Selah Jubilee Singers

The **Selah Jubilee Singers** were a pioneering American gospel vocal quartet founded around 1927 by Thermon Ruth, initially in Brooklyn, New York, before relocating to Raleigh, North Carolina. Known for their close-harmony jubilee style, they were one of the earliest groups to record gospel music, making the first known recordings of classics like "I'll Fly Away" and "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" during the late 1930s and early 1940s. They recorded predominantly for Decca Records and various smaller labels, blending gospel with a lighter, rhythmic jubilee sound that stood apart from the emerging hard gospel style of the era. The group’s lineup evolved over time, featuring key members like Ruth, Alden "Allen" Bunn, Junius Parker, and Jimmy Gorham.

Beyond their recording career, the Selah Jubilee Singers had a notable cultural impact when Thermon Ruth convinced the Apollo Theater in New York City to host gospel performances in 1955, making them the first gospel group to perform at that legendary venue. This event helped establish gospel music as a significant and enduring presence in commercial theaters and popular entertainment circuits. Some members of the group also branched out to form the secular doo-wop and R&B group The Larks, blending their gospel roots with mainstream music of the time.

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