GospelCity Black History Month Salute to Gospel Artists

The Clark Sisters

"Can't you see the signs of the judgment in the air… Can't you see destruction is everywhere … People, you better get yourselves ready for God is soon to come …"

Dr. Mattie Moss Clark is credited as a gospel music genius, having been the mentor and early influence of many gospel artists, her death stunned and saddened the gospel music industry. However, she bequeathed a gift, actually four gifts, to her fans – her daughters, The Clark Sisters.

Twinkie, Jacky, Dorinda and Karen along with a fifth sister, Denise began performing with their mother in the 1960s around their native Detroit, Michigan. In 1973, the sisters recorded their first album, Jesus Has a Lot to Give, which added to their growing popularity. Yet, it was in the early 1980s that The Clark Sisters recorded and released the first gospel song to partially sample a secular song, Stevie Wonder’s Master Blaster, and that song is the now classic, You Brought the Sunshine. They almost instantly became household names, and they even appeared on the Grammy Awards, shaking the establishment with their choreography and gumption to bring some rump shaking to gospel music. Sunshine was a serious crossover hit for the sisters, and a few years later, Denise would leave to become a minister and start a family.

Always stylish and contemporary, The Clark Sisters have wowed audiences with their amazing vocal abilities and fashion choices. They would also record solo projects and recently swept the Grammy Awards with two wins in 2008. Nineteen albums later, The Clark Sisters continue to bring sunshine with their voices and will always be gospel music’s royalty.

Kirk Franklin

"We're used to people getting caught. We're not used to people exposing themselves."

In 1993, gospel music traditionalists were stunned, probably as stunned as they were with The Clark Sisters’ You Brought the Sunshine and Tramaine Hawkins’ Fall Down. Some couldn’t understand why a young Kirk Franklin talked so much over the choir and others were not amused that his song was popular on gospel, pop and R&B stations. And then there was the coolness coupled with the dancing…but they got over it and that same young man, now a music industry veteran, continues to excite fans with his innovations, just like he did with The Reason Why We Sing.