Gospel Music Heritage Month Celebration

William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum
Little Rock, AR

September is Gospel Music Heritage Month, and the Clinton Presidential Center invites the community to a special celebration honoring the rich history, heritage, and lasting influence of gospel music in Arkansas and beyond.

The Gospel Music Heritage Month Celebration will take place Friday, September 11, 2026, at noon at the Clinton Presidential Center. The event is free and open to the public.

This soul-stirring celebration will explore gospel music from its deep roots to its contemporary expressions, highlighting the significant role the genre has played in American culture, faith, and community. Through conversation and live performances, the program will recognize the artists, musicians, and industry professionals who have helped preserve and advance the gospel music tradition.

The panel will bring together local and national professionals who have distinguished themselves in the gospel music arena. Arkansas panelists include Sheree Evans, Fred Harris, Dr. Dedric Jones, Stephen T. Robinson, and Danita Waller-Paige, with Clarence Thornton serving as moderator.

Joining the panel is Stan Jones, Jr., a seven-year record label executive, the 2025 Stellar Award Producer of the Year, and a multiple Dove, Stellar, and Grammy Award nominee. Jones has contributed to Billboard chart-topping music with artists including Yolanda Adams, Marvin Sapp, Brian Courtney Wilson, and The Mississippi Mass Choir, among others.

Complementing the panel discussion will be live gospel music, including a solo performance by Mother Eloise Reed and an ensemble performance featuring renowned Arkansas artists.

The program will also include a special prayer of acknowledgement commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and honoring the memory of the late Bishop Kenneth L. Robinson, who served as an inaugural panelist for the Gospel Music Heritage Month Celebration.

Gospel music holds a special place in Arkansas history. On February 16, 2011, the Arkansas Legislature voted unanimously to recognize September as “Arkansas Gospel Music Heritage Month.”

The celebration also reflects President Bill Clinton’s longstanding recognition of gospel music and its cultural importance. In 1994, President Clinton issued a proclamation designating the year as the Year of Gospel Music and called upon Americans to celebrate gospel music with appropriate ceremonies and activities and to reflect on the role the music plays in reinvigorating and renewing our souls and communities.