The Clark Sisters are an Americangospel vocal group originally consisting of 5 sisters:Jacky Clark Chisholm (born 1948),Denise "Niecy" Clark-Bradford (born 1953),Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark (born 1954),Dorinda Clark-Cole (born 1957), andKaren Clark Sheard (born 1960). The Clark Sisters are the daughters of gospel musician and choral directorDr. 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", "Name It, Claim It", "Jesus Is a Love Song", "I’ve Got An Angel", "Take Me Higher", "Praise the Lord (Hallelujah)", "A Praying Spirit", "Nothing to Lose, All to Gain", "ENDOW ME", "Center of Thy Will”, "Ha-Ya (Eternal Life)", "Pure Gold", "Expect Your Miracle", and their mainstream crossover hit, "You Brought the Sunshine"; which made its way to #16 on the Hot Black Singles chart in 1983, two years after it’s original 1981 release onthe album of the same name. More recent hits include "Blessed & Highly Favored", "Livin’", "Victory", and "His Love", which features rapperSnoop Dogg.

As a group, the Clark Sisters have won twoGrammy Awards^[1] and are the highest-selling female gospel group in history.^[2] In 2020, the Clark Sisters were honored with the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the35th Annual Stellar Awards.^[3] In 2022, the group was inducted into theBlack Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.^[4] In 2024, the group (including Denise Clark-Bradford) was honored with theGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the fifth gospel act to receive the award, afterMahalia Jackson,The Staple Singers,The Blind Boys of Alabama, andShirley Caesar.^[5]

The Clark Sisters were born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, to gospel choir director and musician Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. Dr. Clark was married twice: her first marriage in 1945 to Leo H. Cullum, Sr. produced two children, Leo, Jr. and Jacqueline (Jacky). After her divorce, she met and later married Pastor Elbert Clark in 1952. This marriage produced four daughters: Denise, Elbernita (Twinkie), Dorinda, and Karen. They each began singing at an early age in the choir at their father'sChurch of God in Christ, and by the late 1960s they were all performing together in church services, usually singing songs written and arranged by their mother.^[6] Shortly after the Clarks' divorce in 1973, Dr. Clark formally created "the Clark Sisters" and the sisters recorded their first album,Jesus Has a Lot to Give, on their uncle (their mother's younger brother)Bill Moss' local label Billesse Records.^[7][8] The first television appearance of the Clark Sisters was onTV Gospel Time.^[9]

The following year,Dr. Mattie Moss Clark Presents the Clark Sisters was released and people around Detroit began to take notice of the group. The Clark Sisters signed to Sound of Gospel Records in 1974. Under this association, the group released albums such asUnworthy,Count It All Joy, andHe Gave Me Nothing to Lose, which hit the top 20 of theBillboard Spiritual LPs chart.^[10][11] By this point, Dr. Clark had turned over control of the group to Twinkie, who continued to write, arrange, conduct, and produce all of the Clark Sisters' recordings. Their popularity soared with the release of the live recordingIs My Living in Vain, in 1980.^[12] Their debut live recording was first ranked on the 1981Billboard Spiritual Albums year-end chart at number 21, before topping the year-end Spiritual Albums chart of 1982.^[13][14] Opening with the bluesy title track, each sister vocally declares that their dedication to Christ is not a useless effort. The innovative "Ha-Ya (Eternal Life)" was funky enough to find its way into a Tonex-produced track over two decades later. Karen Clark's lead on "Speak Lord" expresses deep faith while the call to worship is raised on "Now Is the Time". Another hit from this release, "Expect Your Miracle", is still a staple in African American churches across the country.^[15]

Their next release,You Brought the Sunshine (1981), became successful due to its title track. Reminiscent ofStevie Wonder's "Master Blaster (Jammin')", the song became a hit in churches and on dance floors across the country, including New York'sStudio 54.^[16][17] "You Brought the Sunshine (Into My Life)" was picked up from its original independent gospel record label Sound of Gospel and distributed by bothWestbound Records andElektra Records. In 1983, the song peaked at number 16 onBillboardBlack Singles, number 27 onDance Club Songs and in 2020 – theLive: One Last Time (2007) recording – hit number 11 on theHot Gospel Songs chart.^[18] The album was also a commercial success, peaking at number 9 on the USTop Gospel Albums chart and also appeared on both the 1983 and 1984 year-end charts at number two and 25 respectively.^[19][20] Furthermore,Billboard ranked The Clark Sisters as the number-four Top Gospel Albums Artist of 1982 and number-one Top Gospel Albums Artist of 1983.^[21][22]

The sisters delivered another album in 1982,Sincerely, which included "Name It, Claim It" and the politically charged "World". Though its success was overshadowed byYou Brought the Sunshine, the sisters received their firstGrammy Award nomination forBest Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group for the album at the26th Annual Grammy Awards.^[15][1] Shortly after winning the Grammy nomination, the Clark Sisters won theNAACP Image Award for best gospel group for 1983.^[23] After receiving a second Grammy nomination in the Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group category for the song, "He'll Turn Your Scars into Stars" – later included on the albumHeart & Soul (1986) –^[24] the sisters were invited to perform live on the following27th Annual Grammy Awards in 1985, alongside their mother, where they performed "Hallelujah" as part of a medley with the year's fellow gospel nominees.

In 1986, after a 4-year gap between releases, the sisters Jacky, Twinkie, Dorinda, and Karen (sister Denise left the group earlier that year) continued to release music, signing withRejoice Records, a division ofWord. This new deal yielded the Grammy-nominatedHeart & Soul, featuring the mainstream single "Time Out". This project made a top-five debut on Billboard's Gospel Charts and garnered the group a Dove Award. It featured the original versions of "Jesus Is a Love Song", "There Is a Balm in Gilead", and "Pray for the USA", all of which have been re-recorded several times. Although not pictured, Denise had contributed to the album before her departure but was later removed from the album. The music took on a more contemporary sound with programmed drums and synthesizers. Also included on this album were "Smile, God Loves You", "I Am Blessed", and the funky aforementioned "He'll Turn Your Scars into Stars".^[15]

In 1988, The Clark Sisters released theirBillboard chart-topping and critically acclaimed albumConqueror. It featured a bolder, more intense sound, with synthesizers, drum machines, and more funk-oriented beats.Conqueror quickly became a fan favorite with hits like "The Darkest Hour Is Just Before the Day", "Take Me Higher", "For the Love of the People", "Computers Rule the World", and the original studio version of "Jesus Forevermore".^[15]

In 1989, The Clark Sisters released their live album,Bringing It Back Home, recorded in their home town of Detroit. It was the last recording from The Clark Sisters on Word Records' Rejoice imprint and the last group album with Twinkie just before the launch of her solo career. The album included both previous hits and new material. It also featured guest appearances fromRance Allen and backing choir vocals from the Michigan State Choir under the direction of their mother, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark.^[15]

In 1994, The Clark Sisters (Jacky, Dorinda, and Karen) released their only studio album of thedecade,Miracle, which was the first album recorded without the compositions and vocals of sister Twinkie. Produced byBeBe Winans andMichael J. Powell, this disc featured a modernized version of the Clark Sisters classic "Expect Your Miracle" (now simply titled "Miracle") and a remake of "Jesus Is the Best Thing". Dorinda made her songwriting debut on a Clark Sisters recording with "Work to Do". The album, although it fared well in sales, did not match the success of previous albums due to the Clark Sisters not being able to tour and promote the project due to the illness of their mother, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, who died in September 1994 from diabetes complications.^[15]

Following their last Word Records release, Twinkie resumed her calling as a minister and her solo career. She had previously released two solo albums under the Sound of Gospel Record label: 1979'sPraise Belongs to God and 1981'sYe Shall Receive Power. In 1992 she recorded her independent solo albumComin' Home. She re-appeared in 1996 with a pair of albums to her credit: the solo studio releaseThe Masterpiece forBen Tankard'sTribute Records label and the live projectTwinkie Clark-Terrell Presents the Florida A&M University Gospel Choir. She later released the following albums:Twinkie Clark & Friends: Live in Charlotte in 2002,Home Once Again: Live in Detroit in 2004,With Humility in 2011,Live & Unplugged in 2015, and with her nephew Larry Clark (her sister Denise's oldest son)The Generations in 2020.

Karen delivered her solo debutFinally Karen in 1997. The album, featuring The Clark Sisters,Faith Evans, and daughterKierra Sheard, was nominated for a Grammy Award, in addition to winning aSoul Train Lady of Soul Award. She has since released five more solo albums:2nd Chance,The Heavens Are Telling,It's Not Over,All in One, andDestined to Win.

Dorinda released her self-titled debut solo album,Dorinda Clark-Cole in 2002, earning her twoStellar Awards, and a Soul Train Lady of Soul award. She has since released four more solo albums:Live in Houston andTake It Back, each of which have earned her the award for Female Vocalist of the Year at the Stellar Awards;I Survived in 2011, and in 2015, she released her fifth solo album,Living It, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album.

Jacky released her first solo project,Expectancy, in 2005, which features The Clark Sisters on the track "Blessing Me". In 2014, she released an urban-inspired single, "My Season", followed by singles "Cover Me" and "Shout". In February 2020, she released a single "Feel Good", featuring Mary J. Blige and rapper Tia P.

The Clark Sisters have all contributed in various capacities to each other's albums, whether they sang or wrote lyrics.

On July 8, 2006, The Clark Sisters (Jacky,Twinkie,Dorinda, andKaren) recorded a live album inHouston, Texas, entitledLive...One Last Time.^[25] The recording was directed and produced byDonald Lawrence and was released as a CD on April 10, 2007^[26] on EMI Gospel, followed by a CD/DVD Special Edition release on June 19, 2007. In support of the reunion album, the Clark Sisters embarked on a 25-city concert tour beginning October 4, 2007 inNashville,Tennessee.^[27] Though they had been thrice nominated previously for the Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group Grammy with 1982'sSincerely, 1986'sHeart & Soul, and 1988'sConqueror without a win,^[28] the group was nominated for two Grammys in 2008.Live...One Last Time won the award forBest Traditional Gospel Album. Its album track "Blessed & Highly Favored" won the award forBest Gospel Performance, and as songwriter of "Blessed & Highly Favored," sister Karen Clark Sheard won the individual award forBest Gospel Song.^[29][30] Additionally, at the50th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony featuring a gospel segment withAretha Franklin,BeBe Winans,Israel & New Breed, andTrin-i-tee 5:7, the Clark Sisters performed a snippet of their signature hit "You Brought the Sunshine" when the ceremony was broadcast on February 10 at theStaples Center inLos Angeles.^[31]

Following the group's resurgence in popularity,Rhino Entertainment released a greatest-hits collection including material from three albums recorded for Word Records from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, including the Grammy-nominatedHeart & Soul. The album,Encore: The Best of the Clark Sisters, was released on February 12, 2008.^[32][33] In December of that year,TV One's popular hour-long music documentary seriesUnsung featured the Clark Sisters in its second episode. The episode, which highlighted the group's role in breaking down barriers in gospel music, featured interviews with each sister except sister Denise Clark-Bradford, who since leaving the group, had relocated to California and had begun a ministry.

In 2009, the Clark Sisters released their second Christmas album, entitledThe Clark Sisters' Family Christmas, which featured special appearances by Karen's daughter Kierra Sheard, and their cousins Bill Moss, Jr. and James Moss (known asJ. Moss). The album was produced by Karen's son, J. Drew Sheard, II.

On November 11, 2018, it was reported that The Clark Sisters would have a television biopic,The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel. The film aired onLifetime on April 11, 2020, and netted a viewership of 2.7 million, giving the network its highest rated original movie in four years.^[34] The film was executive produced byQueen Latifah,Missy Elliott, andMary J. Blige, and starredAunjanue Ellis as Dr.Mattie Moss Clark, Angela Birchett asJacky Clark Chisholm,Raven Goodwin as Denise Clark-Bradford, Christina Bell asTwinkie Clark,Sheléa Frazier asDorinda Clark Cole, andKierra Sheard as her mother,Karen Clark Sheard.^[35] The movie was directed by Christine Swanson, the story was by Camille Tucker, with a teleplay by Sylvia L. Jones and Camille Tucker.^[36]

On October 18, 2019, the Clark Sisters debuted their new single "Victory" onErica Campbell's radio showGet Up Erica.^[37] The single was later released on November 15, 2019, throughKarew/Motown Gospel/Capitol CMG^[38] On March 13, 2020, the Clark Sisters released their seventeenth album,The Return. Their first release in over a decade, it featured production from J. Drew Sheard, II,Warryn Campell,Rodney Jerkins,Jermaine Dupri, Mano Hines, andKurt Carr, with a special feature bySnoop Dogg on the track, "His Love".

In September 2023, the Clark Sisters embarked on the Reunion Tour withKirk Franklin,Tye Tribbett,Israel Houghton, andTamela Mann.^[39] The tour spanned 29 shows across North America and ended in Dallas, Texas on November 24, 2023.

In January 2024, it was announced that the Clark Sisters would be honored with theGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

In June 2025, the Clark Sisters were selected for induction to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri in September.^[40] In September, the group appeared onMariah Carey's album,Here For It All (2025) on a track titled "Jesus I Do".

Since early in the group's development, Twinkie has been the chief songwriter, vocal arranger, and producer for the group. The Clark Sisters as a whole are renowned for their group style, dubbed as "the Clark Sound". They incorporate high and fastmelismas, acrobatictrills andriffs, and deep, soulfulgrowls or "squalls". While they have been praised for their precise harmonies, The Clark Sisters are also known for their individual, distinctive vocal styles, and while there is no single lead vocalist in the group, each sister has led a handful of songs over the years.

The Clark Sisters have citedAretha Franklin, who also grew up inDetroit, as a major musical influence. When Franklin died of pancreatic cancer in 2018, the Clark Sisters sang one of their signature songs, "Is My Living in Vain", at her funeral service.

The Clark Sisters are credited as vocal inspirations to singers such asShirley Murdock (whom is often likened to being a “long-lost Clark Sister”)^[42],Mariah Carey,Faith Evans,Kelly Price,Beyoncé,Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams,Missy Elliott,Queen Latifah,Mary J. Blige, andYebba, as well as to girl groups like Xscape,SWV, andDestiny’s Child.^[43][44] Their musical influence has been celebrated through covers and interpolations from both religious and secular artists alike.

TheBET Awards are awarded annually by theBlack Entertainment Television network. The Clark Sisters have received 2 nominations.

TheDove Awards are awarded annually by theGospel Music Association. The Clark Sisters have won 2 awards from 10 nominations.^[133][134]

TheGrammy Awards are awarded annually by theNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. The Clark Sisters have won 3 awards from 7 nominations, including a Lifetime Achievement award.^{[1][135][136]}

TheNAACP Image Awards are awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The Clark Sisters have won 2 awards from 4 nominations.

TheSoul Train Music Awards are awarded annually. The Clark Sisters have received 3 nominations.

TheStellar Awards are awarded annually by SAGMA. The Clark Sisters have received 8 awards and 2 honorary awards.^[138][139]

• Official website
• Clark Sisters Official Myspace Page
• The Clark Sisters Official Message Board
• Clark Sisters Marathon on Myspace
• Clark Sisters Internet Radio Station onLive365
• Stellar Awards
• Clark Sisters: Live, One Last Time (Release Alert on BlackGospel.com)
• The Clark Sisters on Spotify
• The Clark Sisters on YouTube
• 2023 Interview with the Oral History of American Music (Yale University)

• Grammy Award winners
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• Members of the Church of God in Christ
• American girl groups
• Musical groups established in 1966
• 1966 establishments in Michigan
• African-American women musicians
• Sister quartets

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