Ethel caffie austin biography
Ethel caffie austin biography
Dr ethel caffie austin!
Ethel Caffie-Austin
Musical artist
Ethel Caffie-Austin (February 11, 1949 – December 11, 2024) was an American gospel musician.[1][2][3] Known for her skills as a pianist and vocalist, she was dubbed the "First Lady of West Virginia Gospel Music".[4][5] In 2020, she was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.[6]
Early life
Caffie-Austin was born on February 11, 1949, in Bluefield, West Virginia, and raised near Mount Hope, West Virginia.
She began playing piano at the age of six and began playing at her father's church at the age of nine. Caffie-Austin is a graduate of West Virginia University Institute of Technology, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Language Arts.[6]
Caffie-Austin formed The Collegiate Gospel Choir at West Virginia Tech in 1967.[6]
Career
Caffie-Austin taught English studies in West Virginia public schools for 20 years.[7]
In 1971, Caffie-Austin