Music makes the world go around. It’s the Universal Language that connects cultures together. It activates the brain’s reward system particular the release of our dopamine, neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. Music creates feelings of euphoria and excitement and encourages us to engage physically to dance. It can turn your bad day into your good day and it helps us release stress.
June is Black Music Month. So, this year T-Group Music salutes one of our local singers, Gloria Evans Whiteside, ‘The Lady with the Song,” Her sweet voice delivers a powerful soothing, soulful mellow energy that flows right through her into your listening ears and heart. Born and raised in Roanoke, married with two grown daughters, two stepdaughters, two stepsons and a granddaughter, she was raised by loving parents with her mother singing along with all her seven sisters and two brothers. Music was always playing in their home whether it was Gospel or soulful R& B with gospel being big in their house, her mother loving listening to Mahalia Jackson.
“As kids, my mother would send us downtown to purchase records from the well-known black family owned record store, Kaiser Records.
While gospel was our favorite we still liked listening to artist like Otis Redding, Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke and many more. My favorite till this day is gospel, but I love female vocalist like Anita Baker, Sade, Phyllis Hyman, Althea Franklin, Chaka Khan and Whitney Houston. “I am drawn to songs that tell a story.”
As a young girl, Gloria started singing in the church and then in school in the choir at Jackson Middle School under the direction of Ms. Holly and at Patrick Henry High School under the direction of Mr. Ferguson.
“I was also homecoming Queen at Patrick Henry in 1980.”
Gloria’s adult career off stage started in Raleigh, North Carolina at the College of Business – Hard Barger Junior College in the field of Fashion Merchandising. She also graduated from PSI Programming Systems Institute and worked at the US Pentagon, Computer Programming field Cobal RPG-2 run tapes for National Pentagon Technology Department United States, Arlington Virginia and Washington, D.C. DSS forecast. Gloria retired from the Roanoke City Schools in the Computer Department of Administration after thirty-six years.
Her music career has taken her very far and she’s performed with many groups in both Gospel and R&B. Gloria recorded two songs in Atlanta from 2014 and 2015. You can find these two songs on YouTube: “And Then” and “Don’t You Know” both delightful songs to listen to, a comment by a listener called her, A true R&B Soul Singer. Gloria has performed with Tremaine Hawkins, Rance Allen, Dorothy Norwood and the Clark Sisters. She has also performed at baseball games for the Salem Red Sox where she sang The National Anthem at sporting events, The Charlotte Hornets, rodeos, graduations, local sororities and fraternities, funerals and for Trish White Boyd, Assistant Mayor for fundraisers.
Her career has expanded over many years with many different groups like, Kemistry and artist like: Climax one of her first groups she started singing with in her early days. She performed on stage with Norman Connors, Brown Sugar, Starzity, the group Freeway from Salem, VA and at clubs across the D.C. area over three years. Also with the Gospel Group, JWPS on Sundays and spreading her gospel singing talents to several different churches throughout the valley.
One of Gloria’s future ventures is the contest in Nashville, TN to sing the The National Anthem. The winner gets the chance to sing and to be heard nationally.
Gloria has two movies to her credit, “Truth and Justice,” a Christian movie rated PG and second “#Follow Friday” which was a scary movie.
Several years back Gloria received the NAACP Award for community involvement and on September 3, 2023 John Word Production presented her with the Gold Star Supporter Award at Pilgrim Baptist Church for her excellent service in the community and surrounding areas for her volunteer service at nursing homes, churches, food banks, Christmas extravaganzas where toys were give out to kids and homeless programs. She has always been admired by people looking forward to hearing her sing some of their favorite songs.
Her future looks very bright with plans to keep singing with groups and other artist using the voice and talent that has been given to her by the good Lord from above, “I love to sing.” We expect to hear and see great and wonderful performances from Gloria no matter what revue she’s performing in.
