Sister Act

Sister Act began in 1981 as a choir project at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Los Angeles. Rick Jarrard, the church's music director, put together a group of singers that included nuns, churchgoers, and some former Motown vocalists. Their first album came out the following year.

The song's joyful energy and the choir's soulful delivery made it popular far beyond church circles. They followed it with other spirited takes on gospel standards like "Hail Holy Queen" and "I Will Follow Him."

Over the next decade or so, they released several more albums with titles like "Sing Hallelujah!" and "Rejoice!" Their sound mixed traditional gospel with contemporary pop arrangements, which drew some criticism from purists who felt they were commercializing the music. But the choir kept performing, and songs like "Joyful Joyful" and their cover of "My Guy" maintained their upbeat, accessible approach.