James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most notably Janet Jackson. They have written 31 top ten hits in the UK and 41 in the US. In 2022, the duo were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Musical Excellence category.
The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of five sisters: Jacky Clark Chisholm, Denise "Niecy" Clark-Bradford, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Karen Clark Sheard. 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 pioneers of contemporary gospel.
Yolanda Yvette Adams is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million albums worldwide. In addition to achieving multi-platinum status, she has won four Grammy Awards, four Dove Awards, five BET Awards, six NAACP Image Awards, six Soul Train Music Awards, two BMI Awards and sixteen Stellar Awards. She was the first Gospel artist to be awarded an American Music Award.
Karen Valencia Clark Sheard is an American Grammy Award–winning Gospel singer, musician, songwriter, and businesswoman. Clark-Sheard is the wife of the current Church of God in Christ Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard and she serves as the current First Lady of the COGIC denomination. Clark–Sheard is the youngest member of gospel group the Clark Sisters. She is also the mother of contemporary gospel singer and actress Kierra "Kiki" Sheard. She has released five solo albums, seventeen with the Clark Sisters, and collaborated with her son J. Drew Sheard II and her daughter Kierra Sheard.
Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark is an American gospel singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, musician, and evangelist. Clark is best known as a member of the American gospel singing group the Clark Sisters. Clark is known as the "Mother of Contemporary Gospel Music". In addition to singing, Clark is a heralded musician. Known as the "Queen of the B3 Hammond Organ", she is a member of the Hammond organ Hall of Fame Class of 2014. In 2012, Clark was honored by Dr. Judith Christie McAllister and the International Music Department of the Church of God in Christ, as a living legend and influencer during the 105th International Holy Convocation, where Clark also received an honorary doctorate of sacred music from Dr. Tony Lewis and the Christian Bible Institute and Seminary (CBIS).
Mary Mary is a female American urban contemporary gospel duo composed of sisters Erica Atkins-Campbell and Trecina Atkins-Campbell. Formed in 1998, Mary Mary was launched into mainstream recognition following the release of their best-selling debut album, Thankful (2000), which contained the hit single "Shackles ". Their followup album Incredible (2002), reached number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart. Their self-titled third album, Mary Mary (2005), which contains themes the public interpreted as a channel to the group's experience, contains the worldwide hits "Heaven", "The Real Party", and "Yesterday".
Tamela Jean Mann is an American gospel singer, songwriter, and actress. Mann began her career as a singer with the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family. She was a featured soloist on several tracks while with Franklin's group, including "Now Behold the Lamb", and "Lean on Me", the latter of which also included Mary J. Blige, Crystal Lewis, R. Kelly, and Bono. She began her solo career by releasing the albums Gotta Keep Movin (2005), and The Master Plan (2009).
The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle is the first gospel album by American singer Patti LaBelle. It was released on November 21, 2006 through music executive Jheryl Busy's indie label Umbrella Recordings and Bungalo Records.
Kurt Carr is an American gospel music composer and performer. While living in the city of Hartford, Connecticut, he served as Minister of Music at The First Baptist Church of Hartford located at the time on Greenfield Street. He is currently the Praise and Worship leader at The Fountain Of Praise in Houston, TX.
American gospel singer Yolanda Adams has released 11 studio albums, 2 live albums and 6 compilation albums. With sales of nearly 10 million records worldwide, she was Billboard's Top Gospel Artist of the 2000s and has sold 4.5 million albums in the US since 1991. Adams is referred as the "First Lady of Modern Gospel" by the media. She has spawned 5 No. 1 albums on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums. The Gospel Music Association inducted her into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Mountain High... Valley Low remains her best-selling album in the US, being certified Platinum by RIAA, while her albums "Believe" and "Verity Presents: The Best of Yolanda Adams" both reached gold status respectively.
Day By Day is the ninth studio album by American singer Yolanda Adams. It was released by Atlantic Records on August 30, 2005 in the United States. The album was nominated for a Dove Award for Urban of the Year at the 37th GMA Dove Awards. It also earned two Grammy Award nominations for Best Gospel Performance and Best Gospel Song, with "Be Blessed" winning the former category.
Believe is the eighth studio album by American singer Yolanda Adams. It was released by Elektra Records on December 4, 2001, in the United States. The album features the singles "Never Give Up," and "I'm Gonna Be Ready". The track "Fo' Sho'" was done with labelmate Karen Clark-Sheard and was Sheard's first release after her near death experience. The first track, "Never Give Up", is said to be a response to the September 11 attacks. The album sold 67,000 copies at first week, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This was Adams' final release on Elektra before the company folded.
Mountain High... Valley Low is the sixth studio album by American singer Yolanda Adams. It was released by Elektra Records on September 21, 1999 in the United States. The album stands as Adams's best-selling to date, having sold more than 2,374,000 copies and being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album.
Through the Storm is the second studio album by American gospel singer Yolanda Adams. It was released by Tribute Records on December 26, 1991 in the United States.
More Than a Melody is the fourth studio album by gospel singer Yolanda Adams. The album includes singles such as "Gotta Have Love" and a cover of the Steve Miller classic "Fly Like an Eagle". The album also includes musical collaborations with O'Landa Draper on "The Good Shepherd" and BeBe Winans on "What About the Children". The album was originally released on Tribute Records, and later re-released under the Verity label after Tribute's 1996 buyout.
Christmas with Yolanda Adams is the seventh studio album by American singer Yolanda Adams. Her first Christmas album, it was released by Elektra Records on October 13, 2000, in the United States.
What a Wonderful Time is the tenth studio album by American singer Yolanda Adams. Her second Christmas album and only record to be released by Columbia Records, it was issued on October 17, 2007. What a Wonderful Time consists of ten tracks, featuring five original songs and five cover versions of Christmas standards and carols.
"Open My Heart" is a song by Yolanda Adams released in 2000. The song gained Adams great popularity in the secular audiences. Being the most groundbreaking single of her career, she won several awards for this song. "Open My Heart" helped her 1999 album Mountain High...Valley Low gain multi-platinum status and reach charts heights not often attained by artists of the gospel genre.
Kierra Valencia "Kiki" Sheard-Kelly is an American gospel singer, songwriter, fashion designer, actress, entrepreneur, author, and creative director. She is the daughter of gospel singer Karen Clark-Sheard and granddaughter of gospel choral director Mattie Moss Clark. Sheard portrayed her mother in the hit Lifetime movie, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel. After appearing on her mother's and aunt's albums, Sheard broke to the music scene with the release of her debut album I Owe You in 2004. Her hit single "You Don't Know" was inspired by her mother almost losing her life to a fatal blood clot.
