The naked "this" (or "that" or "these" or "those")

Writers often use "this" or "that" or "these" or "those" as a stand-alone pronoun rather than specifying its referent in a body of text. Consider the following:

The Clara Ward Singers were among gospel music's pioneering groups. They took gospel music "out of the Amen corner, and onto the street corner!" in the words of Reverend W. Herbert Brewster. They took their message and music and further than the street corner, though, using showbiz tactics such as glittering evening gowns, towering wigs, and plenty of jewelry in their act. Ultimately they performed at Disneyland, Las Vegas, the White House, and on U.S. television, and performed around the world. This made Clara Ward one of the most revered singers in gospel music history and has kept her legacy alive following her death in 1973 at age 48.

In the above passage, "This made Clara Ward..." is ambiguous because it is not clear what "this" refers to. To correct this problem, "this" needs to serve as a modifier rather than a stand-alone pronoun. It needs to be rephrased as: "This __________ made Clara Ward..." Possible nouns to include in the blank in this structure might be "series of accomplishments," "commercial success," "robust career," or other referents that would clarify the meaning of the sentence.