Twinkie Clark
Encyclopedia
Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell is a two-time Grammy Award–winning American
gospel
singer, composer, musician, and evangelist. She is a member of The Clark Sisters
, an influential gospel vocal ensemble active since the late '60s.
turned over control of the group to her in the early 1970s. It was Twinkie's leadership via musical innovation, songwriting and vocal arrangements that gave the Clark Sisters their unique sound. In the history of Gospel music, she has quickly become a legend in her own right. With the reverence of a vast array of audiences, critics and peers, she is considered by many Gospel aficionados to not only be Gospel music’s greatest, but also the undisputed “Queen of the B3 Hammond organ. Twinkie has written and/or arranged over 200 songs that have been recorded by the likes of Donald Lawrence & The Tri City Singers, James Cleveland, Dave Hollister, Jennifer Holiday, Kelly Price, Rev. Donald Vails and others. Richard Smallwood, Jennifer Holiday, Kim Burrell, Shirley Murdoch, Donald Lawrence, R&B singer Coko and Fred Hammond count Twinkie was influences/inspirations. An accomplished pianist and organist, Twinkie received her formal musical training at the prestigious Howard University
in Washington, D.C. and went on to create some of the most memorable hits for herself and her siblings. According to sister Jacky Clark-Chisholm, their mother, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, began training Twinkie on the piano as an infant and by the age of four, she could play full songs. Around the age of 9, Twinkie began showing interest in the organ and began training. At 12, she made her professional debut as organist on the Southwest Michigan State Choir's album A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE. Twinkie would serve as Dr. Clark's personal organist until Dr. Clark's death in 1994. In the early 1970's, while still a teen, Twinkie began to compose songs. Some of her early compositions and arrangements were featured on her mother's choir and workshop albums and were a contemporary contrast to her mother's more traditional style. "That Shall He Also Reap", "The King Of Glory Shall Come In" & "If My People"(all recorded by Mattie Moss Clark & the Southwest Michigan State Choir in the early to mid 1970's) are just a handful of early Twinkie Clark songs that demonstrated her burgeoning and unique style. Her mother's workshops and convention programs and albums also became the vehicle through which Twinkie began gaining a reputation as an organist. Her blend of classical, jazz, blues, traditional and modern chords and riffs all atop a hard and punctuating bass line were a perfect compliment and vehicle for the development and popularization of the "COGIC sound". Twinkie's organ can be heard perfecting this sound on such albums as the COGIC International Choir's BECAUSE HE LIVES(1978), COGIC International Choir's I CAN DO ALL THINGS(1979), Mattie Moss Clark and The Michigan State Community Choir's I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST(1978), Mattie Moss Clark Presents: SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN STATE CHOIR SINGS AGAIN, UNAC 1977 Vol. 5(1977), among others.
Throughout the 1970's and 80's, Twinkie co-wrote and produced 2 solo projects for her mother: I AM NOT ALONE(1979) & MAKE ME THAT BUILDING NOT MADE BY HAND(1980).
In 1979, she contributed to Rev. Charles Nicks most successful album, HE'S SO REAL. Twinkie and Rev. Nicks duetted on the title track, which would be his biggest hit. Largely an instrumental affair, Twinkie was featured prominently on the piano on the HE'S SO REAL album as showcased on the songs "Medley: Everything Must Change, Since Jesus Came Into My Heart, I'll Never Be The Same Again" and "Without A Song."
That same year, Sound of Gospel records approached Twinkie about recording a solo album. Her first solo record, titled PRAISE BELONGS TO GOD, is a contemporary piece that patches together traditional Gospel sounds along with the influences of contemporary jazz, disco and ragtime which also featured the first national exposure of a then unknown Ronald and Marvin Winans. Her soul stirring take on the hymn "Fountain Filled With Blood" was a staple on Gospel airwaves in the late 1970's.
As the 70's turned into the 80's, Twinkie gained increasing noteriety through the popularity of The Clark Sisters albums HE GAVE ME NOTHING TO LOSE(1979), IS MY LIVING IN VAIN(1980), YOU BROUGHT THE SUNSHINE(1981) & SINCERELY(1982). Those albums featured the Twinkie penned classics; "Nothing To Lose", "Is My Living In Vain", "Pure Gold", "Expect A Miracle", "Name It Claim It", "Endow Me", "Walking In The Spirit" and the Clark Sisters crossover smash "You Brought The Sunshine." In the summer of 1981, "Is My Living In Vain" stayed atop the Billboard Gospel Songs chart for 13 weeks while the accompanying album would hit #1 and remain there for over a year. The summer of 1983 brought mega-success as "You Brought The Sunshine" became a national phenomenon and netted Twinkie and the Clark Sisters a Gold album. In the midst of this success, Twinkie wrote and recorded another solo lp titled YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER. A tour de force, POWER's brilliance and musical breadth would indelibly stamp her as one of the most innovative forces ever in contemporary Gospel. That point would be underscored in the mid 1980's when Twinkie came up with the idea to merge rap and Gospel in the song COMPUTERS RULE THE WORLD featuring rapper Melle Mel. When presented to the record label, they rejected that notion, thinking that audiences were not ready for hip hop incorporated into Gospel. The label eventually relented and few years later, the song turned up on the 1988 Clark Sisters album CONQUEROR.
Twinkie wrote and produced 3 more albums for the Clark Sisters: 1986's HEART AND SOUL, 1988's CONQUEROR and 1989's BRINGING IT BACK HOME-live. "Jesus Is A Love Song", "Pray For The USA", "Balm In Gilead", Jesus Forevermore", "My Redeemer Liveth" and "For The Love Of The People" heated up Gospel airwaves from those albums. Twinkie amassed other hits in the 80's("I Tried Him And I Know Him" , "The Anointing Breaks The Yoke", "Lord Let Me Hear From Heaven") from her continued songwriting on her mother's convention records.
Twinkie left the Clark Sisters in 1989 to focus on ministry and family.
She continued her solo career with 1992's COMIN HOME, 1996's MASTERPIECE, 2002's TWINKIE CLARK AND FRIENDS LIVE IN CHARLOTTE, 2004's HOME ONCE AGAIN and 2011's WITH HUMILITY. In 1997, Twinkie was featured on the COGIC International Choir's LEANING ON JESUS album on the hit duet with Richard "Mr Clean" White's "Accept What God Allows" and in 1996 , she produced the album TWINKIE CLARK TERRELL PRESENTS THE FAMU GOSPEL CHOIR which was a staple on the Gospel charts well into 1997.
Twinkie and the Clark Sisters were inducted into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
Most recently, The Clark Sisters received high honors at the 2007 Stellar Awards when they were presented with the coveted award for Most Notable Achievement.
Twinkie reunited with The Clark Sisters
on July 8, 2006 to record a new live album, The Clark Sisters did a live recording in Houston, Texas entitled Live... One Last Time. The recording was was released as a CD on April 10, 2007 on EMI Gospel, followed by a CD/DVD Special Edition release June 19, 2007. In support of the reunion album, The Clark Sisters embarked on a 25-city Concert Tour .
On January 16, 2009 Twinkie Clark was honored at the 10th Annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards Luncheon Friday, January 16 in Nashville, TN
. In 2002, she recorded her first live solo album Live in Charlotte. Twinkie's son John Terrell raps on the album. Its success warranted another live effort, the Asaph Ward
-produced Home Once Again: Live in Detroit, two years later. She also released a collaboration project with the Florida A&M University Gospel Choir called Twinkie Clark-Terrell Presents the Florida A&M University Gospel Choir which also was a mainstay in the Billboard Gospel top 10 in late 1996.
Twinkie Clark is an avid Stevie Wonder
fan, and hopes to one day do a duet with him.
The Clark Sisters: Live one last time
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer, composer, musician, and evangelist. She is a member of The Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters:Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, 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...
, an influential gospel vocal ensemble active since the late '60s.
The Clark Sisters
A musical genius. Dubbed as the "Queen of the Hammond B3" organ, "The Mother Of Contemporary Gospel." Gifted musician, songwriter, arranger, producer and gifted vocalist, . Elbernita “Twinkie” Clark-Terrell, is the heart and soul of the Clark Sisters. She has been the creative force in shaping the vibrant sound that has become the Clark Sisters' hallmark (more affectionately known as the ‘Clark Sound’) since their mother Mattie Moss ClarkMattie Moss Clark
Dr. Mattie Moss-Clark was an American gospel choir director and the mother of The Clark Sisters, a world-renowned gospel vocal group...
turned over control of the group to her in the early 1970s. It was Twinkie's leadership via musical innovation, songwriting and vocal arrangements that gave the Clark Sisters their unique sound. In the history of Gospel music, she has quickly become a legend in her own right. With the reverence of a vast array of audiences, critics and peers, she is considered by many Gospel aficionados to not only be Gospel music’s greatest, but also the undisputed “Queen of the B3 Hammond organ. Twinkie has written and/or arranged over 200 songs that have been recorded by the likes of Donald Lawrence & The Tri City Singers, James Cleveland, Dave Hollister, Jennifer Holiday, Kelly Price, Rev. Donald Vails and others. Richard Smallwood, Jennifer Holiday, Kim Burrell, Shirley Murdoch, Donald Lawrence, R&B singer Coko and Fred Hammond count Twinkie was influences/inspirations. An accomplished pianist and organist, Twinkie received her formal musical training at the prestigious Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in Washington, D.C. and went on to create some of the most memorable hits for herself and her siblings. According to sister Jacky Clark-Chisholm, their mother, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, began training Twinkie on the piano as an infant and by the age of four, she could play full songs. Around the age of 9, Twinkie began showing interest in the organ and began training. At 12, she made her professional debut as organist on the Southwest Michigan State Choir's album A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE. Twinkie would serve as Dr. Clark's personal organist until Dr. Clark's death in 1994. In the early 1970's, while still a teen, Twinkie began to compose songs. Some of her early compositions and arrangements were featured on her mother's choir and workshop albums and were a contemporary contrast to her mother's more traditional style. "That Shall He Also Reap", "The King Of Glory Shall Come In" & "If My People"(all recorded by Mattie Moss Clark & the Southwest Michigan State Choir in the early to mid 1970's) are just a handful of early Twinkie Clark songs that demonstrated her burgeoning and unique style. Her mother's workshops and convention programs and albums also became the vehicle through which Twinkie began gaining a reputation as an organist. Her blend of classical, jazz, blues, traditional and modern chords and riffs all atop a hard and punctuating bass line were a perfect compliment and vehicle for the development and popularization of the "COGIC sound". Twinkie's organ can be heard perfecting this sound on such albums as the COGIC International Choir's BECAUSE HE LIVES(1978), COGIC International Choir's I CAN DO ALL THINGS(1979), Mattie Moss Clark and The Michigan State Community Choir's I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST(1978), Mattie Moss Clark Presents: SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN STATE CHOIR SINGS AGAIN, UNAC 1977 Vol. 5(1977), among others.
Throughout the 1970's and 80's, Twinkie co-wrote and produced 2 solo projects for her mother: I AM NOT ALONE(1979) & MAKE ME THAT BUILDING NOT MADE BY HAND(1980).
In 1979, she contributed to Rev. Charles Nicks most successful album, HE'S SO REAL. Twinkie and Rev. Nicks duetted on the title track, which would be his biggest hit. Largely an instrumental affair, Twinkie was featured prominently on the piano on the HE'S SO REAL album as showcased on the songs "Medley: Everything Must Change, Since Jesus Came Into My Heart, I'll Never Be The Same Again" and "Without A Song."
That same year, Sound of Gospel records approached Twinkie about recording a solo album. Her first solo record, titled PRAISE BELONGS TO GOD, is a contemporary piece that patches together traditional Gospel sounds along with the influences of contemporary jazz, disco and ragtime which also featured the first national exposure of a then unknown Ronald and Marvin Winans. Her soul stirring take on the hymn "Fountain Filled With Blood" was a staple on Gospel airwaves in the late 1970's.
As the 70's turned into the 80's, Twinkie gained increasing noteriety through the popularity of The Clark Sisters albums HE GAVE ME NOTHING TO LOSE(1979), IS MY LIVING IN VAIN(1980), YOU BROUGHT THE SUNSHINE(1981) & SINCERELY(1982). Those albums featured the Twinkie penned classics; "Nothing To Lose", "Is My Living In Vain", "Pure Gold", "Expect A Miracle", "Name It Claim It", "Endow Me", "Walking In The Spirit" and the Clark Sisters crossover smash "You Brought The Sunshine." In the summer of 1981, "Is My Living In Vain" stayed atop the Billboard Gospel Songs chart for 13 weeks while the accompanying album would hit #1 and remain there for over a year. The summer of 1983 brought mega-success as "You Brought The Sunshine" became a national phenomenon and netted Twinkie and the Clark Sisters a Gold album. In the midst of this success, Twinkie wrote and recorded another solo lp titled YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER. A tour de force, POWER's brilliance and musical breadth would indelibly stamp her as one of the most innovative forces ever in contemporary Gospel. That point would be underscored in the mid 1980's when Twinkie came up with the idea to merge rap and Gospel in the song COMPUTERS RULE THE WORLD featuring rapper Melle Mel. When presented to the record label, they rejected that notion, thinking that audiences were not ready for hip hop incorporated into Gospel. The label eventually relented and few years later, the song turned up on the 1988 Clark Sisters album CONQUEROR.
Twinkie wrote and produced 3 more albums for the Clark Sisters: 1986's HEART AND SOUL, 1988's CONQUEROR and 1989's BRINGING IT BACK HOME-live. "Jesus Is A Love Song", "Pray For The USA", "Balm In Gilead", Jesus Forevermore", "My Redeemer Liveth" and "For The Love Of The People" heated up Gospel airwaves from those albums. Twinkie amassed other hits in the 80's("I Tried Him And I Know Him" , "The Anointing Breaks The Yoke", "Lord Let Me Hear From Heaven") from her continued songwriting on her mother's convention records.
Twinkie left the Clark Sisters in 1989 to focus on ministry and family.
She continued her solo career with 1992's COMIN HOME, 1996's MASTERPIECE, 2002's TWINKIE CLARK AND FRIENDS LIVE IN CHARLOTTE, 2004's HOME ONCE AGAIN and 2011's WITH HUMILITY. In 1997, Twinkie was featured on the COGIC International Choir's LEANING ON JESUS album on the hit duet with Richard "Mr Clean" White's "Accept What God Allows" and in 1996 , she produced the album TWINKIE CLARK TERRELL PRESENTS THE FAMU GOSPEL CHOIR which was a staple on the Gospel charts well into 1997.
Twinkie and the Clark Sisters were inducted into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
Most recently, The Clark Sisters received high honors at the 2007 Stellar Awards when they were presented with the coveted award for Most Notable Achievement.
Twinkie reunited with The Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters:Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, 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...
on July 8, 2006 to record a new live album, The Clark Sisters did a live recording in Houston, Texas entitled Live... One Last Time. The recording was was released as a CD on April 10, 2007 on EMI Gospel, followed by a CD/DVD Special Edition release June 19, 2007. In support of the reunion album, The Clark Sisters embarked on a 25-city Concert Tour .
On January 16, 2009 Twinkie Clark was honored at the 10th Annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards Luncheon Friday, January 16 in Nashville, TN
Solo career
Since leaving The Clark Sisters she has recorded several solo albums intermittently including Comin' Home, Masterpiece ( Produced by top gospel/jazz artist and musician, Ben TankardBen Tankard
Ben Tankard is a former professional basketball player and an American gospel, jazz keyboardist producer, songwriter and motivational speaker. Ben dropped out of college after one year to play minor league pro basketball in Canada. He was invited to an NBA camp but was injured and cut...
. In 2002, she recorded her first live solo album Live in Charlotte. Twinkie's son John Terrell raps on the album. Its success warranted another live effort, the Asaph Ward
Asaph Ward
-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, Ward has also produced the self-titled debut of Dorinda Clark Cole, as well as the recent 2004 release from Twinkie...
-produced Home Once Again: Live in Detroit, two years later. She also released a collaboration project with the Florida A&M University Gospel Choir called Twinkie Clark-Terrell Presents the Florida A&M University Gospel Choir which also was a mainstay in the Billboard Gospel top 10 in late 1996.
Musical influence
Clark's influences include jazz, reggae, classical, funk and blues. This is evidenced by listening to her first two solo albums Praise Belongs To God and Ye Shall Receive Power recorded for Sound of Gospel Records while still with The Clark Sisters. Both of these recordings were recently released on compact disc.Twinkie Clark is an avid Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
fan, and hopes to one day do a duet with him.
Discography
- Praise Belongs To God (Sound of Gospel, 1979)
- Ye Shall Receive Power (Sound of Gospel, 1981)
- Comin' Home (Tyscot, 1992) (#40 US Gospel)
- Masterpiece (Tribute/Verity, 1996) (#19 US Gospel)
- Twinkie Clark-Terrell presents FAMU Gospel Choir (Crystal Rose, 1996) (#10 US Gospel)
- Twinkie Clark and Friends: Live In Charlotte N.C. (Verity, 2002) (#10 US Gospel)
- Home Once Again: Live In Detroit (Verity, 2004) (#66 US R&B/Hip-Hop) (#9 US Gospel)
- Praise & Worship (Verity/Legacy, 2006) (Compilation)
- With Humility (Larry Clark Gospel, 2011) (#14 US Gospel)
Notable singles
- "Power"(Ye Shall Receive Power) 1979
- "You Brought The Sunshine" (The Clark SistersThe Clark SistersThe Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters:Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, 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...
) (1981) - "Balm In Gilead" (Karen Clark SheardKaren Clark SheardKaren Clark-Sheard is an American gospel four-time Grammy Award winning singer, musician, and songwriter. The youngest daughter of pioneering gospel choral director Mattie Moss Clark, Sheard began her career as a member of the Grammy-Award winning, gospel legendary female group, The Clark Sisters...
) (1997) - "I Tried Him And I Know Him" (Mattie Moss ClarkMattie Moss ClarkDr. Mattie Moss-Clark was an American gospel choir director and the mother of The Clark Sisters, a world-renowned gospel vocal group...
) (1986) - "Something New" (The Clark SistersThe Clark SistersThe Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters:Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, 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...
) (2007) - "Is My Living in Vain"(The Clark SistersThe Clark SistersThe Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters:Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, 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...
) (1980) - "Awesome"(MasterpieceMasterpieceMasterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
)" (1996) - "Bless You Real Good" (MasterpieceMasterpieceMasterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
)" (1996) - " Worship the King" (Twinkie and Friends:Live in Charlotte) (2001)
- " Everything You Need is Right Here" (Home Once Again:Live In Detroit) (2004)
- " God's Got A Blessing" With Humility (2011)
- " Awesome God" With Humility (2011)
- " I Can Do All Things Through Christ"(The Clark SistersThe Clark SistersThe Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters:Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, 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...
) (1976)
The Clark Sisters: Live one last time
External links
- Official Clark Sisters Website
- Watch Out Twink Fan Club
- Twinkie Clark & The Clark Sisters Youtube Video Channel
- Verity Records website
- http://www.organmusicworkshop.com