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There’s a certain ‘expectancy’ on
the part of the public, when the
Clark Sisters take any concert
stage or church podium. From their
earliest days at the annual
C.O.G.I.C. convocation services,
Twinkie, Dorinda,
Karen, Jacky and
Denise have been turning the
concert halls out and setting church
sanctuaries on spiritual fire. A
palpable energy takes over the room
and an undeniable spirit of healing
consumes the beholder, as the first
ladies of Gospel music get into
their set of harmonies that leaves
all spectators in awe and holy
worship mode.
It’s from this remarkable genesis
that the incredible Clark Sisters
would each launch their individual
solo careers, with Twinkie, Karen
and Dorinda all sharing a personal
testimony of faith in song…which
brings us today to the ministry of
Jacky Clark Chisholm.
 After
playing the role of loyal sister and
strong harmonizer within the group
for over twenty years, Jacky Clark
has found her own voice and
testimony which can be heard on her
debut release called
Expectancy (Entheos). Her
personality and genuine heart for
worship shines through on her album
and in our recent sit-down with Mrs.
Jacky Clark Chisholm. After you
read our exclusive dialogue with
Jackie Clark, you’ll recognize her
unique personality and spirit that
has contributed to the Clark Sisters
success.
Christopher Heron: The
ministry of The Clark Sisters isn’t
properly understood unless we
discuss the influence of Dr.
Mattie Moss Clark. As you see
it, what is Dr. Clark’s legacy on
the Clark Sisters, both as women and
as artists?
Jacky Clark Chisholm: First
of all, she’s our mother so the
instinct and gifts we have really
come from her. She taught us how to
behave and the way to sing and the
way to act. We were a product of
her seed. Her influence was a great
lesson for us. The mentality that
she instilled in us as women living
to be Christian, being true to the
Word of God and being able to live
pure to
the Word of God, that’s all her.
That's why she was there for in our
lives. We couldn’t do anything
else, we didn’t have a choice. You
had to live saved. You didn’t have
a choice about whether you wanted to
live saved or not, that was just the
way it was.
CH: You continued where your
mother left off by playing an
integral role as the director for
the COGIC National Youth Choir.
What are some of the valuable
lessons you learned in regards to
directing a mass choir and bringing
the best out of the young people in
the church?
JCC: What was an important
lesson for me was the fact that when
my mother sang the song, I directed
the song. So my humble beginnings,
as far as directing and writing is
concerned, came when I was just a
young girl, being under her
direction while she was working with
choir. I think the reason why she
really pulled us into what she was
doing was because she had all these
daughters and one boy. Rather than
leave us at home or in other
people’s hands, she made sure that
we were always present with her.
Everything we actually know we
learned from her. And it propelled
me into what I do now. I’m very
humbled by the opportunity to work
with the National C.O.G.I.C. Church
Youth Choir. I also direct the youth
at my church in Detroit where
Bishop Brooks is my pastor. He
awarded me the opportunity to work
with the youth choir at home. But
my greatest responsibility and my
greatest love is working with the
youth department in the COGIC.
CH: I couple of my favorite
vintage LPs features the Clark
Sisters, which includes, But All
To Gain’ from '79 and ‘You
Brought The Sunshine’ in '81.
I
see Dorinda, Karen, Twinkie
and yourself, while Denise is
missing in You Brought the
Sunshine. Did the Clark Sisters
ever consider disbanding when Denise
left?
JCC: We’ve made it a point to
stay together because we are
sisters, our bond is so close
because of the way my mother raised
us. My mother told us at that
point, “Don’t let anybody stop you.
You keep going, if you don’t have
but two, you keep going and you
strive because that’s what God would
want you to do."
The most blessed thing that has
happened for the Clark Sisters is
the thing my mother prayed for more
than anything - for the anointing to
be on us. If you notice, everybody
does a wonderful job by themselves,
but the chemistry and bond we have
as sisters, the anointing is so much
more obvious when we’re together.
Because of the way we were raised,
because of the anointing I feel my
mother prayed upon us, it has never
left us. One of the things my
mother instilled in us was to
protect the anointing God gives you,
so we don’t take that for granted
and it’s made us the women we are
today. I am truly, truly grateful
and I give all honor to God because
if it wasn’t for Him we wouldn’t be
where we are today.
CH: Let’s talk about the
anointing on the Clark Sisters.
Over the years, there have been
some remarkable sister groups in
gospel music like The Barrett
Sisters and The Anointed Pace
Sisters – yet most Gospel fans
refer to the Clark Sisters. What do
you think has been so magical and
special about your sisters that you
continue to capture the imagination
of Gospel fans over a generation?
JCC: I think it’s chemistry
and our love for one another. My
mother really, really instilled in
us to never let anybody tear us
apart from each other, always stay
together, no matter what happens we
need to stay together. She taught
us that very early in life so we try
to hold true to that. I just feel
it’s something we respect even in
her absence. We respected what she
would respect how mama would feel.
Even today, we refer to 'If mama
were here, she would do this, or
mama would say that, or mama would
make you do this.'
Aside from the fact that we are all
saved and all live that life,
another thing mama also taught us is
that you have to live a life that
you are going to sing about. You
can’t get onstage and sing a
specific thing and then get off the
stage and do something else. Your
life has to be exemplary in order to
pursue the Lord. Living what we say
we live, trying to be really
separated and really be pure to the
Word of God is important. That is
the reason why we have had such
longevity. It’s just an
anointing
that God has given us. I don’t know
of any other thing to say, that’s
really the essence of the Clark
Sisters.
CH: You have stepped out of
the shadows and out of your personal
comfort zone, amongst your sisters,
to release your solo album –
Expectancy (Entheos). You
have your beloved sisters by your
side featured on Blessing Me
and your dear friend Ron Winans.
Tell us what was the motivation and
inspiration to share your particular
ministry with the world as a solo
artist?
JCC: I don’t sing like my
sisters. That is the first thing we
need to understand. My sisters are
such phenomenal singers. I always
felt like nobody really wanted to
hear my voice and that I really
wasn’t …I guess… I don’t want to use
the word ‘worthy.’ I didn’t think
that it was something people would
really want to hear because I have
such a soft melodious voice. I
didn’t think that people would
welcome me the same way. People
have a tendency to be cruel at
times. So sometimes when you
already feel that you don’t match up
to what people want, you feel like
they don’t want to hear that so I
kind of stayed in the background.
And it was an OK place for me
because at that time it was a safe
place for me.
However I felt like God wanted to
use me in some special area. I’m a
nurse by profession. One of the
things that the Lord really dealt
with me about was healing; not only
of the physical body but healing of
the spiritual body as well. There
are so many people, even in the
church, who are being hurt on a
day-to-day basis. They need to
understand that that is not what God
would have for them. God is about
love and God desires that for us.
If we’re walking in the way He would
have us to walk, then we are to show
love - no matter what. So, the Lord
gave to me that healing was a
crucial thing for God’s people.
The recording is something I felt I
should do. The more I tried to stay
away from it, the more I prayed
about it. I said "Lord, if it’s not
meant to come to pass then don’t let
it happen." And then the Lord
started letting things happen for me
and I began to feel a little bit
better about it. Then I met a
gentleman by the name of Carnell
Murrell.
I didn’t know anything about
Carnell Murrell, even though he’s
been a recording artist with Savoy.
We talked for a moment, set up a
time, met and he asked me what my
thoughts were about recording an
album. I began to share with him
that it was all about healing.
One of the most important things
that I have always expressed is that
I just wanted people to be blessed
by the music, not so much by rap and
beats and all that. I just want
people to be blessed by the music.
I want people to actually sit down
and listen to the music. It’s very
simple. It’s nothing that very
complex. Anybody can sing it.
When people are alone is when they
feel the most despair. In a despair
situation, they can put the music on
and let the music move through them.
It can break yokes, break
situations and make them realize
that God loves them. God is about
healing, the oil of God can
penetrate any area of your life and
heal that area.
I think about the process of
healing, I’m a wound care specialist
nurse. A lot of times when I treat
people, I don’t think of myself as
anything special. I’m just a vessel
and a servant for the Lord - I just
want to be a servant and that’s it!
I’m not asking for a title, I’m not
asking for anything great 'cause
there’s nothing great about me. The
thing that I would like to be
remembered about is that I’m just a
humble servant for the Lord and
that's it.
I believe our mission and purpose is
to be about our Father's business
and make sure that people know about
the Lord. Every opportunity I get
to minister to somebody, I do it. I
don’t care who it is to, I don’t
care where I am. I’m not ashamed of
the Gospel and I’m not ashamed to
witness to people. So my whole
purpose for the album was to bless
people. It's not that I'm a
fantastic singer because that’s not
something that I'm acclaimed for;
I’m a simple singer. I want people
to be blessed by what God gave me
through the music and through the
people who worked so diligently with
me to see that it happens!
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