Juanita Bynum

Juanita Bynum, the American Pentecostal televangelist, author, actress and gospel singer.

uanita Bynum is one of 5 children, from the marriage of Elder Thomas Bynum Sr. and Katherine Bynum. She grew up in Chicago, and receive a starring role in Perry Middle School's annual play, My Fair Lady. Bynum attended Saints' Academy Church of God in Christ (COGIC) High School (a boarding school) in Lexington, Mississippi. Bynum was raised as an attendee at St. Luke Church of God in Christ in Chicago, a Pentecostal church.

After Bynum graduated from high school, she started preaching in nearby churches and at revivals. Gaining some notoriety at this point, she began a series of what she calls "Lessons in Submission".

In 1996 Bishop T.D. Jakes invited Bynum to attend one of his singles' conferences, where she rose from attendee to speaker in 2 years. In 1997, she released her No More Sheets video and audiotape series about her change of lifestyle out of sexual promiscuity. In July 1999, Bynum re-preached "No More Sheets" at Jakes' 52,000 attendee Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Conference in Atlanta. She began appearing regularly on the Trinity Broadcasting Network as an anointed prophetess.

In 2000, Bynum taught a class on the subjects of character, submission and time management at Greater Bethel Ministries in Hempstead, New York, attended by a class of approximately 70 women. While teaching, her Women's Weapons of Power Conference was organized. The Weapons of Power conference was held annually through 2006.

Bynum was first married in the early 1980s, but the marriage ended in divorce. In 2007, Bynum claimed that she suffered domestic abuse in that marriage, but that she had "made a vow that I would not talk about that situation because it was over 20 years ago."

Bynum married Thomas Wesley Weeks, III in 2002.

Early on August 22, 2007, Bynum was beaten by her husband, who eventually pled guilty to aggravated assault charges. Weeks was given 3 years probation, 200 hours of non-church related community service, and ordered to attend anger management counseling In June 2008 Bynum and Weeks were divorced.

Mary Mary

Mary Mary, the American gospel music duo, consisting of sisters Erica Atkins-Campbell and Tina Atkins-Campbell. he duo are often credited along with Kirk Franklin for broadening the fan base of urban contemporary gospel in the 2000s by introducing elements of soul music, hip hop, funk and jazz. Mary Mary broke onto the music scene with their popular song "Shackles (Praise You)" which is considered one of the pioneering songs of urban contemporary gospel music.

Their debut album Thankful (2000) was certified Platinum. The duo has released three Goldalbums: Incredible (2002), and Mary Mary (2005), which all charted #1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums.

Their current release, The Sound, again was #1 on the Top Gospel Albums; as well as #7 on theBillboard 200. It has spawned two highly successful singles: "Get Up" and "God In Me". In Spring 2009 "God In Me" began achieving crossover success (as Shackles had nine years earlier), reaching #5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play.

The sisters were born Erica Atkins and Trecina Atkins. The Campbell (formerly Atkins) sisters grew up as part of a large family of nine children in Inglewood, California. Their parents are Thomasina, an evangelist and choir director at the Evangelistic Church of God in Christ, and Eddie, a youth minister.

The sisters quickly entered the world of church choirs, traveling gospel shows, and some television productions. All eight Atkins children were on the Bobby Jones Gospel show on BET.

The sisters had their sights set on making music a career and enrolled at El Camino College to study voice. There they ran up against the divide between academic music studies and the popular musical world. "We had to study classical and sing arias, which was fine," Erica told the Times, "but the teachers would tell us if we sang anything else it would damage our instrument".

The sisters toured with the 1995 Michael Matthews traveling gospel show Mama I'm Sorry and Sneaky. Each sister subsequently toured as a backup singer for a variety of R&B acts including Brandy.

Due to their proximity in age, the two singers grew up closer to one another than to any of their seven siblings. The Atkins children are Darrel (b 1965)(the only boy; the 2nd boy having died whilst as a child); Maliea (b 1967); Erica and Tina; Delisa (b 1978); Thomasina (b 1979); Alana (b 1985) and Shanta(b 1986). Thomasina and Alana sometimes sing back up for their big sisters.

Both sisters are married to unrelated men with the last name Campbell.

Tina married drummer Teddy Campbell from Chicago in August 2000. The couple has four children. Cierra (b 1993) from a previous relationship, Laiah Simone (September 9, 2003), Meela Jane (June 11, 2007), and Glendon "TJ" Campbell (October 20, 2009).

Erica married their record producer Warryn Campbell on May 26, 2001. On September, 13 2004, Erica gave birth to their first child, Krista Nicole Campbell. On April 24, 2010, she gave birth to the couple's second child, Warryn Campbell III.

Bishop Hezekiah Walker

Bishop Hezekiah Walker, the Grammy Award-winning gospel music artist, founder and leader of the Love Fellowship Choir, and Pastor and Bishop of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle, with locations in Brooklyn, New York, and Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Bishop Walker is also the Founder and Overseer of the Covenant Keepers International Fellowship, which spiritually covers, giving guidance and direction to, numerous pastors and their churches in the US - including multiple Love Fellowship Tabernacle - The Kingdom Church, with locations throughout the US and in South Africa.

Walker is the visionary, founder, and Bishop of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle - The Kingdom Church churches, with locations in Brooklyn, New York, and Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in the US. As pastor, he shepherds a growing and multi-cultural flock of members varying in age, race, and socio-economic background. Born and raised in Brooklyn in the tumultuous Fort Greene public housing projects, he has risen to found, build, and lead a significant ministry.

He catapulted into recognition in 1985 for his singing ability with the Grammy Award-winning Love Fellowship Crusade Choir. It was his travels with the Crusade Choir that enabled him to reach people from all walks of life who he had never encountered while growing up in the projects. This, unbeknownst to him at the time, would be the start of his pastoral training, for many of his choir members would eventually become his church members. It was under the tutelage of Pastor Wilbur Jones, of the Beulah Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, the Presiding Prelate of the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ, that Walker received his confirmation and ordination into the pastoralship.

Walker is ministering nationally and internationally at churches, revivals, convocations, and conferences and is repeatedly asked to share with some of today’s most dynamic ministries. He has been alongside Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, Sr., Bishop T.D. Jakes, Bishop Noel Jones, Bishop John Francis, Dr. Marvin L. Sapp, Pastor Marvin L. Winans, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Pastor John P. Kee, Pastor Jackie McCullough, Pastor Rod Parsley, and Dr. Juanita Bynum.

On August 3, 2008, during the 89th International Holy Convocation of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc. inAtlanta, Georgia, Walker, after 14 years of pastoring one of the fastest-growing churches in the New York City area and in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and having fellowship churches in Long Island, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and recently a Love Fellowship Tabernacle “The Kingdom Church” in Cape Town, South Africa, was chosen to be consecrated into the bishopric by Bishop William L. Bonner, Chief Apostle of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., and Senior Pastor of the Greater Refuge Temple COOLJC (the organization's headquarters church) in Harlem, New York.

"Pastor Walker is a son of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ," said Bonner, adding he recently heard Walker preach, and was "impressed with the appeal Pastor Walker had in drawing a younger generation into the Kingdom of God." "This honor means so much to me but also to my churches. Words cannot express how I feel to receive this elevation from Bishop William L. Bonner, truly this is a blessing from God,” stated Walker.

In December of 2008 Bishop Walker received his affirmation to the Bishopric by Bishop Kenneth Moales Sr., Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ and was appointed 1st Vice Bishop of that reformation during Holy Convocation 2009.

Mahalia Jackson

Mahalia Jackson, the African-American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel". Jackson became one of the most influential gospel singers in the world, and was heralded internationally as a singer and civil rights activist; entertainer Harry Belafonte called her "the single most powerful black woman in the United States".She recorded about 30 albums (mostly for Columbia Records) during her career, and her 45 rpm records included a dozen "golds"—million-sellers.

Born as Mahala Jackson and nicknamed "Halie", Jackson grew up in the Black Pearl section of the Carrollton neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana. The three-room dwelling on Pitt Street housed thirteen people and a dog. This included Little Mahala (named after her aunt, Mahala Clark-Paul whom the family called Aunt Duke), her brother Roosevelt Hunter, whom they called Peter, and her mother Charity Clark, who worked as both a maid and a laundress. Several aunts and cousins lived in the house as well. Aunt Mahala was given the nickname "Duke" after proving herself the undisputed “boss” of the family. The extended family (the Clarks) consisted of her mother's siblings - Isabell, Mahala, Boston, Porterfield, Hannah, Alice, Rhoda, Bessie, their children, grandchildren and patriarch Rev. Paul Clark, a former slave. Mahalia's father, John A. Jackson, Sr. was a stevedore (dockworker) and a barber who later became a Baptist minister. He fathered four other children besides Mahalia - Wilmon (older) and then Yvonne, Pearl and Johnny, Jr. (by his marriage shortly after Halie's birth). Her father's sister, Jeanette Jackson-Burnett, and husband, Josie, were vaudeville entertainers.

Mahalia Jackson's music was never played widely on any but traditional gospel and traditional Christian radio stations. Her music was heard for decades on Family Radio. Her good friend Martin Luther King Jr said, "A voice like hers comes along once in a millennium." She was a close friend of Doris Akers, one of the most prolific gospel composers of the 20th century. In 1958, they co-wrote the hit, "Lord, Don't Move The Mountain". Mahalia also sang many of Akers' own compositions such as, "God Is So Good To Me", "God Spoke To Me One Day", "Trouble", "Lead On, Lord Jesus", and "He's A Light Unto My Pathway", helping Doris to secure her position as the leading female Gospel composer of that time. In addition to sharing her singing talent with the world, she mentored the extraordinarily gifted Aretha Franklin. Mahalia was also good friends with Dorothy Norwood and fellow Chicago-based gospel singer Albertina Walker. She also discovered a young Della Reese. On the twentieth anniversary of her passing, Smithsonian Folkways Recording commemorated Jackson with the album I Sing Because I'm Happy, which includes interviews about her childhood conducted by Jules Scherwin.

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences created the Gospel Music or Other Religious Recording category for Jackson making her the first Gospel Music Artist to win the prestigious Grammy Award.

In December 2008, she was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

A prominent namesake in her native New Orleans is the Mahalia Jackson Theatre for the Performing Arts, which was remodeled and reopened on January 17, 2009, with a gala ceremony featuring Placido Domingo, Patricia Clarkson, and the New Orleans Opera directed by Robert Dyall.

The Clark Sisters

The Clark Sisters, the American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters: Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell, Jacky Clark Chisholm, 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 gospel musician and choral director Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. They are credited for helping to bring gospel music to the mainstream and are considered as pioneers of contemporary gospel. Their biggest crossover hits include: "Is My Living in Vain?" "Hallelujah," "He Gave Me Nothing to Lose," "Endow Me," their hit song "Jesus Is A Love Song," "Pure Gold," "Expect a Miracle,"and their largest mainstream crossover gold certified, "You Brought the Sunshine." Some of the Clark Sister's greatest classics dominated Billboard's R & B and gospel charts during the '70s and '80s. Their albums have sold millions, paving the way for newcomers in gospel to continue to take gospel mainstream such as Detroit's own The Winans Family, including Be Be & Ce Ce Winans, Commissioned, Kirk Franklin, Trin-i-tee 5:7, Mary Mary, and many more contemporary gospel artists. The Clark Sisters have won two Grammy Awards. Despite similarity in names, there is no connection with the 1940s/1950's jazz quartet "TheOriginal Clark Sisters" (also known as The Sentimentalists when they recorded with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra). With 16 albums to their credit and millions-upon-millions in sales, the Clark Sisters are the largest selling female gospel group in the history of gospel music.

The Clark Sisters were born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. They each began singing at an early age and by the late 1960s they were all performing together in church services, usually singing songs written and arranged by their mother. A few years later, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark turned over control of the group to Twinkie, who would then go on to write, arrange, conduct, and produce all of the Clark Sisters' recordings. In 1973, the sisters recorded their first album, Jesus Has A Lot To Give, on their uncle's local label Billesse Records.^[2]

The following year, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark Presents The Clark Sisters was released and people around Detroit began to take notice of the group. The Clark Sisters signed to Sound of Gospel Records in 1974. Under this association, the group released albums such as Unworthy,Count It All Joy, and He Gave Me Nothing to Lose. It was not until the early 1980s that The Clark Sisters began to become the phenomenon that they are now. Their popularity soared with the release of the live recording Is My Living In Vain. The first live recording by The Clark Sisters spent an entire year at number one on Billboard's Gospel Music chart. Opening with the bluesy title track, each sister vocally declares that their dedication to Christ is not a useless effort. The innovative "Haya" was funky enough to find its way into a Tonex produced track over two decades later. Songs such as "Pure Gold" and "They Were Overcome" were derived straight from the word of God. Deep faith is roused by Karen Clark's positively possessed lead on "Speak Lord" while the call to worship is raised on the emphatically delivered "Now Is The Time". Another hit from this release "Expect Your Miracle" is still a staple on Sunday mornings in black churches across the country.

In 1983, the Clark Sisters were invited to perform at the Grammy Awards. It was a handclapping performance, but the church did not approve of it. The church told their mother, Mattie Moss Clark, that she should not perform with her girls again. There were more problems closer to home.

Twinkie Clark-Terrell

Twinkie Clark-Terrell, the 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.

A musical genius. The maestro dubbed as the "Queen of the Hammond B3" organ. Gifted musician and anointed vocalist, a true worshipper. Elbernita “Twinkie” Clark, the woman considered the heart and soul of the Clark Sisters. In many respects, she has been The Clark Sisters' 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 Clark turned over control of the group to her in the early 1970s. 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 An accomplished pianist and organist, Twinkie received her formal musical training at the prestigious Howard University in Washington, D.C. and went on to faithfully work in the Lord’s vineyard, creating some of the most memorable hits available today for herself and her siblings. With Twinkie’s musical gifts accompanied by the vocal talents of her sisters, all made possible under the favor and anointing of God resting upon each of them, together they’ve acquired worldwide superior accolades including a gold record in 1981 with “You Brought the Sunshine,” their bonafide hit on the Gospel and R&B charts and their long-awaited induction 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.Considered to be the progenitor of contemporary gospel music,She has written over 150 songs for her sisters and mother alone.

Clark's influences include jazz, reggae, hip-hop, and blues. This is evidenced by listening to her first two solo albums Praise Belongs To Godand 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 fan, and hopes to one day do a duet with him. Her most popular song "You Brought The Sunshine" was partially inspired by the motif of Stevie's "Master Blaster (Jammin')".

Karen Clark-Sheard

Karen Clark-Sheard, the American gospel singer, songwriter, daughter of Gospel Legend Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, member of the pioneering, best-selling female Gospel-group of all time, The Clark Sisters, and mother of contemporary gospel singer and actress Kierra "Kiki" Sheard. . Sheard’s multi-octave vocal range and dizzying vocal gymnastics with and without the legendary Clark Sisters have inspired a host of today’s brightest pop divas such as Beyonce, Mariah Carey, and Faith Evans among others.Sheard rose to fame as a solo artist in the mid-90s with her groundbreaking classic debut, Finally Karen and has become one of the most respected musically inclined vocalists of her era.

During the hiatus of the Clark Sisters, Sheard recorded her critically acclaimed and much anticipated 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 back 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 earning her a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for "Best Female Vocalist".

The "Queen of Soul", Aretha Franklin, chose Sheard to play her in her upcoming biopic, believing that only Sheard herself could play the role better than any other artist in her time.

Karen Clark Sheard was born November 15, 1960. She has five older siblings : Leo, Jacky Clark Chisholm, Denise Clark-Bradford, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell, and Dorinda Clark Cole. Her parents are Pastor Elbert Clark and Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, a pioneering Detroit-based gospel choral director. Clark-Sheard is best known for being a member of iconic gospel group The Clark Sisters.

On June 16, 1984, Karen Clark-Sheard wed John Drew Sheard, a minister. Her husband is senior pastor of Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ in Detroit. Together they have 2 children: Kierra (1987), who is also a gospel recording artist, and John Drew Sheard II (1989), a young musician and up-and-coming producer. Kiki is also a gospel recording artist, with four albums, plus various projects to her credit.