Dorinda Clark-Cole

Dorinda Clark-Cole
Dr Dorinda Clark Cole Photo by Ernie Stewart/ Retna Ltd. Dr Dorinda Clark Cole Photo by Ernie Stewart/ Retna Ltd.
Background information
Birth name	Dorinda Grace Clark
Born	October 19, 1957 (1957-10-19) (age 54)[1]
Origin	Detroit, Michigan
Genres	Gospel, Jazz
Occupations	Singer, Songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, Piano
Years active	1973–Present 2001–Present Solo
Labels	GospoCentric Records Light Records
Associated acts	The Clark Sisters Karen Clark Sheard Twinkie Clark Jacky Clark Chisholm
Website	http://www.theclarksisters.com/ http://www.dorindaclarkcole.net/

Dorinda Clark-Cole (born Dorinda Grace Clark) is a two-time Grammy Award winning American evangelist and gospel singer. She is best known as a member of The Clark Sisters and as a daughter of pioneering choral director Mattie Moss Clark.

Biography

Early life

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Clark-Cole began singing at an early age with her sisters Karen, Twinkie, Jacky, and Denise. The sisters sang in their pastor father's church and usually performed songs written and composed by their mother. Clark-Cole, who 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 melismas, riffs, runs, and soulful growls. Dorinda sang lead on "Overdose Of The Holy Ghost", "My Reedemer Liveth" the B-side to The Clark Sisters' biggest single "You Brought the Sunshine" ^[2]

Recording career

Clark-Cole's self-titled solo debut Dorinda Clark-Cole, released in 2002, won two Stellar Awards and a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award (Best Female Gospel Artist). The album featured the hit single "I'm Coming Out". Her second album, The Rose of Gospel, was released in 2005. The live portions of both albums were produced by Asaph Ward, famous for his work with Kim Burrell, who counts Dorinda as well as the Clark Sisters as a direct vocal influence. Dorinda won one Stellar award.

Dorinda was featured on the title track of Kirk Franklin's Hero album.^[3]

After being pushed back from a prematurely stated date in fall 2007,^[4] Dorinda Clark-Cole's third solo CD Take It Back was released on April 15, 2008. The album included the songs "Faithful", "Praise Your Way Out", "Yesterday", "It's Ok", "No Weapon", "If I Were", "Got To Hold On," and the current radio single "Take It Back".^[5] Producers Alex "Asaph" Ward, PAJAM, and Rodney Jerkins contributed to the project. Dorinda recently^[when?] did a brand new (EP) album entitled In The Face Of Change which was released September 21. This project includes hit songs such as "Change" written by her son J.Cole, "This Is It" and "One World One Love". The album consists of only six songs.It was released on her own ministry label "Harvestime Ministries".The album was never heard of and was announced the day of its release. A video on YouTube has a preview of all of the new songs on the record.^[6] Dorinda Clark Cole has a funky and surprising blend with her sister Karen Clark Sheard.

Personal and Religious life

Clark-Cole is married to Greg Cole and they have 2 children, Nikkia Cole Beach and Gregory Jr. In 2011 Nikkia and husband Deon Beach Sr gave birth to a son Deon Beach jr. In addition to being a recording artist and evangelist, Clark-Cole is a prominent figure in the Church of God in Christ of which she is a licensed National Evangelist, assistant supervisor of women, for the Michigan North Central Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ and Assistant Elect Lady of the COGIC's International Evangelism Department. She is an administrator and instructor at the Clark Conservatory of Music in Detroit (founded by Mattie Moss Clark in 1979), and is an administrator of ministry at the Greater Emmanuel Institutional COGIC, pastored by her brother-in-law, J. Drew Sheard. As of 2007, Dorinda serves as the spokesmodel for Donna Vinci clothing where she launched her own line "The Rose Collection. She also has her own television show called "Dorinda" on the TCT network.

In 1999, as founder and CEO of Lifeline Productions, Inc., she created 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.

Dorinda says that if she did not have a career in music that she would be "dancing on Broadway," and her dream would be "to sing with Bette Midler, Cher and Celine Dion".^[7]

In 2011, Clark-Cole will be playing Kia Radisson in The Marriage Lover.

Discography

Albums

• Dorinda Clark-Cole (2002)
• Live From Houston: The Rose of Gospel (2005)
• Take It Back (2008)
• In The Face Of Change (EP)(2009)
• I Survived (2011)

Year	Album	Chart positions[8]
		U.S.	U.S. Gospel	U.S. Heatseekers
2002	Dorinda Clark-Cole 1st solo album Released: June 11, 2002 Label: Gospocentric Records	—	5	14
2005	Live From Houston: The Rose of Gospel 2nd solo album Released: Aug 16, 2005 Label: Gospocentric Records	159	3	4
2008	Take It Back 3rd solo album Released: 2008 Label: Gospocentric Records	104	3	-
2011	I Survived 4th solo album Released: 2011 Label: Light Records	120	3	-

Singles

• "No Not One (featuring J Moss)" (2002)
• "I'm Coming Out" (2002)
• "Still Here" (2002)
• "Great Is The Lord" (2005)
• "So Many Times" (2005)
• "Take It Back" (2008)
• "Change" (2009)
• "This Is It" (2009)
• "Back to You"(2011)
• "He Brought Me" (2011)
• "God Will Take of You" (2011)
• "For My Good" (2011)

Other

• "Hero (featuring Dorinda Clark Cole)" - Kirk Franklin (from Hero)
• "Tis So Sweet" - Dorinda Clark Cole (from Build A Bridge)
• "Higher Ground" - Missy Elliott, Karen Clark Sheard, Kim Burrell, Mary Mary, Dorinda Clark Cole, and Yolanda Adams (from Miss E... So Addictive) (Elektra, 2001)
• "It Will All Be Worth It" - Mary Mary feat. Gospel Legends (from The Sound)
• "Im 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, Resting On His Promise (2009)

Videography

• Dorinda Clark Cole Live (2003)
• Live From Houston: The Rose of Gospel (2007)

Filmography

• The Marriage Lover (2011)

References

1. ^ The Clark Lounge
2. ^ Terron Austin. "Dorinda Clark Cole (Biography)". TheClarkSisters.com. http://www.theclarksisters.com/dorinda.html. 
3. ^ Stan North. "Kirk Franklin: Hero (album review)". GospelFlava.com. http://www.gospelflava.com/reviews/kirkfranklinhero.html. 
4. ^ "Dorinda's Third: Dorinda Clark-Cole readies 'Yesterday' album". Cross Rhythms. http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/news/Dorindas_Third/29192/p1/. 
5. ^ Yesterday on CD Universe
6. ^ "The Clark Sisters News". http://theclarksisters.com/. Retrieved 2008-02-19. 
7. ^ Clark, Melanie (June 2002). "Insider with Dorinda Clark Cole". Gospelflava.com. http://www.gospelflava.com/articles/insider-dorinda.html. 
8. ^ "Dorinda Clark-Cole Chart History". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/dorinda-clark-cole/chart-history/50531?f=323&g=Albums. 

External links

• The Clark Space
• Dorinda Clark Cole on MySpace
• Dorinda Clark Cole Fan Club on Myspace
• The Clark Sisters' Official Website (Source of Dorinda Clark Cole's biography)
• GospoCentric Records Official Website
• Dorinda Clark Cole Official Site
• Dr. Dorinda Clark Cole's Annual Singers and Musicians Conference Official Site

Persondata
Name	Cole, Dorinda Clark
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Date of birth	October 19, 1957
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