From Wikipedia.com
The Clark Sisters is an African American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters: Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, Jacky Clark Chisholm, Dorinda Clark Cole, and Karen Clark Sheard. A fifth member, Denise Clark Bradford, no longer performs with the group. The Clark Sisters are the daughters of gospel musician and choral director Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. They are credited for helping to bring gospel music to the mainstream and are considered as pioneers of contemporary gospel.
History
The Clark Sisters were born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. They each began singing at an early age and by the late 1960s they were all performing together in church services, usually singing songs written and arranged by their mother. A few years later, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark turned over control of the group to Twinkie, who would then go on to write, arrange, conduct and produce all of the Clark Sisters recordings. In 1973, the sisters recorded their first album, Jesus Has A Lot to Give, on their uncle's local label Billmo Records.[1]
The following year, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark Presents The Clark Sisters was released, and people around Detroit began to take notice of the group. The Clark Sisters signed to Sound of Gospel Records in 1974. Under this association, the group released albums such as Unworthy, Count It All Joy, and He Gave Me Nothing to Lose. It was not until the early 1980s that The Clark Sisters began to become the phenomenon that they are now. Their popularity soared with the release of the live recording Is My Living In Vain. The album topped the Bilboard gospel charts for more than a year and yielded now famous songs such as the title track and "Expect Your Miracle."
Their next release You Brought the Sunshine would prove to be a monster hit as the title track became a hit in church houses and on dance floors. The song performed well on both gospel and R&B charts and drove the album to Gold sales. The sisters delivered another progressive effort in 1982, Sincerely, which included "Name It And Claim It" and the politically-charged "World." After this release, sister Denise left the group to become a minister and start a family.
After a four-year gap between releases, the sisters would continue as a foursome, signing with Rejoice Records, a division of Word. This new deal yielded the Grammy-nominated Heart & Soul (1986) featuring the mainstream single "Time Out." Next would appear another studio release Conqueror (1988) and the live album Bringing It Back Home (1991).
Following their last Word Records release, Twinkie resumed her calling as a minister and recorded the independent solo album Comin' Home in 1992. Jacky, Dorinda, and Karen stayed behind and performed as a trio, signing with Sparrow Records and delivering one album Miracle in 1994 produced largely by BeBe Winans. Later that year, their mother died of diabetes-related complications.[2] Forging on in the face of their great loss, Twinkie Clark re-appeared in 1996 with a pair of albums to her credit: the solo studio release The Masterpiece for Ben Tankard's Tribute Records label and the live project Twinkie Clark-Terrell presents FAMU Gospel Choir. The latter released on CD, VHS, & DVD featured The Clark Sisters on a showstopping remake of their own hit "Nothing To Lose."
Karen delivered her much-anticipated solo debut Finally Karen in 1997. The album, featuring star turns from The Clark Sisters, Faith Evans, and daughter Kierra Sheard, was nominated for a Grammy in addition to winning a Soul Train Lady of Soul award. She has since released three more solo albums: 2nd Chance, The Heavens Are Telling, and It's Not Over. Dorinda and Jacky released their first solo efforts, Dorinda Clark Cole and Expectancy, respectively in 2002 and 2005. The Clark Sisters have all contributed in various capacities to each other's albums, whether they sang or wrote lyrics.
More recently, The Clark Sisters did a live recording on July 8, 2006 in Houston, Texas entitled One Last Time. The recording was directed and produced by Donald Lawrence and is expected to be released as a CD on April 10, 2007[3] on EMI Gospel, followed by a CD/DVD Special Edition release June 19, 2007.
"The Clark Sound"
The Clark Sisters are renowned for their unique vocal stylings, dubbed as "The Clark Sound". Molded and sculpted by the dynamic Twinkie, The Clark Sisters incorporated high and fast double concentrates(which are vocal techniques requiring fast scats and runs placed together), melismas, acrobatic trills and riffs, and deep, soulful growls, or "squalls". The sisters are also well known for each distinctive sound that they contribute. Jacky (bass/alto) is known for her soft, deeper vocals; Dorinda (alto), the "jazzy" sister, inputs scats and riffs; Karen (soprano) is known for her riffs, runs and high vocal range; and Twinkie(alto) is credited with being the "heart of the Clark Sisters", due to being the chief songwriter,music and vocal arranger, producer and also possessing a range from soprano to low contralto and even bass.
The following year, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark Presents The Clark Sisters was released, and people around Detroit began to take notice of the group. The Clark Sisters signed to Sound of Gospel Records in 1974. Under this association, the group released albums such as Unworthy, Count It All Joy, and He Gave Me Nothing to Lose. It was not until the early 1980s that The Clark Sisters began to become the phenomenon that they are now. Their popularity soared with the release of the live recording Is My Living In Vain. The album topped the Bilboard gospel charts for more than a year and yielded now famous songs such as the title track and "Expect Your Miracle."
Their next release You Brought the Sunshine would prove to be a monster hit as the title track became a hit in church houses and on dance floors. The song performed well on both gospel and R&B charts and drove the album to Gold sales. The sisters delivered another progressive effort in 1982, Sincerely, which included "Name It And Claim It" and the politically-charged "World." After this release, sister Denise left the group to become a minister and start a family.
After a four-year gap between releases, the sisters would continue as a foursome, signing with Rejoice Records, a division of Word. This new deal yielded the Grammy-nominated Heart & Soul (1986) featuring the mainstream single "Time Out." Next would appear another studio release Conqueror (1988) and the live album Bringing It Back Home (1991).
Following their last Word Records release, Twinkie resumed her calling as a minister and recorded the independent solo album Comin' Home in 1992. Jacky, Dorinda, and Karen stayed behind and performed as a trio, signing with Sparrow Records and delivering one album Miracle in 1994 produced largely by BeBe Winans. Later that year, their mother died of diabetes-related complications.[2] Forging on in the face of their great loss, Twinkie Clark re-appeared in 1996 with a pair of albums to her credit: the solo studio release The Masterpiece for Ben Tankard's Tribute Records label and the live project Twinkie Clark-Terrell presents FAMU Gospel Choir. The latter released on CD, VHS, & DVD featured The Clark Sisters on a showstopping remake of their own hit "Nothing To Lose."
Karen delivered her much-anticipated solo debut Finally Karen in 1997. The album, featuring star turns from The Clark Sisters, Faith Evans, and daughter Kierra Sheard, was nominated for a Grammy in addition to winning a Soul Train Lady of Soul award. She has since released three more solo albums: 2nd Chance, The Heavens Are Telling, and It's Not Over. Dorinda and Jacky released their first solo efforts, Dorinda Clark Cole and Expectancy, respectively in 2002 and 2005. The Clark Sisters have all contributed in various capacities to each other's albums, whether they sang or wrote lyrics.
More recently, The Clark Sisters did a live recording on July 8, 2006 in Houston, Texas entitled One Last Time. The recording was directed and produced by Donald Lawrence and is expected to be released as a CD on April 10, 2007[3] on EMI Gospel, followed by a CD/DVD Special Edition release June 19, 2007.
"The Clark Sound"
The Clark Sisters are renowned for their unique vocal stylings, dubbed as "The Clark Sound". Molded and sculpted by the dynamic Twinkie, The Clark Sisters incorporated high and fast double concentrates(which are vocal techniques requiring fast scats and runs placed together), melismas, acrobatic trills and riffs, and deep, soulful growls, or "squalls". The sisters are also well known for each distinctive sound that they contribute. Jacky (bass/alto) is known for her soft, deeper vocals; Dorinda (alto), the "jazzy" sister, inputs scats and riffs; Karen (soprano) is known for her riffs, runs and high vocal range; and Twinkie(alto) is credited with being the "heart of the Clark Sisters", due to being the chief songwriter,music and vocal arranger, producer and also possessing a range from soprano to low contralto and even bass.
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