Kierra Sheard Will Honor 'Mommy and Aunties' The Clark Sisters at Essence Festival
Kierra Sheard is honoring her mother and aunts by leading an Essence All-Star tribute to the famed gospel music pioneers The Clark Sisters.
The tribute will take place at the 2016 Essence Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana, this summer.
"I'm soooooooo excited to be honoring my mommy and aunties, #TheClarkSisters, at the Essence Festival! #essenceFest Love them so much! Thanks @essence," Kierra wrote on Instagram.
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The tribute will also feature Tony Award winner Patina Miller, and gospel artists Travis Greene, Tasha Paige Lockhart and Yolanda Adams.
Over 40 years ago, the Grammy-winning group known as The Clark Sisters came together. The veteran group, created by their mother Mattie Moss Clark, consisted of sisters Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell, Dorinda Clark-Cole and Karen Clark Sheard.
Mattie was a pioneering choral director that created a three-part harmony widely used with choirs today. A number of singers have been inspired by their musical style, including R&B star Faith Evans.
In an interview with Essence, Evans spoke about The Clark Sisters song "You Brought the Sunshine."
"The Clark Sisters song that infused all the musical genres that I was familiar with at that time in my childhood," Evans told Essence. "I was literally intrigued by their sound immediately and would study their songs, harmonies and vocal arrangements for many years to come."
Although the famed gospel music sisters have influenced musicians, they have also spoken about their influence, the late gospel music pioneer Andraé Crouch. On Karen Clark Sheard's sixth studio album "Destined To Win," The Clark Sisters reunited to perform Crouch's song "Where Jesus Is."
In a live recording of the song, Clark Sheard was joined on stage by her gospel singing daughter Kierra Sheard and three older sisters Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell and Dorinda Clark-Cole.
The moment was not planned but was one that Clark Sheard names as the highlight of her album recording and an example of God's presence when she earlier spoke to The Christian Post about it.
"That was very important to me because it's paying a tribute to one of the greats of gospel, the late great Andraé Crouch who has made such an awesome impact in the gospel industry and the world as welI. It was just awesome to see my sisters come up there, it just brought tears to my eyes," she told CP. "My mother told us God created us all to be one voice and then to come together and be spontaneous with our gift which has been the anointing that God has given us. To see them take that song and make it so crazy, then see my daughter do the same thing – this is what you call generational blessings."
For more information about how The Clark Sisters will be honored at the the 2016 Essense Festival, which takes place in New Orleans, June 30-July 3, click here.
