\u201cIt does something to people,\u201d Morrison said of music. \u201cThat\u2019s my whole thing. I want to change somebody\u2019s heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"people](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC00580-1024x575.jpg.webp\")
Gospel singer Dorothy Morrison at New Home Missionary Baptist Church in Sacramento on Sunday May 3, 2026. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n
The live version of \u201cOh Happy Day\u201d at New Home was exponentially more vibrant than the recording that brought Morrison fame.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She felt an out-of-body experience when she recorded \u201cOh Happy Day\u201d almost 60 years ago, similar to the feeling she continues to have every time she sings the song.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel something different every time,\u201d she said. \u201cI sing it different every time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Overwhelmed my heart\u2019<\/p>\n
Morrison, who has lived in Elk Grove for 10 years, rarely sings in the Sacramento area.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At 82 years old, she is tall and striking and makes full use of the stage. Her rich, multirange voice remains as dynamic as her stage presence.<\/p>\n
After decades with the lyrics, Morrison\u2019s understanding of her message has deepened. She doesn\u2019t just perform the song. She delivers it. It\u2019s her statement, her sermon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For her eight minutes at the microphone that morning, she was a leader. She engaged the congregation, giving a visual cue when she wanted their input. The audience packed into the small church knew what to do. They followed her lead and responded to her call. Their collective energy was electric.<\/p>\n
That call-and-response style, with a choir and audience, is an important tool in gospel music.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople feel it more, because they can relate,\u201d Morrison said. \u201cThey can feel it in their bones. They get to participate in it. And it makes it exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
The collaborative approach provides guidance for the audience. And Morrison knows when the strategy is working.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re not going to only respond,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re gonna stand up!\u201d<\/p>\n
New Home first lady Paula Robertson, wife of pastor Anthony Robertson, was among those standing for Morrison\u2019s set.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Robertson first met Morrison at their swim class. Naturally, Morrison sang there, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDorothy\u2019s music overwhelmed my heart the first time I heard her sing while the class was in the pool,\u201d Robertson said. \u201cAs Dorothy was singing, the entire class was singing along. It was so amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC00600-1024x575.jpg.webp\")
Gospel singer Dorothy Combs Morrison singing at New Home Missionary Baptist Church in Sacramento on Sunday May 3, 2026. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n
A timeless presence<\/p>\n
Edwin Hawkins recognized Morrison\u2019s dynamic presence 60 years ago. The music director wrote \u201cOh Happy Day\u201d as a modern twist on a hymn from the 1750s. With it, he created a milestone in the genre known as progressive gospel. He had Morrison\u2019s voice in mind for her range and her energy.<\/p>\n
The Combs family was well-known in Bay Area gospel music circles. They often took part in friendly competitions with other family choirs, including the Hawkins and the Stewarts (later known as Sly and the Family Stone). Dorothy was given solos starting at age 12. Even then, her voice ranged from second soprano to baritone.<\/p>\n
Hawkins knew his version of the hymn would not be popular with the church. Sacred music, at that time, was not as expressive as his composition and Morrison\u2019s delivery. Hawkins knew Morrison might bear the brunt of the controversy, and he knew she could handle the pressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, he said, \u2018But I know you can do it, Dorothy,\u2019\u201d Morrison said of Hawkins. \u201c\u2018I know you. You\u2019re not afraid.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC00861-1024x682.jpg.webp\")
Gospel singer Dorothy Combs Morrison at New Home Missionary Baptist Church in Sacramento on Sunday May 3, 2026. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n
Success of \u2018Oh Happy Day\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cOh Happy Day,\u201d which was released in 1967 when Morrison was in her early 20s, became a worldwide hit by The Edwin Hawkins Singers. It ranked in the top 10 on Billboard in the U.S. and Europe. Since then, the song has been covered by musicians as diverse as Elvis Presley, Reba McEntire, Andr\u00e9 Rieu and the South African group Soweto Gospel Choir. It was featured in the film \u201cSister Act 2: Back in the Habit.\u201d<\/p>\n
George Harrison has been quoted as saying that \u201cOh Happy Day\u201d inspired him to write \u201cMy Sweet Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harley White Jr. is a musician whose trio regularly plays at Brasserie du Monde in Sacramento. He has known and worked with Morrison for about 10 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cDorothy is a cultural icon,\u201d he said. \u201cHer voice was a new direction for gospel music.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is a universality to music. Just about everyone can find a form that speaks to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like sunshine,\u201d Morrison said. \u201cWhen it shines, it shines on everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC00636-1024x575.jpg.webp\")
Gospel singer Dorothy Combs Morrison sings at New Home Missionary Baptist Church in Sacramento on Sunday May 3, 2026. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n
Before she sings, Morrison has a singular motive: \u201cLet it make somebody, if they\u2019re having problems, let it lift their burdens. Let it help them out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her fans often tell her how much her music has helped them. Released in the Vietnam era, the song even spoke to soldiers. Morrison said she heard from veterans when they returned from combat.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gave them a sense of, hang on, you\u2019re gonna make it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt encouraged them.\u201d<\/p>\n
That, Morrison said, is the purpose of music.<\/p>\n
\u201cMusic is powerful,\u201d she said. \u201cI was told a long time ago, and I really keep it in my spirit, music soothes people when they\u2019re weary, when they\u2019re confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can go where people are having a hard time, but play some music and their spirit somehow will calm down.\u201d<\/p>\n
An undeniable connection<\/p>\n
Morrison knows her talent has changed lives. Her ability to connect is undeniable. It\u2019s what sets her apart from other singers. As a spiritual person, she refers to it as the anointing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe anointing comes through my singing. I come from the heart, and I reach the heart,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople change when you reach the heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robertson, the church\u2019s first lady, sees how Morrison reaches people\u2019s hearts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat makes Dorothy so relatable is her genuine love she has for people,\u201d Robertson said. \u201cI have observed the way people gravitate to her loving and kind spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n
White boiled it down to one trait.<\/p>\n
\u201cIntegrity,\u201d he said. \u201cShe walks her walk and she talks her talk. Jesus Christ is her savior. Ask her. Better yet, have her sing a song about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC00759-1024x682.jpg.webp\")
People attending a service at New Home Missionary Baptist Church in Sacramento on Sunday May 3, 2026. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n
\u2018Change somebody\u2019s heart\u2019<\/p>\n
Morrison said she was never paid for the recording of the song. She left The Edwin Hawkins Singers shortly after the record was released, although they reunited for a short time to tour Europe.<\/p>\n
She later recorded solo albums. She also worked with Boz Scaggs and with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. She performed at the groundbreaking Big Sur Folk Festival in 1968.<\/p>\n
She continues to sing gospel and, on occasion, jazz and blues. In recent years, she has been featured in performances by the Harley White Jr. Orchestra and The Blues Broads.<\/p>\n
Sixty years after first singing \u201cOh Happy Day,\u201d Morrison considered putting the song away. She thought about retiring. But that is unlikely.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my joy. It\u2019s my peace,\u201d she said. \u201cWithout this, I wouldn\u2019t be me.\u201d<\/p>\n
It keeps her going.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout continuing to sing, I would be like a flower that withers,\u201d she added. \u201cSo I changed my mind. I\u2019m not gonna retire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morrison knows that when she sings, she creates a moment powerful enough to move a room and change a person. The voice captured on wax long ago still brings a crowd to its feet because she sings from the heart, the place she reaches in others.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Donna Apidone is a regular contributor, writing Coming of Age for Abridged.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Abridged version: The singer whose voice popularized the gospel hit \u201cOh Happy Day\u201d gave a rare performance…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":334627,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-334626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334626\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/334627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}