Karen Clark Sheard

gospel singer

Personal Information

Born Karen Clark in Detroit, MI; daughter of Mattie Moss-Clark; married to Reverend John Drew Sheard.

Career

Performed as a member of the Clark Sisters; sang with the Island Inspirational All-Stars, 1996; signed with Island Black Records as a solo artist, 1997-; appeared in the Broadway play, Mr. Right Now!, 1999.

Life's Work

Gospel singer Karen Clark-Sheard has performed with her older sisters since she was six years old. The Clark sisters, Jacky, Denise, Elbernita (Twinkie), Dorinda, and Karen, grew up in Detroit and learned to sing from their mother, the legendary gospel performer Mattie Moss-Clark. As a performing group, the Clark Sisters have won two Dove Awards, two Gospel Music Workshop of America Excellence Awards, a Stellar Award, and a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Award. They have also been nominated for three Grammy Awards and five Stellar Awards.

In 1998, Clark-Sheard released her first solo album, Finally Karen . . . Live! On this album, she sang "The Safest Place" with her daughter Kierra and also performed a duet with Faith Evans on the song "Nothing Without You." The album included a new version of the traditional gospel song "Balm in Gilead" and "Just For Me," a ballad contributed by Boyz II Men, Clark-Sheard's sisters also performed an arrangement of ''Jesus Is A Love Song.'' The Cleveland Call and Post remarked that Finally Karen was," a blessing to the Body of Christ which spans the bridge between secular and sacred with faithful love in equal parts for gospel, pop and R & B fans alike."

In 1996, Clark-Sheard performed with Kirk Franklin, Hezekiah Walker, and Donald Lawrence on the song ''Don't Give Up,'' a recording first released on the Don't Be A Menace movie soundtrack. Proceeds from the song were donated to the effort to rebuild African American churches throughout the United States that had been destroyed by arson fires. Clark-Sheard's performance on "Don't Give Up" attracted the interest of Hiram Hicks, president of Island Black Records, and he offered her a recording contract. Embarking upon a solo career was a difficult decision for Clark-Sheard. She consulted with her sisters and her husband, Reverend John Drew Sheard, before making her decision. In 1997, Clark-Sheard signed a contract with Island Black Records.

Proponents of traditional gospel music have criticized Clark-Sheard's unique style, while others have praised the contemporary flavor of her music and the beauty of her singing. The Portland Skanner used the words "angelic" and "anointed" to describe Clark-Sheard's vocal skills. In Billboard, her voice was likened to ''a thing unleashed.'' The Detroit Free Press called Clark-Sheard's vocal stylings ''velvety'' and ''soul-stirring.''

In 1998, Finally Karen won a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for best gospel album. It also received a Grammy nomination. That same year, Clark-Sheard performed with other notable gospel artists at the six-day Gospel Music Workshop of America gathering in Philadelphia. At the 1999 Stellar Awards, she won awards for Female Vocalist of the Year, Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year, and Music Video of the Year. Her daughter also captured a Stellar Award for Children's Performance of the Year. In 1999, Clark-Sheard participated in a one-hour program, ''Verity Records' Women Of Worship Gospel 1999,'' which celebrated African American history through gospel music and inspirational readings. She also performed in a Broadway play, Mr. Right Now!

Awards

Stellar Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year, Music Video of the Year, and Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year, 1999.

Works

Discography

• Finally Karen . . . Live!, Island Black Records, 1998.

Further Reading

Periodicals

• Billboard, August 2, 1997, p. 45; October 25, 1997, p. 56; August 29, 1998, p. 61; September 19, 1998; February 6, 1999, p. 27.
• Cleveland Call and Post, May 7, 1998, p. 1C.
• Detroit Free Press, June 19, 1998.
• Ebony, April 1998; August 1998, pp. 74-76.
• Rhythm and Blues Entertainment News, November 8, 1997.
• The Skanner (Portland, OR), November 19, 1997, p. 8.
• Tri-State Defender, November 12, 1997, p. 5.

Other

• Additional information for this profile was obtained from Island Black Records and from the Charisma Website at http://www.strang.com/cm/stories/cu297220.htm; the LA Gospel Festival Website at http://www.lagospel.com/karenc.htm; and Plugged Music Website at http://www.plugged music.com/karenc.htm.

— Eileen Daily

See Karen Clark-Sheard Lyrics

• Active: '80s, '90s, 2000s
• Genres: Gospel
• Instrument: Vocals
• Representative Albums: "Finally Karen," "The Heavens Are Telling," "2nd Chance"
• Representative Songs: "Balm in Gilead," "The Grass Withereth," "God's Favor"

Biography

As a member of the Clark Sisters, Karen Clark-Sheard was part of one of the most popular contempoary gospel groups of the '80s and '90s. She began singing with the group at the age of seven and she stayed with them for years, until she started a solo career in 1997. She was inspired to strike out on her own by producer/songwriter Stanley Brown. He had heard her sing "Don't Give Up" on the Island Inspirational All-Stars with Kirk Franklin, Donald Lawrence and Hezekiah Walker and suggested she work as a solo artist. With the blessing of her sisters, Karen Clark-Sheard decided to make a solo record for Island Inspirational Records and the result was Finally Karen...Live!, which was released in the fall of 1997. The album was produced by Donald Lawrence, James Moss and Stanley Brown and featured large portions recorded live in Detroit with the Tri-City Singers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Heavens Are Telling Buy this CD

Finally Karen Buy this CD

2nd Chance Buy this CD

It's Not Over Buy this CD

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