The Clark Sisters: the Detroit family whose “Sunshine” crossed from church to club

A gospel song became a dance floor hit. “You Brought the Sunshine”, released by the Clark Sisters in 1981, was played in churches and in nightclubs, and it climbed the R&B and club charts. For many listeners outside the church, it was their first taste of contemporary gospel.

The sisters and Sunshine

The group was formed by Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, a choir director in the Church of God in Christ who moved to Detroit in 1958. She trained her daughters in singing and harmony and pushed them to excellence. The Clark Sisters included Jacky, Denise, Elbernita “Twinkie”, Dorinda and Karen. Twinkie Clark became the group’s main songwriter, arranger and organist. Karen Clark Sheard, the youngest, later became a leading solo artist.

Twinkie Clark created “You Brought the Sunshine” partly by reworking ideas inspired by Stevie Wonder’s “Master Blaster (Jammin’)”. The song’s upbeat groove, tight harmonies and joyful message made it unusual for gospel at the time.

Crossover and Grammys

After its 1981 release, the song gained popularity in clubs, especially in New York, and reached the Billboard R&B and dance charts in 1983. Some church members criticised the crossover. Others celebrated it as gospel reaching new audiences. The Clark Sisters are known for complex vocal runs and improvisation. Many later singers, including R&B and pop stars, have cited them as influences on their technique.

The group won Grammy Awards in 2008 for Live: One Last Time and the song “Blessed and Highly Favored”, recognition that came decades into their career. Karen Clark Sheard has also won Grammys as a solo artist and with her daughter.

A biopic

In 2020, Lifetime aired The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel, a biopic about their lives, bringing their story to a new generation. The Clark Sisters grew up in the Church of God in Christ, one of the largest African American Pentecostal denominations. Their mother, Mattie Moss Clark, led the music department of the denomination for years and shaped its choir sound. The church’s lively worship, with its emphasis on the Holy Spirit and expressive singing, was the training ground for the sisters’ style. Many famous gospel and soul singers came out of the same tradition.

Influence on pop

Pop singers, including Mariah Carey, have spoken about the influence of the Clark Sisters’ vocal style. Their runs and harmonies can be heard in modern R&B and pop. The Clark Sisters showed that gospel could groove without losing its message. Every choir that sings a complicated run today owes something to five sisters in Detroit and their demanding mother.