IN: The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of five sisters: Jacky Clark Chisholm (b. 1948), Denise Clark Bradford (b. 1953), Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell (b. 1954), Dorinda Clark-Cole (b. 1957), and Karen Clark Sheard (b. 1960). The Clark Sisters are the daughters of gospel musician and choral director Mattie Moss Clark. They are credited for helping to bring gospel music to the mainstream and are considered as pioneers of contemporary gospel.

After a four-year gap between releases, the sisters continued as a foursome, signing with Rejoice Records, a division of Word. This new deal yielded the Grammy-nominated Heart & Soul (1986) featuring the mainstream single "Time Out". This project made a top 5 debut on Billboard's Gospel Charts and garnered the group a coveted Dove Award. It featured the original versions of "Jesus Is A Love Song", "Balm in Gilead", and "Pray for the USA", which has been re-recorded several times. The music took on a more contemporary sound with programmed drums and synthesizers. Also included on this album were "Smile, God Loves You", "Time Out", "I Am Blessed", and the funky "He'll Turn Your Scars Into Stars." In 1988, The Clark Sisters released their Billboard chart-topping and critically acclaimed album Conqueror. 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" and the original studio version of "Jesus Forevermore". In 1989, The Clark Sisters released their highly anticipated 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 featured guest appearances from gospel icon Rance Allen and backing choir vocals from The Michigan State Choir directed by Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. In 1994, the Clark Sisters released their last studio album before breaking grounds into their successful solo careers. Their last studio album of the decade, Miracle, was the first album The Clark Sisters recorded without the songwriting and vocals of Twinkie Clark. Produced by BeBe Winans & Michael J. Powell, this disc features a very pop version of the Clark Sisters classic "Expect A Miracle" (now titled "Miracle") and a remake of the classic "Jesus Is The Best Thing". Dorinda made her songwriting debut on a Clark Sisters recording with "Work To Do". That 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.

Did they all start solo careers or only some of them?

OUT: The Clark Sisters recorded without the songwriting and vocals of Twinkie Clark.

IN: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music is a studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter and musician Ray Charles. It was recorded by Charles in February 1962 at Capitol Studios in New York City and at United Recording Studios in Hollywood, then released in April of that year by ABC-Paramount Records. The album departed stylistically from the singer's previous rhythm and blues music. It featured country, folk, and Western music standards reworked by Charles in popular song forms of the time, including R&B, pop, and jazz.

Following his blues fusion with gospel and jazz influences on his earlier Atlantic material, which had brought him much fame and controversy, Charles sought to experiment with country music. As noted by himself in the liner notes for What'd I Say (1959), Charles was influenced by the genre in his youth, stating that he "used to play piano in a hillbilly band" and that he believed that he "could do a good job with the right hillbilly song today." At Atlantic, he attempted to incorporate this style and influence with his cover of country singer Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On". Charles later said about the song, "When I heard Hank Snow sing 'Moving On', I loved it. And the lyrics. Keep in mind, I'm a singer, so I like lyrics. Those lyrics are great, so that's what made me want to do it." The "I'm Movin' On" sessions were his last for Atlantic. Charles's recording of his acclaimed studio effort The Genius of Ray Charles (1959) brought him closer to expressing his jazz and pop crossover ambitions. Described by one music critic as "the most important of his albums for Atlantic", the record was the first to introduce Charles's musical approach of blending his brassy R&B sound with the more middle of the road, pop-oriented style, while performing in the presence of a big band ensemble. Recording of the album, as well his ABC-Paramount debut, The Genius Hits the Road (1960), a collection of place-name songs devoted to parts of the United States, expanded on Charles's thematic and conceptually-organized approach to albums rather than commercially successful singles production. Inspired by this approach and his recording of "I'm Movin' On", Charles originally made plans for a single-less concept album. When Charles had announced that he wanted to work on an album of country music in 1961, during a period of racial segregation and tension in the United States, he received generally negative commentary and feedback from his peers, including fellow R&B musicians and ABC-Paramount executives. The country album concept, however, meant more to Charles as a test of his record label's faith in him and respect for his artistic freedom than as a test of social tolerance among listeners amid racial distinctions of country and R&B. Fueled by his esteem for creative control, Charles pitched the idea of a country album to ABC representatives. Following the successful lobby of the concept and a contract renewal in early 1962, which was linked to the launching of his own Tangerine label, Charles prepared his band for the recording sessions that produced Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.

Can you tell me a little about the Conception of the album?

OUT:
Charles sought to experiment with country music.