The gospel world has seen iconic singers that could rival any artist in on the planet when it comes to raw singing talent. One of those artists included Mahalia Jackson. Jill Scott along with Queen Latifah along with Jamie Foxx are going to bring her life story to film.
Mahalia Jackson was the first gospel singer to perform at Carnegie Hall and was said to be known as the inspiration behind the “I Have a Dream” speech, she was one of the most instrumental voices and ardent supporters of Martin Luther King Jr. and a driving force behind John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. She was one of the world’s most respected artists until her death in 1972.
Deadline exclusively reports, Grammy-winning singer Jill Scott is set to step into the shoes of the Queen of Gospel, the late Mahalia Jackson. “Mahalia!” will be a big screen film that’s executive produced by both Queen Latifah and Jamie Foxx. Unlike Lifetime’s recently announced Mahalia Jackson biopic that will star “Orange Is The New Black” star Danielle Brooks, this big screen biopic “Mahalia!” has secured the rights to Jackson’s entire musical catalog of hits including “How I Got Over,” “His Eyes Are on the Sparrow,” “Move on Up a Little Higher,” “Amazing Grace” and “Go Tell It On the Mountain.”
