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Evelyn Simpson-Curenton
b. 1953 Person Name: Evelyn Simpson-Curenton, b. 1953 Arranger of "[Someone asked the question: why do we sing?]" in African American Heritage Hymnal Evelyn Simpson Curenton (born 1953) is a leading African-American composer, pianist, organist, and vocalist.
Simpson Curenton began piano lessons at age 5, began to perform with the Singing Simpsons of Philadelphia, a family group, and earned a B.M., Music Education and Voice from Temple University.
She has been commissioned to write works for the American Guild of Organists, George Shirley, the late Duke Ellington, and her sister, the late Joy Simpson, arranged music for Kathleen Battle, Jessye Norman, and the Porgy and Bess Chorus of the New York Metropolitan Opera, and has performed with musical organizations such as Philadelphia's National Opera Ebony (later renamed Opera North).
Based in the Washington, D.C., area, Curenton is Music Director of the Washington Performing Arts Society's Men and Women of the Gospel and an associate of the Smithsonian Institution. She has given lectures and participated in workshops on early 18th-century black religious music and the music of African-Americans during the Civil Rights era.
--en.wikipedia.org
Evelyn Simpson-Curenton
Kirk Franklin
b. 1970 Author of "Someone Asked the Question (Why We Sing)" in The Faith We Sing Kirk Franklin (b 26 Jan. 1970, Riverside, TX) was raised primarily by his grandmother’s sister, Gertrude Franklin. He showed musical aptitude at an early age, taking a regular church position at age 11 at Mt. Rose Baptist Church, Dallas, TX. His first professional position as an adult was at Greater Stranger’s Rest Baptist Church, Ft. Worth (1989), where he met V. Michael McKay and made his first live recording. On Saturdays, he played for Grace Temple Adventist Church, where he met his future business manager, Gerald Wright. The Dallas Ft. Worth Mass Choir recorded his song “Every Day with Jesus” in 1990 (released 1991). He assembled a group called The Family and signed with Gospo Centric (1992). He made waves by recording the hip-hop infused “Stomp” with God’s Property (1997), followed by many other successful albums and collaborations, mostly leaning into a contemporary or urban style. He started attending Tony Evans’ church in 1998 and counts him as a key mentor.
—Chris Fenner, Hymns & Devotions for Daily Worship: African American Edition (2025)
Kirk Franklin
