People don’t really know Mahalia Jackson the way they should and Lifetime’s highly anticipated gospel biopic Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia is a must see. There will be much debate about who actually discovered Mahalia but one thing is for sure, as shown in the movie, her voice has been attracting audiences since she was a little girl.

What’s even more intriguing, outside of her rise to fame, are the intricacies of her personal relationships. Married and divorced twice, the one man who fans will find to be her true love never received that honor of calling Mahalia Jackson (Danielle Brooks) his wife and that detail becomes one of the film’s biggest questions. Reverend Russell Roberts (Jason Dirden) came into Mahalia’s life as a fan, but their relationship elevated much to the vexation of her piano player and bestie Mildred (Joaquina Kalukango).

During the presser, I asked about Mildred’s disapproval of this man that seemed to be completely enamored with Mahalia.

Joaquina Kalukango is so convincing, emotionally, that her disdain for Russell prompts fears that his love for Mahalia is anything but and forces the audience to keep an eye on him, if you will.

And whereas Mildred doesn’t hesitate to tell Mahalia she doesn’t approve of Russell, she’s slow to express her concerns about the dynamics of their own working relationship; showing that even in the gospel world, fame can be at the forefront of the deterioration of friendships.

One historical note that fans will find intriguing is that Mahalia Jackson was the one who prompted Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to give his iconic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. Danielle Brooks’ presence and musical prowess is so impressive that it’s hard to believe that it took two dreamgirls to convince her to take the role. But the beauty of it, as Brooks has said, is that she got to play an ordinary woman that did extraordinary things.

There are so many layers to this riveting piece of work that it almost commands a part 2. But for now this intimate look into the life and career of Mahalia Jackson and how that voice infiltrated the industry and broke down not just racial barriers but musical genres is more than enough. She undoubtedly was intrinsic in the development and spread of gospel-blues..even though to Mahalia it was just gospel.

Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia premieres on Saturday, April 3 at 8/7 C on Lifetime.

Cox Media Group