Who was Isaac Hockenhull beyond the headlines? Meet Mahalia Jackson's ex-husband
Isaac Hockenhull was an African-American chemist and entrepreneur, best known as the first husband of gospel icon Mahalia Jackson. The two tied the knot in 1936 and divorced in 1941. After the divorce, Hockenhull lived a private life in Harvey, Illinois, until he died in 1973. He did not remarry and had no children from his marriage to Jackson.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Isaac Hockenhull was the first husband of the legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.
- He attended Fisk University and Tuskegee Institute and worked as a chemist and postman during the Great Depression.
- Isaac Hockenhull and Mahalia Jackson were married from 1936 to 1941, but did not welcome any children together.
Profile summary
Full name | Isaac Lane Grey "Ike" Hockenhull |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 15 November 1901 |
Place of birth | Como, Panola County, Mississippi, United States |
Date of death | 15 July 1973 |
Place of death | Harvey, Cook County, Illinois, United States |
Age at death | 71 years old |
Relationship status | Divorced |
Ex-wife | Mahalia Jackson |
Father | Robert Hockenhull |
Mother | Martha Ella Hockenhull |
Who was Isaac Hockenhull?
Isaac Hockenhull was born Isaac Lane Gray Hockenhull on 15 November 1901, in Como, Mississippi. He was the son of John Hockenhull and Mattie Danner. His mother was a successful beautician and businesswoman who ran her own beauty shop and correspondence school.
As for his education, Isaac graduated from Fisk University and Tuskegee Institute.
Source: Getty Images
Inside Isaac Hockenhull's career
After completing his university studies, Hockenhull worked as a chemist. He was instrumental in his mother’s business, where he formulated hair care products and solutions for her beauty parlour and correspondence school. During the economic hardships of the Great Depression, he worked as a postman for the United States Postal Service in Chicago for many years.
After marrying Mahalia Jackson, Hockenhull acted as her manager. He was involved in the business side of her early recording career, though his management style was a source of conflict. He famously pressured her to transition into secular music because he believed it would be more financially lucrative than gospel.
A look at Isaac Hockenhull and Mahalia Jackson's relationship
As documented by Course Hero, the legendary American gospel singer married Isaac Hockenhull in 1936, who was ten years her senior. Their marriage was strained by Hockenhull’s persistent pressure on Jackson to sing secular blues music, which promised higher pay. Jackson refused and stayed true to her promise to sing only gospel music for her entire life.
Source: Getty Images
According to The Guardian, their marriage was also strained by Hockenhull's struggle with a gambling addiction, particularly betting on racehorses, which further caused money problems and added more stress to their relationship. They divorced in 1941 after five years of marriage.
Following their separation, the black female singer went on to achieve international acclaim, ultimately earning the title 'Queen of Gospel'. On 2 July 1964, she married Sigmund Galloway in a small ceremony held in Jackson's Chicago living room following a brief courtship. However, their marriage also ended in divorce in 1967.
Decades later, the Move On Up a Little Higher hitmaker died on 27 January 1972, at age 60, in a Chicago hospital from heart disease and related complications. She was laid to rest at Providence Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Metairie, Louisiana.
Her second husband, Galloway, died of cancer in May 1972, just a few months after her death. Jackson’s first husband, Isaac, passed away in July 1973 in Harvey, Cook County, Illinois, at the age of 71, a little over a year after her death. He was buried at Washington Memory Gardens.
Source: Getty Images
FAQs
- Who was Mahalia Jackson's first husband? Mahalia Jackson's first husband was Isaac Hockenhull. They married in 1936 in Chicago and divorced in 1941.
- Where is Isaac Hockenhull from? He was born and raised in Como, Mississippi.
- When was Isaac Hockenhull born? Isaac Hockenhull was born on 15 November 1901.
- Who are Isaac Hockenhull's parents? His parents were John Hockenhull and Martha "Mattie" Ella Danner.
- What happened to Isaac Hockenhull? Isaac Hockenhull died in July 1973 at the age of 71 in Harvey, Illinois.
- Who was Mahalia Jackson's second husband? Mahalia Jackson's second husband was Minters Sigmond Galloway, a musician and a former salesman for a contracting concern.
- What happened to Mahalia Jackson? The legendary gospel singer died on 27 January 1972, at the age of 60, in a Chicago hospital from heart disease and related complications.
Isaac Hockenhull was the first husband of the legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. A chemist by trade and a graduate of both Fisk University and Tuskegee Institute, Hockenhull was a well-educated professional who worked as a chemist and postman during the Great Depression. He died in July 1973 at the age of 71, just over a year after Mahalia Jackson’s death.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
