The Return
The First Ladies of Gospel have returned, not only to music but to the big screen as well! If you haven’t guessed, I’m talking about none other than the multi-award winning, soul saving, and also beautiful Clark Sisters! The Clark Sisters careers span all the way back to the 1960’s, where they started singing under their mother, the infamous Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. Dr. Moss was known for her work with many choirs, a sound that she passed down to her daughters. Dr. Moss was credited for creating what is known as the Gospel Sound, the three-part harmony. Blending together various voices and parts to create what most of us know as Soprano, Alto, and Tenor. Twinkie, Jacky, Karen and Dorinda have all done a great job in keeping their mother’s legacy alive.
Not only have they been a successful Gospel group, but they each have rewarding solo careers as well. They have also been given nicknames and trademarks of their own; Dorinda as the “Rose of Gospel”, Karen, being known for her ability to echo with herself, and Twinkie as the “Mother of Contemporary Gospel Music” and the “Queen of the Hammond B-3.” Each of these ladies have made such an impact not only to the Gospel music world, but to the music world in general! And just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, The Clark Sisters have “returned” with a new album to accompany their Lifetime Biopic. The album, The Return features 13 songs giving us that dynamic Clark Sisters sound with intricate harmonies and blend. The Clark Sisters teamed up with J. Drew, Jermaine Dupre, Snoop Dogg, Warryn Campbell, Kurt Karr, and a few others to create, what has been non-stop on my playlist, this amazing album. Songs titled “He Can”, “Good Favor”, “Broken to Minister”, and “God Loves You” are all songs we need during this time. With the recent shadow COVID-19 has cast on the world, it important to know that God loves us and he can do anything.
The first single off the album, “Victory” was released back in November, which got fans excited for what was in store. Shortly after, the sisters announced not only would they be releasing a new album, but music artists Missy Elliott, Queen Latifah, and Mary J. Blige teamed up to produce their very own biopic, “The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel. The movie is set air on Lifetime April 11th, 2020. The movie details The Clark Sisters struggles throughout their lives and what they endured to get where they are today. Aunjanue Ellis as Mattie Moss Clark, Christina Bell as Twinkie, Kierra Sheard as Karen, Shelea Frazier as Dorinda, and Angela Birchett as Jacky come together, doing a beautiful job depicting the sister’s life and music over the years.
The Clark Sisters continue to grace us with their beautiful anointed voices and great musicality. Many artists have sampled their music and covered their songs including Rapper Jay-Z sampling “Hi-Ya”, Kanye West’s Sunday Choir covered “Balm in Gilead” and “You Brought the Sunshine”, Snoop Dogg featured “Blessed and Highly Favored” on his recent album, as well as many other hits “Is My Living in Vain” and “Endow Me”. The Clark Sisters continue to inspire us all with their lives and dedication to God and the church. Throughout all their struggles, they never lost sight of the dream their mother instilled in them and most of all, they never lost sight of God.
The Return is available on all digital platforms and I’m telling you once you start listening, you won’t want to stop. Make sure you check out The Clark Sisters biopic April 11 on Lifetime and listen to their new album The Return! Check out the album’s first single “Victory” below!
