James Moore earned a record contract with Savoy that same year and began releasing albums. Born in Detroit, he made his first appearance at the front of church at the age of seven and was introduced to gospel matriarch Mattie Moss Clark by a friend. With the help of Clark -- and the tremendous influence of the Revs. James Cleveland and Richard White -- Moore entered gospel music with 1974's I Thank You Master. He was also invited by Rev. Gerald Thompson to appear on his LP I Can't Stop Now that same year.

Rev. James Moore recorded infrequently during the 1980s (for a variety of labels), but returned to Malaco/Savoy in 1988 for Live: Rev. James Moore. The album hit the Top Ten on the gospel charts, and earned Moore a Stellar Award for Best Male Solo Performance. He appeared on the debut album by the Mississippi Mass Choir in 1987, and enjoyed the LP's enormous success (over half a year at the top of the gospel charts, almost a dozen awards from GMWA and Dove); the choir returned the favor by appearing on one of his albums, 1991's Live with the Mississippi Mass Choir. It also went to number one, prompting live albums recorded in Moore's hometown of Detroit and Jackson State University during the mid-'90s. His 1994 album I Will Trust in the Lord earned Rev. Moore his first Grammy nomination. ~ John Bush