—Robert F. Darden, Emeritus Professor of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media at Baylor University, founder of the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program, and the author of two dozen books, including Soon & Very Soon: The Transformative Music and Ministry of Andrae Crouch

In the mid-20th century, a potent creative movement was documented in Louisville as small recording studios and record labels such as Sensational Sounds, Grace Gospel, and Blessed captured the sound and spirit of the city’s gospel choirs and quartets. The Louisville Story Program partnered with elders in the local gospel community to assure that powerful recordings, and the stories of the women and men behind them, would live on for generations to come.

I'm Glad About It: The Legacy of Gospel Music in Louisville, 1958-1981 is a box set featuring 83 archival recordings lovingly restored from the original vinyl, a 208-page full-color book documenting Louisville’s rich Black gospel music legacy written by the people who have built that legacy, and a companion double LP. In addition, LSP has created an extensive digital archive of photos, videos, and 1,000 songs by 125 gospel artists, to which the local gospel community can continue to add in subsequent years.

This project was made possible by women and men with a zeal for preserving a cultural heritage whose richness and importance cannot be overstated. Without efforts like theirs, this vital history would be in danger of fading away. And these songs, performed by custodians, truck drivers, cooks, masons, mechanics, upholsterers, drycleaners, schoolteachers, funeral directors, and other supremely talented artists of modest means, are nothing short of transcendent to this day. They are a testament to the human spirit, to the abundance of brilliance in Louisville’s Black gospel community, and to the power of faith. The authors of I’m Glad About It have ensured that future generations will better understand the shoulders upon which they stand, and that new audiences of all backgrounds can appreciate this rich history and be moved by this powerful music.

"With I’m Glad About It, the Louisville Story Program team has not only made an invaluable contribution to gospel music history, but they have done it with perfection, giving the men and women who created this marvelous music their well-deserved props. Every American city that can claim a rich gospel music heritage needs to take heed of this remarkable collection and follow suit.”

—Robert M. Marovich, two-time GRAMMY nominee and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Gospel Music

"Like all of the Louisville Story Program's work, I'm Glad About It is a vital portrait of a community presented through the eyes, ears, and mouths of its members—in this case the singers, players, producers, and facilitators of the city's fantastically rich Black gospel tradition. Its impact and import, though, should be felt far beyond Louisville. This is community archiving at its absolute best, from methodology to music."

—Nathan Salsburg, Curator, Lomax Digital Archive

“The Louisville Story Program has produced an inspiring, beautiful portrait of our region’s Gospel legacy with the publication of I’m Glad About It. The combination of storytelling, photography, and musical curation is exceptional and vital. Louisville’s Black Gospel traditions are celebrated the way they should be, reinforcing their immense impact on American culture, inviting people to learn about this remarkable history, and securing this critical legacy for future generations. Once again, the Louisville Story Program demonstrates the depth of its vision and mission with this special collection of history and music.”

—Teddy Abrams, Music Director, Louisville Orchestra