Kim Burrell

Infobox musical artist
Name = Kim Burrell
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Background = solo_singer
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Origin = Houston, Texas
Instrument = Vocals, Piano
Genre = Gospel, Jazz
Occupation = Singer, songwriter, arranger, producer
Years_active = 1995-present
Label = Pearl Records, Tommy Boy Gospel, Elektra, Epic/Sony Gospel
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.kbcrew.net/ KBCrew.net]
Current_members =
Past_members =

Kimberly Burrell Wiley [cite web|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1264/is_1_35/ai_n6006442|title=Nourishing the soul through song|publisher=EssenceLifestyle magazine] is an American gospel singer from Houston, TX. She calls her musical style jazz gospel. Though she is comparatively new to the gospel music industry, having only debuted in 1995, she has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the genre, often named as "this generation's Ella Fitzgerald." [cite web|title=JAWN'S JUICE #27 - VOL. lll|date=December 14, 2004|author=Murray, Jawn|publisher=EURweb|url=?]

Biography

Life and career

Though Kim Burrell battled double pneumonia for eight years as a child, she took her first solo with the church choir at the age of only one year old singing Andrae Crouch's "Hallelujah Praise."cite web|url=http://www.gospelflava.com/articles/burrell.html|title=Diva for the New Millennium: An Interview with Kim Burrell|publisher=GospelFlava.com] She is the daughter of a Pastor in the Church of God in Christ. Burrell began her gospel career proper performing with Reverend James Cleveland's Gospel Music Workshop Choir, Trinity Temple Full Gospel Mass Choir of Dallas and The Inspirational Sounds Mass Choir of Houston.

Her first independent album "Try Me Again" was delivered on the Texas-based boutique label Pearl Records in 1995. Though limited distribution kept the album from nationwide recognition, it did build a strong buzz that helped her get signed to Tommy Boy Gospel and deliver the now-classic "Everlasting Life" produced by Asaph Alexander Ward. The album performed well and peaked at #12 on the Billboard Gospel Charts.

Quickly becoming known as a virtuoso vocalist and pianist, it seemed only logical to deliver a live album which Burrell recorded November 2000 at the annual COGIC Convention in Memphis, Tennessee. Though the recording of the concert was widely storied to be troubled requiring notable some overdubs and post-production, the resulting "Live In Concert" album released in 2001 sated eager fans and earned Burrell a Grammy nomination for Best Soul Gospel Album in 2002.

Though her then-label Tommy Boy Gospel folded shortly after the release of "Live In Concert", by 2002, had already signed a recording contract with Elektra Records [cite web|url=http://www.eurweb.com/printable.cfm?id=5995|title=#3 JAWN'S JUICE / MARCH 12, 2002|date=March 12, 2002|author=Murray, Jawn|publisher=EURweb] who had newly considerable success in the gospel market with signing Yolanda Adams and Karen Clark Sheard. Unfortunately, this contract yielded naught but a guest appearance on the all-star gospel track Missy Elliott-produced "Higher Ground" which first appeared as a bonus track on Missy's album "Miss E... So Addictive", [cite web|url=http://www.blackflix.com/music/elliot.missy.html|title=Missy Elliott has raised the bar on hip-hop|publisher=BlackFlix.com] but was later featured on Karen Clark Sheard's "2nd Chance" album.

Since that time, Kim Burrell has become a wife and mother with a son by the name of Tevin Burrell,she as continued to perform live and collaborate with other artists. Though only intermittently active as a recording artist, Burrell has established and hosts the Ephesians 4 conference annually to show up-and-coming singers, dancers, and other artists how to improve the quality of their craft.

Widespread influence

Burrell was featured in a half-hour MTV special "From The Church To The Charts" in conjunction with the gospel themed motion picture "Fighting Temptations". Among those who count Burrell as an influence are such contemporaries as Jessica Simpson, [cite web|title=Jessica Simpson - Brief Article - Interview|publisher=Interview|date=August 2001|author=Bass, Lance|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_8_31/ai_77336632] Beyoncé Knowles, Faith Evans, Mariah Carey and more. In 2004, Kim Burrell made an unlikely guest turn along with Kelly Price on R. Kelly's "3-Way Phone Call" playing the part of Price's "prayer partner" in the soap-opera-like song. [cite web|url=http://www.gospelflava.com/reviews/rkellyusavedme.html|title=R. Kelly: U Saved Me|publisher=GospelFlava.com|author=Bonner, Gerard|date=August 2004]

There are many instances of established artists who laud Burrell:
* Chaka Khan deemed Kim Burrell "one of the most interesting voices I've heard in a long while." [cite web|url=http://www.gospelflava.com/articles/yourflava-nathan.html|title=The Gospel According to Nathan....Book 1|author=Thomas, Nathan|date=December 1999|publisher=GospelFlava.com]
* After expressing an interest in gospel music, pop singer Nelly Furtado purchased Burrell's "Everlasting Life" on recommendation from Destiny's Child's Michelle Williams. [cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10603268/why_is_nelly_furtados_new_album_so_loud|title=Why Is Nelly Furtado's Album So Loud|date=Jun 19, 2006 10:24 AM|author=Scaggs, Austin|publisher=Rolling Stone]
* In a recent interview on XM Satellite Radio, Harry Connick, Jr. said of Burrell, "if she's not the greatest musical mind I've ever been around, she's certainly up at the top of the list." Burrell appears on Connick, Jr.'s most recent album.

Continuing her trend of affecting artists both inside and outside the realm of gospel music, Kim Burrell will make an appearance on a new album by funk pioneer George Clinton on the original song "Mathematics of Love" from a new album of covers entitled "George Clinton and Some Gangsters of Love" on September 16, 2008.

New music

Though Kim Burrell's musical impact is widespread, she has not released a new recording since 2001's "Live In Concert" and nearly a decade has passed since her 1998 national debut "Everlasting Life". Details of new recordings have periodically surfaced, some of which are listed below:

* In 2001, shortly after the release of "Live In Concert", Kim Burrell was said to be working with Stevie Wonder, Deitrick Haddon, Chaka Khan, and Eric Dawkins on a new studio album.cite web|url=http://www.gospelflava.com/articles/kimburrell2.html|title=Interview With Kim Burrell: Glorious Praise|author=North, Stan|publisher=GospelFlava.com|date=2001]

* The long-awaited gospel compilation from Bad Boy Entertainment was slated to release May 8, 2001 featuring Kim Burrell, John P. Kee, Mary Mary, Hezekiah Walker, Fred Hammond, and Vickie Winans among other performers. To date, the project has still not been released [cite web|url=http://www.eurweb.com/printable.cfm?id=1541|title=Gospel Newsbits|publisher=EURweb] and is rumored shelved indefinitely.

* Burrell collaborated with Tonéx in 2004 on some recordings for a new album. [cite web|url=http://wwww.gospelflava.com/articles/tonexinterview2004.html|title=Tonex: Out The Box in 2004 (Interview)|publisher=GospelFlava.com]

* As of August 2006, according to Sony Gospel president Tara Griggs-McGee, the anticipated new studio album from Kim Burrell has now turned to plans for a live recording, though no date has been set. The live album will likely include several studio tracks already recorded. [cite web|url=http://blackvoices.aol.com/black_entertainment/bvbuzzcanvas/_a/aug-28-2006/20060828113409990001|title=The BV Buzz with Jawn Murray|date=August 28, 2006|author=Murray, Jawn|publisher=AOL BlackVoices] However, since the time of that article, Sony Gospel has folded into Columbia Records and Griggs-McGee is no longer with either label. [cite web|url=http://www.gospelflava.com/articles/recap2006.html|title=A Gospel Recap of 2006: The Demise of Sony Gospel|publisher=GospelFlava.com]

Kim Burrell is signed to Epic Records/Sony Gospel. More recently, it has been announced that she is indeed recording a new album. A recent interview [cite web|url=http://www.gospelflava.com/articles/kimburrellinterview2008.html|title=Video Interview: Kim Burrell|accessdate=2008-06-26|publisher=GospelFlava.com|last=Bonner|first=Gerard] revealed that Burrell is planning a live recording at the Lincoln Jazz Center in New York City on December 11th and 13th, 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.gospelflava.com/news.html|title=News|accessdate=2008-06-26|publisher=GospelFlava.com]

Selected Discography

Albums

* "Try Me Again" (Pearl, 1995)
* "Everlasting Life" (Tommy Boy Gospel, 1998)
* "Live In Concert" (Tommy Boy Gospel, 2001)

Singles

* "Special Place" (Bad Boy Entertainment, 2001) [cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/release/893185|title=Kim Burrell: Special Place (CD Single)|accessdate=2008-06-28|publisher=Discogs.com]

Videos

* "Live In Concert" (VHS) (Tommy Boy Gospel, 2001)

Other

Awards

* 2000 Gospel Music Excellence Award, Female Vocalist of the Year - Contemporary for "Everlasting Life" [cite web|url=http://www.gospelflava.com/articles/gmwaresults-2000.html|title=19th Annual Gospel Music Excellence Award Results|publisher=GospelFlava.com]
* 2000 Stellar Award, Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year for "Everlasting Life" [cite web|url=http://www.gospelflava.com/stellar/stellarresults-2000.html|title=15th Annual Stellar Award Winners|publisher=GospelFlava.com]

Trivia

* At the close of a gospel industry retreat hosted by Dr. Bobby Jones, a local woman named Kathleen Goodin had stopped breathing, prompting a call for paramedics, as well as a call for prayer. While CPR procedures were under way, Burrell initiated a healing prayer. After escorting Goodin out on a stretcher, those remaining were informed that the woman had died. Adamant about praying with the woman again, Burrell followed the ambulance to the hospital. When she finally convinced medical staff to allow her to pray with the woman a second time, reportedly Burrell prayed "Kathleen Goodin, take off your grave clothes." By the time Burrell left the hospital, the woman was miraculously breathing on her own. [cite web|url=http://blackvoices.aol.com/black_entertainment/bvbuzzcanvas/_a/dec-12-2005/20051212111609990002|title=Shining Moment: The BV Buzz with Jawn Murray|date=December 12, 2005|author=Murray, Jawn|publisher=AOL Black Voices] The article's reporter later exclaimed, "if I ever get sick, somebody call Kim Burrell!" [cite web|title=Jawn’s Juice #19– Vol. IV|date=December 13, 2005|author=Murray, Jawn|url=http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur23877.cfm]

References

External links

* [http://www.kimburrell.net/ Kim Burrell] Official Sony Music Website
* [http://www.kbcrew.net/ KB Crew Productions Official site]
* [http://www.ephesians4.net/ Ephesians 4 Conference Official site]
*imdb name|id=1534145|name=Kim Burrell
*amg|id=11:17jeeat24x07|label=Kim Burrell