Rodessa Barrett Porter was the last surviving member of the beloved gospel trio The Barrett Sisters.
- Died: December 16, 2024 (Who else died on December 16?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital in Harvey, Illinois of complications from a stroke at the age of 94.
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Rodessa Barrett Porter’s legacy
Porter grew up in Chicago, the seventh child of 10. She and her older sisters, DeLois and Billie, loved to sing together, and they grew up influenced by such gospel greats as Thomas A. Dorsey, whom they heard sing at a nearby church, and their neighbor, Mahalia Jackson. When Porter was just six years old, her sisters formed a gospel trio with their cousin, Johnnie Mae Hudson. After Hudson’s untimely death in 1950, Porter replaced her, and the trio became known as The Barrett Sisters.
The sisters sang at their home church, Chicago’s Morning Star Baptist Church, and as their reputation grew, they began to branch out. By the early 1960s, they had begun recording their music for a wider audience. The Barrett Sisters became pillars of the gospel music community, known for their glamorous gowns and accessories and for their beautifully harmonizing voices. Porter’s clear soprano stood out as she took high harmonies and added flourishes that brought audiences to their feet.
In 1964, The Barrett Sisters sang at the Chicago funeral for soul music legend Sam Cooke, and they were regular performers on the gospel TV program “Jubilee Showcase.” The siblings were featured in the 1982 documentary “Say Amen, Somebody,” which helped spread gospel music to an even larger audience. They appeared widely on TV, performing on such shows as “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” and “The PTL Club,” plus they toured the world dozens of times.
In addition to singing with her sisters for 70 years, Porter spent two decades as the choir director at Chicago’s Liberty Baptist Church.
Tributes to Rodessa Barrett Porter
Full obituary: Chicago Sun-Times
