Editing Shirley Caesar (section)

{{Short description|American gospel singer (born 1938)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = 
| image            = Shirley_Ceasar_1997.jpg
| caption          = Caesar in 1997
| background       = solo_singer
| birth_name       = Shirley Ann Caesar
| alias            = {{Ubl | Pastor Shirley Caesar | The Queen of Gospel | The First Lady of Gospel}}
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1938|10|13}}
| birth_place      = [[Durham, North Carolina]], U.S.
| genre            = {{Hlist | [[Gospel music|Gospel]] | [[Christian hip hop]]}}
| occupation       = Singer<!-- Occupation(s) as given in the lead (see [[MOS:ROLEBIO]]) -->
| years_active     = 1951–present
| label            = {{Hlist | Artemis Gospel | Light Records}}
| associated_acts  = {{Ubl | [[Albertina Walker]] | [[James Cleveland]] | [[The Caesar Singers]] | [[The Caravans]] | [[Inez Andrews]] | [[Dorothy Norwood]] | [[Patti LaBelle]]}}
| website          = {{[https://www.shirleycaesar.com/?hl=en Pastor Shirley Caesar]}}
}}

'''Shirley Ann Caesar-Williams''' ([[Birth name|née]] '''Caesar'''; born October 13, 1938),<ref name="nhf">{{cite web|url=https://arts.gov/honors/heritage/shirley-caesar|title=Shirley Caesar: African-American Gospel Singer |date=n.d. |website=Arts.gov |publisher=[[National Endowment for the Arts]] |language=en |access-date=November 9, 2023}}</ref><!-- Per MOS:REFPUNCT: Where a footnote applies only to material within parentheses, the ref tags belong just before the closing parenthesis. --> known professionally as '''Shirley Caesar''', is an American [[Gospel music|gospel]] singer. Her career began in 1951, when she signed to [[Federal Records]] at the age of 12.<ref>{{cite book |author=Boyer, Horace Clarence |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EzZ7GjkQixkC&pg=PA220 |title=The Golden Age of Gospel |publisher=University of Illinois Press |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-252-06877-5 |pages=220–}}</ref> Throughout her seven decade career, Caesar has often been referred to as the "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|First Lady of Gospel Music]]",<ref name="nhf" /> and "The Queen of Gospel Music".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news-story/8843352-aretha-franklin-the-review-s-talk-with-the-queen-of-soul/|title=Aretha Franklin: The Review's talk with the Queen of Soul|first=John|last=Law|date=August 17, 2018|website=StCatharinesStandard.ca}}</ref> She has won eleven [[Grammy Awards]], fifteen [[Dove Awards]], and fourteen [[Stellar Awards]].

Caesar has released over forty albums. She has participated in over 16 compilations and three gospel musicals, ''[[Mama, I Want to Sing! (musical)|Mama I Want to Sing]]'', ''[[Mama, I Want to Sing: Part II|Sing: Mama 2]]'' and ''Born to sing: Mama 3''.

In 2009, she had sold 2.2&nbsp;million albums since 1991,<ref>Trust, Gary (September 18, 2009) [http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/267333/ask-billboard-madonna-yoko-ono-gospel Ask Billboard: Madonna, Yoko Ono, Gospel]. ''Billboard''</ref> making her one of the [[List of best-selling gospel music artists|top-selling gospel artists]]. She has made several notable appearances including the televised ''Live from Disney World Night of Joy'', the ''Gospel According to [[VH1]]'', and a [[White House]] performance for President George Bush. She gave a speech on the evolution of gospel music to the US Treasury Department.<ref name="urlShirley Caesar Biography - AOL Music">{{cite web|url=http://music.aol.com/artist/shirley-caesar/biography/1001871 |title=Shirley Caesar AOL Music bio |publisher=AOL Music |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019085901/http://music.aol.com/artist/shirley-caesar/biography/1001871 |archive-date=October 19, 2008 }}</ref> In 2017, Caesar was honored with a [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]] from [[The Recording Academy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/shirley-caesar-11-time-grammy-award-winner-receives-lifetime-achievement-award-honor-172285/|title=Shirley Caesar, 11-Time Grammy Award Winner, Receives Lifetime Achievement Award Honor|first=Kevin|last=Porter|website=The Christian Post|date=December 21, 2016 }}</ref> She has received the [[SESAC|SESAC Lifetime Achievement Award]], Rhapsody & Rhythm Award from the [[National Museum of African American Music]], and was inducted into the [[Gospel Music Hall of Fame]]. In 2016, Caesar was honored with a star on [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]], for her contributions in gospel music.