The Sweet Inspirations are an American R&B girl group from Newark, New Jersey, founded by American singer Cissy Houston. The group was mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other popular music artists but were also a relatively successful group in their own right, earning several charted singles between 1967 and 1970.

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Formed by Houston in 1963 in Newark under the informal title \"The Girls\", they were the offshoot of a previous group called the Gospelaires, founded by Houston's nieces and future soul stars Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, along with Sylvia Shemwell. Under Houston's direction, the group would include Shemwell, Myrna Smith and Estelle Brown.\n

As session singers, they participated in hit records by Aretha Franklin, Solomon Burke, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison, Dusty Springfield and Elvis Presley. Signed to Atlantic Records in 1967, the group had their biggest hit with the aptly titled \"Sweet Inspiration\", which won them a Grammy Award nomination, making them just the third all-female vocal group in history to earn a Grammy nomination. They were also known for their rendition of \"I'm Blue\", which was the b-side of \"Sweet Inspiration\" and later was sampled famously by Salt-N-Pepa's hit \"Shoop\". \n

Following their first couple of months performing with Presley in Las Vegas, Houston left the group to raise her family and forge a successful solo career while the rest of the group carried on with Presley and as a recording act.\n

The original Sweet Inspirations were inducted into the second class of the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame in 2014.\n

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History

Origins

The history of the Sweet Inspirations started at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey during the 1950s where Emily \"Cissy\" Drinkard was the Minister of Music leading several youth choirs. Among the young singers she mentored were her preteen nieces Dionne, Dee Dee, Judy Guions and Sylvia Shemwell and their friend Doris Troy. By 1954, Judy had joined Cissy Drinkard's sibling gospel group the Drinkard Singers. Both Judy and Sylvia had been adopted by Cissy's sister Lee, another member of the Drinkard Singers and mother of Dionne and Dee Dee.\n

By 1958, Dionne, Dee Dee, Sylvia Shemwell and Doris Troy agreed to form the group the Gospelaires and eventually opened for the Drinkard Singers, finding success at the Apollo Theater in 1959 and were at this point being managed by Cissy's then-boyfriend John Russell Houston Jr. That year, while at the Apollo, a record label scout approached them backstage looking for background singers for a session for a musician named Sam \"The Man\" Taylor to which the Gospelaires agreed to sing on. Following that session and another with The Drifters, the group became professional session vocalists. By September 1961, John Houston Jr. convinced Cissy to join a session for Ronnie Hawkins after Dionne began working with Burt Bacharach, which led to Cissy Drinkard, who would later go by the name of Cissy Houston, officially joining the group. Within a couple of years, Dee Dee and Troy all left the group. Houston eventually replaced them with Myrna Smith, a New Hope choir member, and 17-year-old Estelle Brown, which formed the nucleus of the Sweet Inspirations.\n

The group was in high demand among producers, publishers, artists, and songwriters in the early 1960s and backed recordings made by the Warwick sisters and Troy, backing Dionne on her debut hit, \"Don't Make Me Over\" and on Troy's only hit, \"Just One Look\" as well as Solomon Burke's \"Cry to Me\", and Garnet Mimms' \"Cry Baby\" and eventually began a long tenure backing Aretha Franklin, later singing background on Franklin's hits such as \"Chain of Fools\", \"(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman\", \"(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone\", \"Ain't No Way\", \"Think\" and \"I Say a Little Prayer\".\n

Career

In a recording session on March 28, 1967, the group provided the backup vocals for Van Morrison on his classic hit \"Brown Eyed Girl\". It was released in June 1967 and rose to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. In October 2007, Morrison was awarded a Million-Air certificate by BMI for 8 million air plays of \"Brown Eyed Girl\". Shortly afterwards, the group, who were now known under the nickname \"The Group\", was approached by Jerry Wexler to sign a recording deal with Atlantic Records, the parent label of Morrison's Bang label under the condition they sign as The Inspirations. After discovering that another group went by that name, Wexler added \"Sweet\" in front of the name.\n

The Sweet Inspirations recorded by themselves for the first time in April 1967 for Atlantic Records. That session produced the first two singles released by Atlantic, a version of \"Why (Am I Treated So Bad),\" a song previously recorded by The Staple Singers and a soulful version of \"Let It Be Me\", a French song which had been a pop and R&B hit for Betty Everett and Jerry Butler in 1964. Though their first singles were only minor hits with \"Let It Be Me\" peaking inside the R&B top twenty, Atlantic was committed to the group, and an August session in Memphis yielded the bulk of songs used for the group's self-titled debut album, released in the late fall of 1967. Within a month of their chart climb, the group began work on their second album – a gospel record entitled Songs Of Faith & Inspiration. It was released in 1968 under the name \"Cissy Drinkard & The Sweet Inspirations.\"\n

On March 30, 1968, the group scored their first and only top forty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with the song \"Sweet Inspiration\" on Atlantic Records. The record was on the chart for ten weeks and peaked at number 18. The song earned the group a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental, eventually losing to The Temptations' \"Cloud Nine\" at the 1969 ceremony. The group joined Martha and the Vandellas and The Supremes as the only other all-female vocal group in history to earn a Grammy nomination. The b-side of \"Sweet Inspiration\", a funky cover of The Ikettes' \"I'm Blue\", gained notoriety more than a quarter century later when it was sampled by hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa's 1993 smash hit, \"Shoop\".\n

In 1967, the group did backing vocals for the Jimi Hendrix single \"Burning of the Midnight Lamp\" which was later featured on the album Electric Ladyland in 1968. They also backed Dusty Springfield on her album Dusty in Memphis.\n

Shortly after cutting the gospel set, the Sweet Inspirations were back in Atlantic's studios to record their third album, What the World Needs Now is Love, recorded at Muscle Shoals, Alabama with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. The late April 1968 session produced a version of The Bee Gees' \"To Love Somebody\", which became the group's fourth R&B chart hit, and a version of The Righteous Brothers' \"Unchained Melody,\" which gave the group a charted, though minor hit.\n

In 1969, the group recorded their fourth album, Sweets for my Sweet. The Sweet Inspirations also began recording and touring with Elvis Presley as both background singers and his warm-up act, as well as doing occasional live dates with Aretha Franklin. The association with Presley became well-publicized as he routinely introduced the Sweet Inspirations (along with the TCB Band members, the J. D. Sumner & Stamps Quartet, and Kathy Westmoreland) on his telecast concerts and live recordings. The Sweet Inspirations worked with Presley until his death in 1977.\n

Houston's last recording session with The Sweet Inspirations was in October 1969, since she wanted to pursue a solo career and concentrate on her family. The session produced the group's biggest R&B hit in some time. A Gamble & Huff composition, \"Gotta Find Me A Brand New Lover\" appeared on the group's fifth album Sweet Sweet Soul.\n

Later years

The remainder of the album was recorded in November 1970, with Shemwell, Brown, Smith, and new member Ann Williams, a friend of Brown's who stayed for what turned out to be the group's last full Atlantic album. Also included from that set are \"That’s The Way My Baby Is\", and \"Flash In The Pan\". A final Atlantic session in June 1970 brought the group (now a trio with Brown, Smith, and Shemwell) its last two singles for the label; \"This World\" (from the musical The Me Nobody Knows), and \"Evidence\".\n

In 1973, Brown, Smith, and Shemwell recorded an album for Stax Records. In 1978, the group sang backing vocals on Frankie Valli's No.1 hit \"Grease\" from the film of the same name. Estelle Brown quit the group that same year and was replaced by Gloria Brown, who toured with them but did not sing on the Sweet Inspirations’ last LP, Hot Butterfly, released on RSO Records in 1979, with singer Pat Terry featured on the actual recording. The group also provided backing vocals for The Bee Gees during their 1979 U.S. Spirits Having Flown Tour, only to break up shortly thereafter. \n

The Sweet Inspirations (Estelle Brown, Smith, and Shemwell) got back together again in 1994 with new member Portia Griffin. They performed at Elvis Presley tribute shows, and released new material in 2005. Shemwell suffered a stroke in 2001, which forced her into early retirement. They also recorded choir backing for The Killers' 2004 recording, Hot Fuss, on songs \"Andy, You're a Star\" and \"All These Things That I've Done\". Shemwell died on February 13, 2010.\n

In March 2010, while on a European tour for Elvis: The Concert, Smith developed pneumonia. Once back in the U.S., her condition continued to deteriorate, as she suffered kidney failure, further complicated by a severe stroke. By October 2010, she was a patient at the Canyon Oaks Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Canoga Park, California. She died on December 24, 2010. Ann Williams died on October 1, 2013.\n

Smith was replaced with Los Angeles–based singer Kelly Jones; as of March 2011, the Sweet Inspirations are continuing to perform backup vocals with Elvis: The Concert and continue to do many concerts worldwide with Elvis Presley Enterprises' first ever \"Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist\", Shawn Klush, sometimes as a duo and other times as a trio.\n

On October 7, 2024, group founder Cissy Houston died in her sleep from complications of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 91 in her home of Newark, New Jersey, leaving Estelle Brown as the only surviving member of the original group.\n

In 2014, Houston and Brown accepted the Sweet Inspirations' induction into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame, the same night Houston's daughter, Whitney, was posthumously inducted.\n

Members

Current members\n

Estelle Brown – contralto/2nd alto (1967–1979, 1994–present)
Portia Griffin – soprano (1994–present)
Kelly Jones – mezzo-soprano/soprano (2011–present)

Former members\n

Cissy Houston – soprano/1st soprano (1967–1969; died 2024)
Sylvia Shemwell – contralto/1st alto (1967–1979, 1994–2001; died 2010)
Myrna Smith – soprano/2nd soprano (1967–1978, 1994–2010; died 2010)
Ann Williams – soprano/1st soprano (1969–1970; died 2013)
Gloria Brown – contralto (1978–1979)
Patricia Terry – contralto (1978–1979)

Discography

Albums

1967: The Sweet Inspirations (Atlantic)
1968: Songs of Faith & Inspiration (Atlantic)
1968: What the World Needs Now is Love (Atlantic)
1969: Sweets for My Sweet (Atlantic)
1970: Sweet Sweet Soul (Atlantic)
1973: Estelle, Myrna and Sylvia (Stax)
1974; Wanted Dead or Alive(Columbia)
1979: Hot Butterfly (RSO)
2005: In the Right Place (Frixion)

With Yusef Lateef\n

1968: The Blue Yusef Lateef (Atlantic)
1970: Suite 16 (Atlantic)
1970: The Diverse Yusef Lateef (Atlantic)
1971: The Gentle Giant (Atlantic)

Backing vocals

1967: Blowin' Your Mind!; Van Morrison
1967: Aretha Arrives; Aretha Franklin
1968: Lady Soul; Aretha Franklin
1968: Aretha Now; Aretha Franklin
1968: Electric Ladyland; The Jimi Hendrix Experience
1968: Goodies; George Benson
1969: Hey Jude; Wilson Pickett
1969: Elvis in Person at the International Hotel; Elvis Presley
1969: Dusty in Memphis; Dusty Springfield
1969: Do Your Own Thing; Brook Benton
1970: Turning Around; Dee Dee Warwick
1970: This Girl's in Love with You; Aretha Franklin
1970: That's the Way It Is; Elvis Presley
1970: Spirit in the Dark; Aretha Franklin
1970: Just a Little Lovin'; Carmen McRae
1971: Warm and Tender; Petula Clark
1971: Search and Nearness; The Rascals
1971: Thirds; James Gang
1972: As Recorded at Madison Square Garden; Elvis Presley
1972: Young, Gifted and Black Aretha Franklin
1973: Aloha From Hawaii: Via Satellite; Elvis Presley
1973: The Weapon; David Newman
1974: T.B. Sheets; Van Morrison
1974: Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis; Elvis Presley
1977: Elvis in Concert; Elvis Presley
1978: Frankie Valli... Is the Word; Frankie Valli
1978: New Beginnings; Cockrell & Santos
1979: Reddy; Helen Reddy
1998: Undiscovered Soul; Richie Sambora
2004: Hot Fuss; The Killers
2006: Elvis Lives: The 25th Anniversary Concert (DVD)

Charts

Albums

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U.S. chart singles

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References

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External links

Sweet Inspirations Bio Page
Exclusive Interview with Myrna Smith
Interview with Myrna Smith
Myrna Smith Interview at Elvis2001.net
The Sweet Inspirations discography at Discogs
The Sweet Inspirations at IMDb

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The Sweet Inspirations

Broadcast History