Herbert Williams, Cosmopolitan “Warriors” Soloist

Another soldier’s gone on home. This report is from Elder Mack Mason:

March 13, 2005 CHICAGO, IL – It was announced today on several church
radio broadcasts that Herbert Williams, former vocalist with the
Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer Choir, has passed away.

Services for Mr. Williams will be held on Thursday, March 17, 2005 at
The Progressive Community Church located at 48th & Wabash in Chicago, IL
where Rev. B. Herbert Martin is Pastor and Nash Shaffer is Minister of
Music.

For nearly 30 years, Herbert Williams was the most popular male lead
singer for Dr. Charles Hayes’ Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer Choir,
appearing weekly on the Live 11:00 PM radio broadcasts and on three TV
episodes of “Jubilee Showcase.”

Unfortunately, Williams had left the choir by 1979 and was never
captured on record with the choir during its Savoy years. But many later
Cosmo recordings led by Dr. Hayes such as “I Know The Lord Laid His Hands
on Me,” “Turn it Over To The Lord,” You Can’t Make Me Doubt Him,” “Jesus
Will Bring Things Out,” and even Diane Williams’ “Jesus Can Work It Out”
were made popular by Herbert Williams’ earlier radio performances on
WVON and later WXFM.

However, Williams was featured on an earlier HOB 45RPM single, “Just When
I Need Him Most,” and on the choir’s 1977 One Way Records LP entitled
Everything is Alright. On the One Way LP, Herbert leads on songs “He
Cares”, “Heaven,” and “Let’s Get Ready.” He also shared most of the
writing credits with organist Shelby Wills.

Williams returned to the choir on several occasions and finally
recorded with the choir on the 2004 “Back at War” CD, leading two songs:
“One Mo’ Time” and “Something Got a Hold of Me”.

Herbert Williams was a uniquely anointed singer who could handle ballads
like DJ Rogers’ “Say You Love Me” and the shouting “How I Got Over (Soul
Looks Back),” both performed on “Jubilee Showcase.”

By Mack C. Mason