Thomas Whitfield

Thomas Whitfield was among the most prominent figures in the evolution of contemporary gospel. From the '70s through the early '90s, the Detroit-based pianist, singer, songwriter, producer, and arranger -- with rare exception joined by his choir, the Thomas Whitfield Company, aka the Whitfield Company -- applied contemporary R&B sounds to gospel-rooted material and frequently hit Billboard's spiritual and gospel charts. Whitfield was associated with the Stax label's Gospel Truth subsidiary and placed a song on James Cleveland's God Has Smiled on Me album before he made his ful...