Reverend Clay Evans and Dr. Lou Della Evans Reid","author":"Gregory Gay","date":"July 9, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Grammy, Dove And Stellar Award Winner Lady Tramaine Hawkins backed by a 500 voice choir will salute the legendary Reverend Clay Evans and Dr. Lou Della Evans Reid on Monday, July 12th at Chicago's Christ Universal Temple on the celebration of their 85th and 80th birthdays. Reverend Evans is the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Concerts\/Tours"","block_context":{"text":"Concerts\/Tours","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/category\/concertstours\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.gospelflava.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/Lady-Tramaine-257x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13376,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/zach-mills-wins-award-for-reverend-clay-evans-biography\/","url_meta":{"origin":10571,"position":4},"title":"Zach Mills Wins Award For Reverend Clay Evans Biography","author":"Gregory Gay","date":"June 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"As friends, family and well-wishers from across the globe sent birthday greetings via social media to the iconic pastor, revered preacher, noted Stellar Award-winning Gospel singer and recording artist,\u00a0 civil rights leader and humanitarian Reverend Clay Evans on his 94th birthday this past weekend, Dr. Zach Mills shared in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artist News and Updates"","block_context":{"text":"Artist News and Updates","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/category\/artists\/artist-news-and-updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/55405622-AC80-4CCC-A577-0BDFB87CBECA-e1539629959962.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/55405622-AC80-4CCC-A577-0BDFB87CBECA-e1539629959962.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/55405622-AC80-4CCC-A577-0BDFB87CBECA-e1539629959962.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10313,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/reverend-jesse-jackson-celebrates-what-a-legacy\/","url_meta":{"origin":10571,"position":5},"title":"Reverend Jesse Jackson Celebrates What A Legacy","author":"John Burton Jr.","date":"October 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson was on hand to celebrate the CD release of What A Legacy, a new commemorative CD featuring vintage recordings of Reverend Clay Evans and the Fellowship Baptist Church Choir of Chicago.\u00a0 The disc has instantly become a fan favorite, making its home into the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artist News and Updates"","block_context":{"text":"Artist News and Updates","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/category\/artists\/artist-news-and-updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Clay-and-Jesse.jpg?fit=640%2C430&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Clay-and-Jesse.jpg?fit=640%2C430&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Clay-and-Jesse.jpg?fit=640%2C430&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10571"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10571\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10572,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10571\/revisions\/10572"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}