Rev. Maceo Woods Leaves a Mighty Gospel Legacy
During his recording career, Woods released 25 albums on noteworthy labels such as Volt, Arista, and Stax. For many performers and fans of traditional black gospel, he served as their introduction to the musical genre. In a 2016 interview, musician and producer Brian Eno credits Woods with being “really the way I discovered gospel music.”
Blogger Jawn Murray describes hearing—and becoming “obsessed with”—Woods’ recording of “Hello Sunshine” more than four decades after its release. (The song and the album by the same name both made the Billboard R&B charts.) “A song I heard one time live has impacted me for more than a decade and introduced me to an unsung music great that I had never heard of,” Murray writes. “That’s what music should do.”
Aretha Franklin also released a version of “Hello Sunshine,” and Kyla Jade, a former member of the Nashville Super Choir and a contestant on The Voice recently sang her own rendition.
Historian Marovich, author of A City Called Heaven: Chicago and the Birth of Gospel Music, writes that Woods was a “consummate organist” and a “quiet man of deep religious conviction.”
Rev. Mason calls Woods a “class act” who always encouraged Mason’s own ministry and marriage. To honor his friend, Mason plans to feature Woods’ music on his radio broadcast this Sunday and online at www.gospel1570.com. Woods is survived by a son, Len Eric Woods.
Ahead of this weekend’s celebration of Woods’ life, tributes continue pouring in on social media. Marcelles Montgomery, who calls the preacher “a hero of mine,” posted a clip of Woods receiving an award and proclaiming: “Nothing good is ever lost. Continue what you’re doing. God will get the glory. And I am a living witness: There’s a price you pay for the space you occupy. Make sure you occupy that space. It pays to serve Jesus. Continue!”
