Franklin Delano Williams was a renowned American gospel music singer. In his early years, he performed with the Southern Gospel Singers, The Williams Brothers and The Jackson Southernaires. Notably, Franklin Delano Williams formed The Mississippi Mass Choir. Under his leadership, the choir’s first album, The Mississippi Mass Choir, Live was recorded on October 29, 1988. Five weeks after the album was released, it rose to the Number 1 Spiritual album in America, and it stayed on the Billboard charts for an uninterrupted 45 weeks, setting a new record for gospel recordings.