The Kurt Carr Singers - I’m Glad (debut lp) 1988 **excel The Clark Sisters Era

$

40

The Kurt Carr Singers - I’m Glad (debut lp) 1988 vinyl is in excellent condition

Kurt Carr (born October 12, 1964) is an American gospel music composer and performer. While living in the city of Hartford, Connecticut, he served as Minister of Music at The First Baptist Church of Hartford located at the time on Greenfield Street. He is currently the Praise and Worship leader at The Fountain Of Praise in Houston, TX.

Kurt Carr was born in the mid-1960s in Hartford, Connecticut, where he grew up in a family who believed in Jesus, but was not deeply involved in church. At the age of 13, Kurt found himself being increasingly drawn to the church. In his early teen years, he performed as an actor and dancer at the Hartford Stage Company in a Broadway musical called On the Town, which was directed by Clay Stevenson. He became an active member in his church's music department. At the age of 17, Carr realized that he was being called to do something even higher with his life. After high school, he entered into the music program at the University of Connecticut, where he studied classical music and earned a Fine Arts degree. Carr is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

Music career Edit

Early career Edit

Carr was piano accompanist for Andrae Crouch's music ministry for one year. Carr was subsequently hired to be musical director and pianist for Rev. James Cleveland’s ministry in 1986 and was employed there for seven years, until Cleveland's death. Eventually, Carr became director of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ Choir, where he had the opportunity to work with both gospel and secular musical artists, including Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Yolanda Adams and Kirk Franklin during that time Carr also formed a gospel vocal ensemble named The Kurt Carr Singers. They released their first EP in 1988. Years later on Light Records in 1991, The singers debut full-album Together was released. Light Records eventually had problems however, Kurt Carr met Vicki Mack Lataillade in 1992, the founder of GospoCentric Records.

1994-2004: New Label, Success Edit

Now signed onto GospoCentric, the group released their first album on the label titled Serious About It! The album also featured background vocals by the Background Choir called the Choir of Life which features members from West Angeles Church of God in Christ. The album also featured a remake of Salt-N-Pepa's Whatta Man. This led the group to such success throughout the 1990s. Years later in July 1996, the singers recorded No One Else at the West Angeles which was released in March 1997. The live recording featured a lot of celebrities in attendance. The album also features Anastacia, Mary Mary, & Andrea McClurkin-Mellini (sister of Donnie McClurkin) serving as a few of the additional background singers.[1][citation needed]. The album won awards for the song For Every Mountain. In 2000, Kurt Carr and his group released Awesome Wonder which featured In the Sanctuary which also won awards. The album earned the group commercial success.

2005-2019: One Church Project, Just the Beginning, and Bless this House Edit

Signed onto Zomba Label Group in 2004, Kurt Carr released the One Church Project in 2005 which featured God Blocked It and God Great God, among others. The theme of the album was about being a multicultural church. In 2008, Kurt Carr released his first two disc album Just the Beginning which was released on his self titled label Kurt Carr Gospel and Zomba. The group also grew to seven members. In 2013, Kurt Carr released Bless this House on Verity Gospel Music Group which included the single I've Seen Him Do It, We've Gotta Put Jesus Back, & Great God Great Praise.

2019–Present: Bless Somebody Else Edit

After a six-year hiatus, Kurt Carr released Bless Somebody Else on RCA Records' Gospel Label RCA Inspiration in 2019 in which Kurt Carr Gospel Label from Just the Beginning returned. The single was released the same year as long with the single Blessing After Blessing which is a ballad a year later.

Carr's music is a blend of traditional gospel composition and vocals, with elements of R&B, jazz, soul, blues, and the distinct modern harmonies and singing styles found in urban contemporary gospel. The Kurt Carr Singers under his direction and musical influence have created seven albums. Kurt Carr has won four Stellar Awards.

Similar in sound/genre to the Clark Sisters

The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters: Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Karen Clark Sheard. A fifth sister, Denise Clark Bradford, no longer performs with the group. The Clark Sisters are the daughters of legendary gospel musician and choral director Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. They are credited for helping to bring gospel music to the mainstream and are considered as pioneers of contemporary gospel. Their biggest crossover hits include: "Is My Living in Vain?" "Hallelujah," "He Gave Me Nothing to Lose," "Endow Me," their hit song "Jesus Is A Love Song," "Pure Gold," "Expect a Miracle," and their largest mainstream crossover gold certified, "You Brought the Sunshine." The Clark Sisters have won two[1] Grammy Awards. With 16 albums to their credit and millions in sales, the Clark Sisters are the highest-selling female gospel group in history.

Discography

* 1973: Jesus Has a Lot to Give

* 1974: Dr. Mattie Moss Clark Presents the Clark Sisters

* 1975 Sound Of Gospel Presents

* 1976: Unworthy

* 1978: Count It All Joy #20 (US Gospel)

* 1978: New Dimensions of Christmas Carols

* 1979: He Gave Me Nothing to Lose (But All to Gain) #18 (US Gospel)

* 1980: Is My Living in Vain #18 (US Gospel)

* 1981: You Brought the Sunshine #9 (US Gospel)

* 1982: Sincerely #12 (US Gospel)

* 1982: Gospel

* 1984: Heart and Soul (First version Never released)

* 1986: Best

* 1986: Heart and Soul #5 (US Gospel)

* 1988: Conqueror #7 (US Gospel), #29 (US Contemporary Christian)

* 1989: Bringing It Back Home #13 (US Gospel)

* 1994: Miracle #8 (US Gospel)

* 2007: Live - One Last Time #1 (US Gospel), #56 (US Billboard 200)

* 2008: Encore: The Best of the Clark Sisters

* 2008: The Clark Sisters Definitive Gospel Collection

* 2009: A Clark Family Christmas #15 (US Gospel)

Other Appearances[edit]

* "Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates" - Commissioned & The Clark Sisters (from Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration) (Reprise, 1992)

* "Nothing to Lose" - Florida A&M University Gospel Choir featuring The Clark Sisters (Crystal Rose, 1996)

* "Jesus Is a Love Song" - Karen Clark-Sheard featuring The Clark Sisters (from Finally Karen) (Island, 1997)

* "Pure Gold" - Karen Clark-Sheard featuring The Clark Sisters (from Finally Karen... Live! - VHS Only) (Island/Polygram Video, 1997)

* "Show Me the Way" - Dorinda Clark-Cole featuring The Clark Sisters (from Dorinda Clark-Cole) (Gospocentric, 2002)

* "You Brought the Sunshine" - Kelly Price feat. The Clark Sisters (Def Soul, 2003)

* "I'm Not Perfect" - Missy Elliott feat. The Clark Sisters (from This Is Not a Test) (Elektra, 2003)

* "I Made It" - Twinkie Clark featuring The Clark Sisters (from Home Once Again) (Verity, 2004)

* "Blessing Me" - Jacky Clark-Chisholm featuring The Clark Sisters (from Expectancy) (Entheos, 2005)

* "Higher Ground" - Robert Randolph & The Clark Sisters (from Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration) (EMI Gospel/Vector Recordings, 2009)[17]

* "I Wanna Thank You"- The Clark Sisters, Kierra Sheard, and J Moss(from "Silky Soul Music... an All-star Tribute to Maze feat. Frankie Beverly) (Brantera Music Group, 2009

Covers

* One of the Clarks' signature songs "Is My Living In Vain" was remade by R&B quartet Xscape, as well as Light Records gospel quartet Zie'l.

* An early Clark favorite "Endow Me" from their chart topping album You Brought The Sunshine was remade by Coko featuring Faith Evans, Fantasia Barrino, and Lil' Mo on her 2006 gospel debut.

* "You Brought The Sunshine" has been covered by artists such as Al Green, Kelly Price, Shirley Murdock, Out of Eden, Melinda Doolittle and LeJeune Thompson.

* The ending vamp of the song "I've Got An Angel" from the (1986) Heart & Soul album of the Clark Sisters was used by Aaliyah in the song "Never Givin' Up" off of her 1996 album "One In A Million".

* "Hallelujah" from the Clark Sisters was sung in the Derek Luke film Antwone Fisher, starring Denzel Washington.

* Mary J. Blige sampled The Clark Sisters' 1980 "They Were Overcome (By the Word)" from their "Is My Living in Vain?" album. She used the sample on "Checkin' for Me," from her 2001 smash album, "The Breakthrough