Dorinda Grace Clark-Cole (born Dorinda Grace Clark; October 19, 1957) is an American Grammy Award-winning
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
singer, songwriter, musician, talk show host, and
evangelist
Evangelist may refer to:
Religion
* Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels
* Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ
* Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...
. Clark–Cole is best known as a member of family vocal group
The Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of five sisters: Jacky Clark Chisholm (born 1948), Denise "Niecy" Clark-Bradford (born 1953), Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark (born 1954), Dorinda Clark-Cole (born 1957), and Karen Cla ...
and as a daughter of pioneering choral director
Mattie Moss Clark
Mattie Moss Clark (born Mattie Juliet Moss; March 26, 1925 – September 22, 1994) was an American gospel choir director and the mother of The Clark Sisters, a gospel vocal group. She was the longest-serving International Minister of Music for th ...
. As a member of The Clark Sisters, Clark–Cole has won two
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
Awards. She is known to the music world as the
"Rose of Gospel Music".
Biography
Early life
Clark–Cole was born on October 19, 1957, and raised in Detroit, Michigan,
to the late Elbert and
Dr. Mattie Moss-Clark. Clark–Cole began singing at an early age with her sisters
Karen
Karen may refer to:
* Karen (name), a given name and surname
* Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors
People
* Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand
** Karen languages or Karenic l ...
,
Twinkie
A Twinkie is an American snack cake, described as "golden sponge cake with a creamy filling". It was formerly made and distributed by Hostess Brands. The brand is currently owned by Hostess Brands, Inc. (), having been formerly owned by private ...
,
Jacky, and
Denise. The sisters sang in their father's church and usually performed songs written and composed by their mother. Clark-Cole, a
mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
is referred to as the "jazzy sister" of the group, helped develop what is known as "The Clark Sound", which often features high and fast
melisma
Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referr ...
s,
riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...
s, runs,
scats
The Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System, abbreviated SCATS, is an intelligent transportation system that manages the dynamic (on-line, real-time) timing of signal phases at traffic signals, meaning that it tries to find the best phasing (i ...
, and soulful
growls. Clark–Cole attributes her fiery, convicting singing style to her mother, who saw the gift of singing and preaching in her at an early age. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, when other children their age were playing outside, Clark–Cole and her sisters had to work on their familial harmonies.
Clark–Cole says, "We made a lot of sacrifices. My mom was a stickler for making sure we rehearsed before we went out to perform. She saw the gifts and talents within us and started shaping and molding us. She taught us discipline along with how to use our gifts." Clark sang lead on "Overdose of the Holy Ghost", as well as on "My Redeemer Liveth", the B-side to The Clark Sisters' biggest single "You Brought the Sunshine".
Recording career
Clark-Cole's self-titled solo debut, ''
Dorinda Clark-Cole
Dorinda Grace Clark-Cole (born Dorinda Grace Clark; October 19, 1957) is an American Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, musician, talk show host, and evangelist. Clark–Cole is best known as a member of family vocal group The Clark ...
'', released in June 2002 on Gospo Centric Records/Zomba Label Group, won two
Stellar Awards
A Stellar Award is an award presented by SAGMA to recognize achievements in the Gospel music, gospel music industry.[Sagma< ...](_blank)
and a
Soul Train
''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...
Lady of Soul Award. The album featured the hit single "I'm Coming Out". Her second album, ''The Rose of Gospel'', was released under the same label in August 2005. The album debuted in ''Billboard''s top 5 on the Gospel charts and garnered a Grammy Nomination for the Best Traditional Soul Gospel album and won 2007 and 2009 Stellar Award for the Best Female Artist of the Year. The live portions of both albums were produced by
Asaph Ward
Asaph Alexander Ward is an American gospel music record producer.
Background
Ward came to the forefront of the gospel music industry as producer of the groundbreaking 1998 album ''Everlasting Life'' for gospel jazz singer Kim Burrell. Since then ...
.
After being pushed back from a prematurely stated date in late 2007, Clark–Cole's third solo album, also released on Gospo Centric Records/ Zomba Label Group, ''Take It Back'', was released on April 15, 2008. Producers Alex "Asaph" Ward, PAJAM, and Rodney Jerkins contributed to the project. In 2009, Dorinda released a six-song (EP) album entitled ''In The Face of Change'' on September 21. It included hit songs such as "Change" written by her son Jay Cole and "BAMM" which was a "Verizon Select". Released on her own ministry label, "Harvestime Ministries", the album was never heard of until she announced it the day of its release. A video on YouTube has a preview of all of the new songs on the record.
Another solo project, ''I Survived'', was released in August 2011 under a new label,
Light Records
Light Records is a gospel record label founded in 1966 by Ralph Carmichael, as a joint venture with the Waco, Texas-based Word Records. It is a subsidiary of the MNRK Music Group.
History
Light Records' first roster included Ralph Carmicha ...
. The project also contains duet titled "Thank You" with her sister,
Twinkie Clark
Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark (born November 15, 1954) is an American gospel singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, musician, and evangelist. Clark is best known as a member of the American gospel singing group the Clark Sisters. Clark is k ...
. Clark–Cole was featured on the title track of Kirk Franklin's ''Hero'' album. In early 2009, Clark–Cole performed "Nothing but the Truth" for the Sojourner Truth unveiling on Capitol Hill for First Lady Michelle Obama and other officials. As a member of the Clark Sisters, Clark–Cole won three Grammys in 2008. ''Live – One Last Time'' won the Best Traditional Gospel Album. Its album track, "Blessed & Highly Favored", won the Best Gospel Performance as well as the individual Best Gospel Song. With the group she appeared nationally on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', ABC's ''The View'', Bobby Jones Gospel, Lift Every Voice, Gospel Superfest, TBN's Praise the Lord, The Stellar Awards and The Lady of Soul Awards.
Personal and religious life
Clark-Cole has been evangelizing and making speaking engagements annually for over 20 years, along with her singing career and being a wife and mother. Clark–Cole married Gregory Cole on December 2, 1978 and together they now have 2 children, Nikkia Cole-Beach and Gregory "Jay" Cole Jr. Dr. Cole also has two grandchildren. Clark–Cole ministers nationally as well as internationally in countries such as England, Japan, Germany, France, Korea and South Africa. She made history in South Africa, having been the first woman to minister in the pulpit to over 4,000 people. Clark-Cole is a staple in the
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi-ethnic religious organization, it has a predominantly Bl ...
of which she is a licensed National Evangelist, Assistant State Mother for the Michigan North Central Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, and in 2016, was appointed by Bishop Charles E. Blake as the Elect Lady of the COGIC's International Evangelism Department. She taught at the
Clark Conservatory of Music The Clark Conservatory of Music is a music school that was founded in 1979 in Detroit, Michigan by the late, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark
Mattie Moss Clark (born Mattie Juliet Moss; March 26, 1925 – September 22, 1994) was an American gospel choir dir ...
in Detroit and is an administrator of ministry at the Greater Emmanuel Institutional COGIC.
Clark-Cole's preaching ministry has also gained interest within academic spaces. According to scholar of religion Ashon Crawley, By attending to the Black Pentecostal aesthetics of whooping found in Clark-Cole's "Why Do I Come Back for More" sermon, Clark-Cole's homily is examined as producing the worship space as a discontinuous and open sonic space, open to the other voices that both proceeded her moment of being overcome with Spirit -such that other women gathered around, held and hugged her -and extended the preacherly moment by sociality, through opening up and diffusing the very grounds for the concept, for preaching, for listening, for breathing. Crawley would go on to offer a reading of Clark-Cole's whooping that places the fundamental quality of such aesthetic sociality, not in the fact that it can be shared but in the fact that it must be shared by all, for vitality, for life. This sharing in and as commons, Crawley argues, enacts violence against any form of marginalization or oppression.
Other career ventures and accomplishments
Clark–Cole is the new host of TCT Network's ''Dorinda Show'', co-host of TCT's Celebrate on the Road, former Stellar Awards host, guest judge on Verizon's "How Sweet The Sound" national televised competition, and the former spokes-model for Donna Vinci Clothing, and her "Rose Collection" is now distributed by Terra Mina Fashions. She has since partnered with
MR. SONG, a fashion designer of Detroit, in creating The Bloom Collection, a couture collection of hat adorning accessories. She is national radio host of ''Serving Up Soul with Dorinda Clark Cole'' which syndicates to 50 affiliated radio stations. She is also the Founder and CEO of Lifeline Productions Inc., which holds an annual Singers & Musicians Conference. Through this conference it is her goal to educate a new generation of ministers of the importance of "keeping ministry in the music" by offering various activities including daily workshops and evening worship services featuring from artists whose ministries have gone beyond ministering in song. In September 2004 she received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Mt. Carmel Theological Seminary of Fresno, California.
Clark–Cole says that if she did not have a career in music that she would be "dancing on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
", and her dream would be "to sing with
Bette Midler
Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...
,
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
and
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
".
She is currently represented by Keith Douglas, CEO of RKD Music Management in Los Angeles, California.
Discography
Solo Albums
Collaborative Albums
Extended plays
Singles
As a lead artist
As featured artist
Gust appearances
* "Hero (featuring Dorinda Clark Cole)" –
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) a ...
(from ''Hero'')
* "Tis So Sweet" – Dorinda Clark Cole (from ''Build A Bridge'')
* "Higher Ground" –
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...
,
Karen Clark Sheard
Karen Valencia Clark Sheard (née Clark; born November 15, 1960) is an American Grammy Awards, Grammy Award–winning gospel music, Gospel singer, musician, songwriter, and businesswoman. Clark-Sheard is the wife of the current Church of God in Ch ...
,
Kim Burrell
Kimberly Jean Burrell (born August 27, 1972) is an American, Grammy–nominated, gospel singer-songwriter, producer, and pastor from Houston, Texas, United States.
Biography Early life
Born Kimberly Jean Burrell on August 27, 1972 in Houston, Te ...
,
Mary Mary,
Dorinda Clark Cole
Dorinda Grace Clark-Cole (born Dorinda Grace Clark; October 19, 1957) is an American Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, musician, talk show host, and evangelist. Clark–Cole is best known as a member of family vocal group The Clark ...
, and
Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Yvette Adams (born August 27, 1961) is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million album ...
(from ''Miss E... So Addictive'') (Elektra, 2001)
* "It Will All Be Worth It" –
Mary Mary feat. Gospel Legends (from ''
The Sound'')
* "I'm Wrapped in You (featuring Dorinda Clark Cole)" –
Bishop Eddie L. Long (from ''The Kingdom, Vol. 1 (feat. GW's)'')
* "Still Mighty, Still Strong (feat. Dorinda Clark Cole)" –
Youthful Praise
Youthful Praise is an American gospel choir led by James "J.J." Hairston who directs the choir and composes most of their material.
Biography
Youthful Praise originated at the Bridgeport, Connecticut church Turner's Faith Temple. The outfit was ...
, ''Resting on His Promise'' (2009)
* "This is That" & "Luke 5" (Feat. Dorinda Clark Cole) – (Robi Rivers Presents The Voices of Calvary, LIVE 2015, Rivers of Melody Music Label)
* "Who's On The Lord's Side" (Feat. Dorinda Clark Cole) –
Byron Cage
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...
, Malaaco 50th Anniversary 2018, Malaaco Records)
Videography
Filmography
* ''The Marriage Lover'' (2011)
* The Dorinda Show (2008–present)
* How Sweet The Sound (2009)
* The Gospel According to Dorinda (2014–present)
Awards
BET Awards
The
BET Awards
The BET Awards is an American award show that was established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which are presented annua ...
are awarded annually by the
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
network. Dorinda Clark-Cole has received 2 nominations.
Dove Awards
The
Dove Awards
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...
are awarded annually by the
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association (GMA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of gospel music. As of 2011, there are about 4,000 members worldwide. The GMA's membership co ...
. Dorinda Clark-Cole has won 2 awards from 10 nominations.
Grammy Awards
The
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
are awarded annually by the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous f ...
. Dorinda Clark-Cole has won 2 awards from 10 nominations.
NAACP Image Awards
The
NAACP Image Awards
The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
are awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...
). Dorinda Clark-Cole has won 2 awards from 4 nominations.
Soul Train Awards
The
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...
are awarded annually. Dorinda Clark-Cole has received 1 award.
Stellar Awards
The
Stellar Awards
A Stellar Award is an award presented by SAGMA to recognize achievements in the Gospel music, gospel music industry.[Sagma< ...](_blank)
are awarded annually by SAGMA. Dorinda Clark-Cole has received 12 awards and 1 honorary award.
References
External links
Dorinda Clark Cole Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark-Cole, Dorinda
1957 births
Living people
African-American Christians
American gospel singers
Singers from Detroit
American evangelists
Women evangelists
American Pentecostals
21st-century American singers
20th-century American singers
Members of the Church of God in Christ
21st-century American women singers
20th-century American women singers
African-American women musicians