February 12, 1907

Roberta Evelyn Winston was born in Helena (Phillips County), one of six children of William and Anna Winston, proprietors of a general store. She began studying piano at age six. Her family relocated to Cairo, Illinois, before she was ten, and, following her arrival in Chicago in 1917, Winston played for various church functions, working with Thomas A. Dorsey, the “Father of Gospel Music,” at Chicago’s Pilgrim Baptist Church. Winston was one of the most significant figures during gospel music’s golden age (1945–1960). A performer and publisher, she reached iconic status in Chicago, where she influenced numerous artists (such as Alex Bradford, James Cleveland, and Albertina Walker) and had an impact on an entire industry with her innovation and business acumen.