Odessa Edwards

Born Odessa Glasgoe in Birmingham, Odessa was a gospel singer known for her passionate and topical sermonizing with the Original Gospel Harmonettes. The group, originally known as the Harmoneers, which was founded in 1941 by Ms. Edwards, Evelyn Starks Hardy, Mildred Miller Howard, Vera Kolb and Willie Mae Newberry. They changed their name to the Original Gospel Harmonettes in the late '40s, and Dorothy Loves Coates joined in 1950 as the dynamic lead singer. Odessa Edwards was the clear-voiced contralto of the group. Though rarely singing the lead, she specialized in the spoken sermon parts that were a feature of the group's recordings and live performances. In her sermonettes, delivered while the other members of the group harmonized smoothly in the background, Edwards spoke of hope and faith in the face in adversity which would create a great deal of fervor in their performances. Speaking in biblical metaphors, she sometimes addressed the struggle for civil rights. After retiring with the group in the early 60s, Odessa had already earned a bachelor's degree from Miles College and then was granted a master's degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She taught high school mathematics and was a guidance counselor at Wenonah High School in Birmingham. She died on February 22nd, 2002 from complications of a stroke.