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Appearing on gospel programs throughout the Los Angeles area, the Clouds caught the attention of Brother “Duke” Henderson, an R&B musician turned gospel radio personality, record company owner and religious retailer. Starting in 1956, Henderson recorded some of the group’s Los Angeles church performances for his new Proverb label, including a 1958 program on which Ligon led Lord, You Woke Me Up This Morning (all of the released and unreleased Proverb sides were later collected on a HOB Records LP). The quartet, then known as the Mighty Mighty Clouds of Joy, benefited from Henderson’s penchant for showcasing selections from his Proverb Records catalogue on his radio show.
In 1960, a demo recording of the Mighty Mighty Clouds of Joy’s Sinner’s Confession found its way to Don Robey, president of Peacock Records. Peacock was, at the time, the premier record company for gospel quartets. Signing to Peacock widened the Clouds’ exposure via radio and personal appearances. Now known simply as the Mighty Clouds of Joy, the group enjoyed a decade-plus run with Peacock with such gospel radio hits as Family Circle (a.k.a. Will the Circle Be Unbroken), Glory Hallelujah, He’s Able, Call Him Up, Heavy Load, Been in the Storm So Long and Did You Stop to Pray This Morning. They crisscrossed the country on touring packages consisting of the nation’s top quartets.
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