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. Their biggest hits include "Is My Living in Vain", "Praise the Lord (Hallelujah)", "I Can Do All Things Through Christ That Strengthens Me", "A Praying Spirit", "Nothing to Lose, All to Gain", "Endow Me", "Jesus Is a Love Song", "Ha-Ya ", "Pure Gold", "Expect Your Miracle", and their biggest, mainstream crossover hit, "You Brought the Sunshine". As a group, the Clark Sisters have won three Grammy Awards and are the highest-selling female gospel group in history. In 2020, it was announced that the Clark Sisters would be honored with the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the 35th Annual Stellar Awards.
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 best known as the youngest member of influential gospel group the Clark Sisters. Clark–Sheard 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.
This Is Me is the second studio album by American singer Kierra "Kiki" Sheard. It was released by EMI Gospel on June 27, 2006 in the United States. Sheard reteamed with her brother J. Drew Sheard, Warryn Campbell and duo PAJAM to work on her sophomore album but also consulted new collaborators to write and produce on This Is Me, including PJ Morton, Antonio Neal, and Tommy Sims as well as Fred Jerkins III and his son Lil Freddie.
James Moss, better known by his stage name J. Moss, is an American gospel musician, composer, producer and arranger.
Finally Karen is the debut solo album of gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard of The Clark Sisters, released on November 4, 1997. The live portion of the album was recorded at Bailey Cathedral in Detroit, Michigan. The album was Grammy-nominated for Best Soul Gospel Album in 1998. The song "The Will of God" launched the gospel career of her daughter Kierra "Kiki" Sheard, who won her first Stellar award from the strength of her vocal performance. Finally Karen also won the Lady Of Soul award for Best Gospel Album the same year.
I Owe You is the debut studio album by American gospel singer Kierra "Kiki" Sheard. It was released by EMI Gospel on September 7, 2004 in the United States. Sheard worked with a variety of producers on the album, including Warryn Campbell, Rodney Jerkins, PAJAM, and Tonéx. I Owe You debuted atop the US Billboard Top Gospel Albums and the Heatseekers Albums. It also reached number four on the Top Christian Albums and number 29 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
The Heavens Are Telling is an album by the multiple Grammy and Stellar award-winning gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard, released on November 4, 2003. In the USA, the album peaked at #3 on the Billboard Top Gospel Charts, #11 on the Billboard Top Christian Charts, #44 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Charts, and #188 on the Billboard Top 200.
Mama, I Want to Sing! is an American musical film written and directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, produced by Vision Films and CodeBlack Entertainment, and distributed by 20th Century Fox's Fox Faith division. The film is an adaptation of the off-Broadway gospel stage musical of the same name, written and produced by Vy Higginsen and Ken Wydro.
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.
WOW Gospel 2005 is a double CD gospel music compilation album in the WOW series. Released on January 25, 2005, it has thirty-one tracks. The album cover pays tribute to Washington, D.C..
WOW Gospel 2006 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. Released on January 31, 2006, it comprises thirty-two songs on a double disc album. The release reached 20 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2006, the highest peak of any of the WOW Gospel series thus far, and made number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart. The album cover pays tribute to Chicago, Illinois.
WOW Gospel 2007 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. Released January 30, 2007, it showcases thirty-one contemporary Gospel songs on a double CD set. It reached 21 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2007, and made number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart. The album cover pays tribute to Atlanta, Georgia.
WOW Gospel 2008 is a gospel music compilation album in the WOW series. Released on February 12, 2008, it comprises thirty-three songs on a double CD set. It reached 34 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2008, and number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart. The album cover pays tribute to Dallas, Texas.
WOW Gospel #1s included thirty of the number one gospel songs from the past decade on a double CD album. The tracks in this collection have all previously appeared on the annual WOW Gospel compilations. Although not critically well received it still reached number #74 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2007.
WOW Gospel 2009 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. Released on January 27, 2009, it includes thirty songs and two bonus tracks on a double album. It reached number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2009, and number one on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. The album cover pays tribute to the United States of America, particularly with the 2008 election and 2009 inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama.
WOW Gospel 2010 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. It was released on January 26, 2010, and features thirty gospel hits on a double CD set. The album cover pays tribute to Detroit, Michigan. The album held number one position for several weeks on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, and reached number 40 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2010.
All In One is the fifth solo album by multiple Grammy and Stellar award-winning gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard, released on April 6, 2010. The album debuted at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Gospel Albums chart and #98 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 albums chart and was the first album to be released on her own music label, Karew Records.
The 2005 Soul Train Music Awards were held on March 12, 2005 at the Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California. The show was hosted by Brian McKnight, Fantasia, Nick Cannon and Nicole Richie.
WOW Gospel 2011 is a gospel music compilation album from the award-winning WOW series. Released on February 1, 2011, the double CD album features thirty contemporary gospel hits. The album cover pays tribute to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The album debuted straight at number one on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart, and peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 in 2011.
The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel is a 2020 American biographical film about gospel group The Clark Sisters. Directed by Christine Swanson, and co-written by Sylvia L. Jones and Camille Tucker, the film stars Christina Bell, Kierra Sheard, Sheléa Frazier, Raven Goodwin, and Angela Birchett. It premiered on Lifetime on April 11, 2020.
