LaDonna Gatlin

Last updated
LaDonna Gatlin
Born (1954-08-18) August 18, 1954 (age 69)
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Odessa College
Occupation(s)Motivational speaker
Musician
SpouseTim Johnson
Children2
Website www.ladonnagatlin.com

LaDonna Gatlin (born August 18, 1954) is an American motivational speaker and singer who shared a Dove Award and a Grammy Award.

Contents

Early years

Gatlin was born on August 18, 1954, in Abilene, Texas, the daughter of Curley and Billie Gatlin. [1] She and her brothers, Larry, Rudy, and Steve, performed as The Gatlins. The siblings developed their musical skills at home as their mother played piano. [2] Gatlin earned an associate's degree in speech and communications from Odessa College. [3] In 1973, she won the Miss West Texas title and represented that part of the state in the Miss Texas competition. [4]

Career

The Gatlins' harmonizing took them from winning first prize at a local talent show to performing at the New York World's Fair in 1964. The group made record albums, [2] and she shared in the Grammy Award for "Broken Lady" (1976). [5]

Making a transition to Christian music, Gatlin became featured vocalist with the Blackwood Singers in 1974. [6] In the mid-1970s, she and her husband, Tim Johnson, were founding members of Praise, the gospel-music group that backed Dallas Holm in concerts and on record albums. In 1978, their recording of "Rise Again" won a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association, and Praise was named mixed group of the year in Dove Award competition. [7]

Gatlin withdrew from performing in 1976 to focus on her family, spending time with her son and daughter for the next 20 years. She also worked in a ministry to women on death row. [2] After raising her children, Gatlin returned to public life, this time on her own. She combines motivational speaking with music, the latter including country, gospel, patriotic, and popular genres. Through the mix of musical and spoken messages, she said, "I want to touch the lives of other people for good, and hopefully they will see God in me." [2] In 1991, Gatlin rejoined her brothers for a Christmas tour. [5]

Gatlin also is a writer, contributing to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. She and Mike Marino wrote the book The Song in You: Finding Your Voice, Redefining Your Life (Health Communications, Inc., 2012). [8]

Personal life

Gatlin married Tim Johnson, a minister, and they have two children.

Recognition

Gatlin was inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame in 2005, and she received the Council of Peers Award for Excellence in recognition of professionalism and excellence in speaking. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deniece Williams</span> American R&B and soul singer (born 1950)

June Deniece Williams is an American singer. She has been described as "one of the great soul voices" by the BBC. She is best known for the songs "Free", "Silly", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" and two Billboard Hot 100 No.1 singles "Let's Hear It for the Boy" and "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late". Williams has won four Grammys with twelve nominations altogether. She is also known for recording “Without Us”, the theme song of Family Ties.

The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group originally 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yolanda Adams</span> American gospel music singer

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 is the first Gospel artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song. She is also the first Gospel artist to be awarded an American Music Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeannie C. Riley</span> American country music and gospel singer (born 1945)

Jeannie C. Riley is an American country music and gospel singer. She is best known for her 1968 country and pop hit "Harper Valley PTA", which missed by one week simultaneously becoming the Billboard Country and Pop number-one hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Gatlin</span> American country and gospel singer-songwriter (born 1948)

Larry Wayne Gatlin is an American country and Southern gospel singer-songwriter. As part of the Gatlin Brothers trio that included his younger brothers Steve and Rudy, he achieved considerable success within the country music genre, performing on 33 top 40 country singles, a total inclusive of his recordings as a solo artist and with the group.

Elbernita "Twinkie" Dionne Clark is an American Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, musician, and evangelist. Clark is best known as the chief executive writer and member of the American gospel singing group the Clark Sisters. Often called the "Mother of Contemporary Gospel Music"; NPR named her one of the 50 Great Voices. Known for her use of the Hammond Organ, she is often referred to as the "Queen of the B3 Hammond Organ", and was inducted into the Hammond Hall of Fame in 2014. She is a BMI Gospel Trailblazer honoree, and is the recipient of multiple Grammy Awards.

Dallas Holm is an American singer-songwriter of Christian music, whose musical ministry has spanned almost four decades. His 1977 live album, with the group Praise, featured his best known song, "Rise Again".

Dorinda Grace Clark-Cole is an American Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, musician, talk show host, and evangelist. Clark–Cole is best known as a member of family vocal group The Clark Sisters and as a daughter of pioneering choral director Mattie Moss Clark. As a member of The Clark Sisters, Clark–Cole has won two Grammy Awards. She is known to the music world as the Rose of Gospel Music.

Jacqueline Lenita Clark-Chisholm, known professionally as Jacky Clark-Chisholm, is an American Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, and licensed practical nurse who is best known as the eldest member of the American gospel singing group The Clark Sisters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamela Mann</span> American gospel singer and actress

Tamela Jean Mann is an American gospel singer and actress. She began her career as a singer with the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family. Mann was a primary vocalist 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, and Bono. She began her solo career by releasing the albums Gotta Keep Movin (2005), and The Master Plan (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Burrell</span> American gospel singer

Kimberly Jean Burrell is an American gospel singer, songwriter, and pastor from Houston, Texas.

Cynthia Clawson is a Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer. She has been called "The most awesome voice in gospel music" by Billboard Magazine, and has received five Dove Awards, 15 Dove Award nominations, and a Grammy for her work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francesca Battistelli</span> American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter

Francesca Battistelli is an American Christian singer and songwriter. She was originally an independent artist and had released an independent album, Just a Breath, in 2004. Her first studio album on Fervent Records, My Paper Heart, was released on July 22, 2008. Her first single, "I'm Letting Go", was released to on june bugs radio stations on July 15, 2008, and charted on national Christian CHR charts. The song was the 16th most played song of 2008 on Christian radio stations according to R&R magazine. Battistelli received her first Grammy Award nomination in 2009, for Best Gospel Performance with her single, "Free to Be Me". She later received her first Grammy Award in 2016 at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song with her single "Holy Spirit" written by the worship band Jesus Culture from her album If We're Honest.

Reba Rambo is an American Christian singer and songwriter. She is a Grammy and Dove Award winner.

<i>Lovin Life</i> 2008 studio album by Gaither Vocal Band

Lovin' Life is an album from Contemporary Christian, Southern Gospel group Gaither Vocal Band. The album was released on April 15, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinach</span> Nigerian gospel singer (born 1972)

Osinachi Kalu Okoro Egbu, known professionally as Sinach, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and senior worship leader, serving in this capacity for over 30 years. She is the first singer-songwriter to top the Billboard Christian Songwriter chart for 12 weeks in a row. Her song "Way Maker" received three nominations and won the Song of the Year at the 51st GMA Dove Awards, making her the first Nigerian to win the Award. She also won the BMI song of the year, and in 2021 was recognized by the US Congress while on tour in the United States of America.

Natasha Tameika Cobbs Leonard is an American gospel musician and songwriter. She released the extended play Grace in 2013 with the hit lead single "Break Every Chain". The EP reached No. 61 on the Billboard charts.

The Mercy River Boys were an American Christian country music band who performed from 1979 to 1985. They were nominated for a Grammy Award for their first album, Breakout. The album was also a finalist for the Gospel Music Association's Dove Award for Album of the Year, 1979–80, and won a Dove Award for backliner notes, written by Merlin Littlefield.

Jennifer Louise Johnson is an American Christian worship singer, songwriter and worship pastor. She is a co-founding member of Bethel Music, and is one-half of the husband-and-wife worship duo, Brian and Jenn Johnson. She is also a senior worship pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, California, and a Senior Overseer of WorshipU, an online school of worship sponsored by Bethel.

References

  1. ↑ Gatlin, LaDonna; Marino, Mike (2012). The Song in You: Finding Your Voice, Redefining Your Life. Health Communications, Inc. ISBN   978-0-7573-1622-7 . Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hill, Ann Terry (September 2000). "The ABC's of Life, in Perfect Harmony". American Cowboy: 19, 22. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  3. ↑ Kemper, Cindy (September 11, 1977). "Larry Gatlin's mother -- no 'broken lady' she". The Odessa American. Texas, Odessa. p. 27. Retrieved January 19, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Allee, Sheila (July 15, 1973). "Miss West Texas Off to Pageant". The Odessa American. Texas, Odessa. p. D 1. Retrieved January 19, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 Persall, Steve (November 29, 1991). "Seasonal Gatlin Greetings". Tampa Bay Times. Florida, St. Petersburg. p. 110. Retrieved January 19, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ O'Donnell, Red (March 31, 1974). "Nixon eyes Jeannie Seely". Johnson City Press. Tennessee, Johnson City. p. 34. Retrieved January 19, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Alfonso, Barry (2002). The Billboard Guide to Contemporary Christian Music. Billboard Books. p. 181. ISBN   978-0-8230-7718-2 . Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  8. 1 2 "LaDonna Gatlin Bio". Premiere Speakers Bureau. Archived from the original on January 19, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.