Karen Clark Sheard
Karen Valencia Clark Sheard (née Clark; born November 15, 1960) is an American Grammy Award-winning Gospel singer, musician, songwriter, and businesswoman. Clark-Sheard is the wife of the current Church of God in Christ Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard and she serves as the current First Lady of the COGIC denomination. Clark–Sheard is the youngest member of gospel group the Clark Sisters. Clark–Sheard is also the mother of contemporary gospel singer and actress Kierra "Kiki" Sheard. She has released five solo albums, seventeen with the Clark Sisters, and collaborated with her son J. Drew  Sheard II and her daughter Kierra Sheard. During the hiatus of the Clark Sisters, Clark–Sheard recorded her critically acclaimed solo album "Finally Karen", which spawned her hit, "Balm in Gilead" (a re-recording of a song she originally recorded as part of the Clark Sisters in the 1980s for their "Heart & Soul" album) the R&B-flavored "Just For Me" and "Nothing Without You" – a contemporary duet with R&B diva Faith Evans. "Finally Karen" became one of the most successful gospel albums of 1998 earning Sheard a Grammy nomination and a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for "Best Female  Vocalist". After her debut album and touring, Clark–Sheard was hospitalized in 2001 after a blood vessel burst during a cosmetic procedure, resulting in doctors giving her a 2% chance of survival. Her testimony inspired the title for her long-awaited sophomore project, "2nd Chance", released in 2002. Clark–Sheard recorded two more live albums, including "The Heavens Are Telling" and "It's Not Over" (which featured some studio recordings), before releasing "All in One", Clark–Sheard's first all-studio-recorded album in 13 years. The album debuted at #2 on the U.S. "Billboard" Gospel Chart and #98 on  Billboard's Top 200 albums chart, while its first single "Prayed Up" peaked at #9 on the U.S. "Billboard" Gospel Songs chart. Singers Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Faith Evans, SWV, Kameron Lacroix, Blu Cantrell, Lil' Mo, Missy Elliott, Kelly Price, Kanye West and Fantasia all count Karen Clark-Sheard as one of their vocal influences. Biography. Early life and education. Clark–Sheard was born Karen Valencia Clark on November 15, 1960, in Detroit, Michigan, the youngest child of Reverend Elbert Clark and Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, a gospel choral director. The youngest of six children, Clark–Sheard's siblings are Leo , Jacky, Denise, Elbernita "Twinkie" and Dorinda. Clark–Sheard began singing gospel with her sisters at age 5 in what became known as the Clark Sisters. For high school, Clark-Sheard attended Mumford High School in Detroit, Michigan, graduating in 1979. Career. Debut album. Clark–Sheard's involvement in the Island Inspirational All Stars' "Don't Give Up" in 1996 (along with Donald Lawrence, Hezekiah Walker, and Kirk Franklin) led to her signing with Island Records. Clark–Sheard's solo career began with the release of her debut album "Finally Karen" in 1997. The album, consisting of half studio recordings and  half live recordings, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 1998, won Clark-Sheard the Lady of Soul award for Best Gospel Album that same year and peaked at #28 and #2 on the U.S. "Billboard" Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and U.S. "Billboard" Gospel Albums charts respectively. Section::::"2nd Chance". After Yolanda Adams, Clark-Sheard became the 2nd gospel artist to sign to Elektra Records. She released her Elektra debut album "2nd Chance" in 2002 (so named because of the "second chance" she was given by God after her near-death experience – which is  referenced in her daughter Kierra's song "You Don't Know"). The album was led off by the single "Be Sure". The album reached #82 on the U.S. "Billboard" 200, #27 on the U.S. "Billboard" Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart (her highest chartings on those charts to date) and #2 on the U.S. "Billboard" Gospel Albums. Section::::"The Heavens Are Telling". The 2003 followup "The Heavens Are Telling" came when Elektra Records was being dissolved into Atlantic Records, and failed to match the commercial success of Clark-Sheard's previous albums, peaking 106 places below "2nd Chance" at #188 on  the U.S. "Billboard" 200 – though it managed to reach #44 on the U.S. "Billboard" Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, a high #3 on the U.S. "Billboard" Gospel Albums chart and was her first album to chart on the U.S. "Billboard" Christian Albums chart, where it peaked at #11. Section::::"It's Not Over". In 2005, after a bidding war with several labels, Clark-Sheard signed with Word Records and issued "It's Not Over" (originally titled "Finally Karen Returns"), the sequel to her 1997 debut album "Finally Karen" was set to be released November 15, 2005, Clark-Sheard's 45th birthday , but was delayed and released the following year. Most of "It's Not Over" was recorded in 2005 at Karen's home church in Detroit, Michigan, while the last three tracks were studio-recorded. It was Clark-Sheard's first solo album not to feature guest vocals from her daughter (Kierra Sheard) and was the first to include production from Israel Houghton – who handled the majority of the project. It charted at #124 on the U.S. "Billboard" 200 and #4 on the U.S. "Billboard" Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. As the songwriter, on February 10, 2008, Clark-Sheard won the  Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song for "Blessed & Highly Favored" sung by the Clark Sisters. Karew Records, 5th album and present. In early 2009, Clark-Sheard and her husband, J.Drew Sheard, partnered together and launched a new record label entitled Karew Records (Karew being a combination of both their forenames: Karen and Drew, pronounced: Kuh-rue); Distribution is via EMI Gospel. The Clark Sisters' Christmas album – which was released in October 2009 – was the first project to be released from Karew Records. On January 31, 2010, Clark-Sheard won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance for "Wait on the  Lord" which she was featured with Donnie McClurkin. On April 6, 2010, Clark-Sheard released her fifth album (and first on her newly founded own record label – Karew Records) titled "All in One", which features additional vocals from her daughter Kierra Sheard, son J. Drew Sheard II, sister Dorinda Clark Cole, niece Angel Chisholm and cousin J. Moss. Her first all-studio-recorded album since her 2002 release "2nd Chance", "All in One" debuted and peaked at #98 on the U.S. "Billboard" 200 (her second highest charting on that chart to date) and #3 on the U.S. "Billboard" Gospel Albums  chart, while the album's lead single – "Prayed Up" – peaked at #9 and stayed over 22 weeks on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot Gospel Songs chart. Clark-Sheard released her latest single "Sunday A.M" in 2014, which is nominated for the Best Gospel Song in the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. As of 2019, Clark-Sheard is in talks to play Kitty Parham, a member of the Famous Ward Singers in Aretha Franklin's upcoming biopic "Respect". Karen was portrayed by her daughter, Kierra Sheard in the Lifetime TV biopic "The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel", released April 11, 2020. Personal  life. Marriage and family. Clark-Sheard married Bishop J. Drew Sheard, a Detroit-based minister, on June 16, 1984. Clark-Sheard serves as the First Lady of Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ in Detroit, where her husband is senior pastor. In March 2021, Bishop Sheard was elected to serve as the Presiding Bishop of the COGIC denomination, thus making her the First Lady of the COGIC denomination at-large as well. Together they have two children: Kierra "Kiki" Sheard-Kelly (1987) and John Drew "J. Drew" Sheard II (1989). Another pregnancy ended in a stillbirth. Kiki is  also a gospel recording artist, with four albums, plus various projects to her credit. J. Drew is a musician and producer who often plays drums for the Clark Sisters. Health. In 2001, Clark-Sheard was faced with a life-threatening crisis when a blood vessel burst during a scheduled bariatric surgery. Her doctors only gave her a 2% chance of survival due to her complications. After the blood clot was surgically removed, Clark-Sheard fell into a coma. The coma lasted three and a half weeks, but Clark-Sheard says she made a miraculous recovery. Awards. BET Awards. The BET  Awards are awarded annually by the Black Entertainment Television network. Karen Clark Sheard has received 3 nominations. Dove Awards. The Dove Awards are awarded annually by the Gospel Music Association. The Clark Sisters have won 2 awards from 8 nominations. Grammy Awards. The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Karen Clark Sheard has won 4 awards from 12 nominations. NAACP Image Awards. The NAACP Image Awards are awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Clark Sheard has won 2 awards from 4 nominations. Soul Train Awards . The Soul Train Music Awards are awarded annually. Karen Clark Sheard has won 1 award from 5 nominations. Stellar Awards. The Stellar Awards are awarded annually by SAGMA. Karen Clark Sheard has received 7 awards and 1 honorary award.