The Pulse of Entertainment: Grammy Nominated Calvin Bridges Celebrates
50 Years Since His Stellar Award Winning Hit Song ‘I Can Go to God in Prayer' Was Released
by Dr. Eunice
Moseley
(August 28, 2026) - "I am in awe of God," said Grammy nominated
Gospel singer/songwriter Calvin Bridges when talking about how his highly successful single "I
Can Go to God in Prayer" was originally released in 1976, then covered by the Queen of Gospel Albertina Walker,
then licensed by 300 artists and then licensed by the Smithsonian as a song that changed American culture! "God is worthy
of praise. I'm so honored...so humbled."
I've interviewed Calvin many times for his music, but I am in awe too
about this news that was brought to me. Celebrating 50 years since the release of his signature song that
I honestly thought was written by Albertina Walker all this time. Honestly, Calvin doesn't even look no more than 50 years-old!
I asked myself, was he two years-old when he wrote it?
Amazing. Not only has be
collaborated as a Gospel singer/songwriter with Albertina Walker, but Edwin Hawkins, Dr. Bobby Jones, Cheryl Porter, Ricky
Dillard and Kurt Carr. Patti LaBelle performed his song "Come On In This House" on stage. Luciano Pavarotti, Boys
Choir of Harlem, Alicia Keyes and more have covered the "I Can Go to God in Prayer" single too.
"From my early childhood
years," he told me when I asked about when his roots in Gospel started.
As I was
telling him how impressed I was with the success of his single he said, "It wasn't until, when preparing for the press
release, I realized it was licensed by the Smithsonian (the significance of his song). It didn't darn on me that it was the
‘SMITHSONIAN!'"
Having your song sampled and covered by so many may people may have had him in the frame of mind
that here come ‘another one." Not really paying attention to who this "another one" is. But that "another
one" solidified the song as a part of American history. In fact, the Smithsonian stated that "I Can Go to God in
Prayer" is now part of America's musical heritage and that it has a place in American Culture. Others great artists who
covered the "I Can Go to God in Prayer" include Ann Nesby (Sounds of Blackness), and The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
"She
(Albertina Walker) made it a hit," he confessed honestly as we continued to talk about the song.
"I Can Go to God in
Prayer" has an old-time Gospel sound or Traditional Gospel sound that - in this day and age of Contemporary Gospel -
offers something fresh and different. He has performed the hit single at the American Embassy in London. Bridges has released
a special "50th Anniversary Tribute Video" featuring performances of the song by Albertina Walker in a PBS Special
"Going Home to Gospel" with Patti LaBelle, his performance of it with a 400-member choir at Germany's POGO Music
Festival, and his performance of it during an orchestra presentation at Chicago's Millennium Park. Calvin Bridges has performed
all over the world in Europe, Paris, and Africa. He was even asked to perform during the 1996 Olympic Games, inspiring with
the Gospel.
"To give God some Traditional Gospel," Calvin said as we continued to discuss how and why the birth
of the song happened. "That is something I am most proud about, introducing a new generation of people to Traditional
Gospel. Bring the focus back to God"
Bridges said that the single "I Can Go to God in Prayer" was literally given
to him by God - melody and words. All at once in a short amount of time .I told him I have interview many artists and they
all tell me their signature songs were given to them by God. Some would call the single's sound and style as Holy-Ghost Gospel.
Through the years Calvin has released his music ministry on many record labels, such as
the infamous WORD Records and A&M Records. His songs have landed on Billboard's Top 20 and Top 50 Gospel Charts.
"I just released a new song called ‘Holy One'. It's a Praise & Worship
song. It came out Friday," the Stellar Award winner ("I Can Go to God in Prayer") told me as we ended our interview.
www.CalvinBridges.org
