Mattie Moss Clark

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Mattie Moss Clark
Mattie Moss Clark, as shown on the cover of Live: Reunion of the Southwest Michigan State Choir.
Background information
Born	1925
Origin	Selma, Alabama
Died	September 22, 1994
Genre(s)	gospel music
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, choir director, arranger, producer
Years active	1950s-1994
Label(s)	Savoy, Sound of Gospel, Westbound, Malaco, Sparrow
Associated acts	The Clark Sisters Karen Clark Sheard Dorinda Clark Cole Twinkie Clark Jacky Clark-Chisholm Kierra "Kiki" Sheard J Moss
Website	TheClarkSisters.com

Mattie Juliet Moss Clark was an American gospel choir director and the mother of The Clark Sisters, a world-renowned gospel vocal group. Clark is credited for creating the three-part harmony (separating vocal parts into soprano, alto and tenor), a technique which is prevalent among gospel choirs today.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Discography 2.1 Choir Albums 2.2 UNAC5 Albums 2.3 Mattie Moss Clark Albums 2.4 CD Reissues 3 External links

[edit] Biography

Clark was born in Selma, Alabama in 1925 and began playing the piano when she was six years old. By the time she was 12, Clark became the musician for her mother's services at the Church of Christ and Prayer. After high school, Clark attended Selma University and received training in classical music and choral singing. In 1947, Clark relocated to Detroit, Michigan, and shortly thereafter organized the Southwest Michigan State Choir of the Church of God in Christ, with whom, in 1958, she recorded "Going To Meet The King". The choir became the first to commit the sounds of a choir to record. Clark received three gold albums with the Southwest Michigan State Choir, and went on to write and arrange hundreds of songs and record more than 50 albums. Clark also had the distinction of becoming the first person to present a gospel choir at the Apollo Theater.

In addition to being a songwriter, vocalist, pianist, arranger, and choir director, Clark was also president of the National Music Deptartment of the Church of God in Christ for 25 years, and in 1979 founded the Clark Conservatory School of Music in Detroit. Clark received a Doctor of Humanity degree from Trinity College (Pennsylvania) in Pennsylvania in 1981. Over the years, Clark recorded with such artists as Elder James Moore, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Elder James Lennox, Rev. Richard "Mr. Clean" White, and Betty Ransom Nelson, while Clark also helped such artists as Walter Hawkins, Hezekiah Walker, and Richard Smallwood get their careers started.

Clark died from complications of diabetes on September 22, 1994 in Southfield, Michigan at the age of 69.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Choir Albums

Unless noted, these albums were recorded as "Mattie Moss Clark presents Southwest Michigan State Choir, Church of God in Christ". For lack of dated information, these releases are being put in order of their Savoy Records catalog numbers.

• Lord Do Something For Me (KAPP, 1959 KL-1258) - (by The State Choir of Southwestern Michigan Church Of God In Christ, Eugene J. Potts, Director)
• Wonderful Wonderful (Savoy, 1963, MG-14077)
• None But The Pure In Heart (Savoy, July, 1964, MG-)
• A Closer Walk With Thee (Savoy, 1966, MG-)
• Show Me The Way (Savoy, 1967, MG-)
• Lord, Renew My Spirit Within (Savoy, 1968, MG-)
• Mattie Moss Clark and the Clesiastic Sounds (Savoy, 196? MG-14232) - (by Mattie Moss Clark and the Clesiastic Sounds)
• Seek Him And He Will Let You Come In (Savoy, 1971? MG-14249) - (by Mattie Moss Clark and the Clesiastic Sounds)
• Humble Thyself (DME, 1964)
• A City Called Heaven (Savoy, ca. 1965,14151)
• Southwest Michigan State Choir (Savoy, 196? MG-14181)
• Southwest Michigan State Choir (Savoy, 196? MG-14193)
• I’ll Take Jesus For Mine (Savoy, 1969, MG-14215)
• Salvation Is Free (Savoy, 1965?)
• The Hand Of God Reached Out And Touched Me (Westbound, 1973, WB 4006)
• I Don’t Know What I Would Do Without The Lord (Westbound, 1974, WB 4008) - (Mattie Moss Clark with the Michigan State Community Choir)
• The Best Of The Southwest Michigan State Choir (Savoy, 1979)
• COGIC presents Jesus Is The Light Of My Life (Tomato Music Co., 1980) – Conducted and Directed by Mattie Moss Clark
• COGIC presents I Can Do All Things (2 LP Set, Recorded Live in Memphis, TN) (Tomato Music Co., 1980) – International Mass Choir with Mattie Moss Clark and Carol Thomas'
• Mattie Moss Clark presents The Greater Williams Temple Choir (COGIC) Live (GosPearl, 1982)
• Mattie Moss Clark presents Live at the Miami Beach Convention Center (2 LP Set, Recorded Live) (Label: Mattie Moss Clark, 1985)
• Dr. Mattie Moss Clark presents The Southern California Holy Gospel Music Workshop (2 LP Set, Recorded Live) (Spirit & Truth, 1986, #SAT6001)
• Dr. Mattie Moss Clark presents A Reunion of the Southwest Michigan State Choir... Live! (Sparrow, 1995)
• Dr. Mattie Moss Clark Presents Corey Skinner's Collegiate Voices of Faith (Malaco, 1997)

[edit] UNAC5 Albums

• UNAC 5 Vol. 1 (recorded live July 7, 1979) (Sound of Gospel, 1979, SOG 100)
• A Song Is Born, Volume V (recorded July 4, 1978) (Sound of Gospel, 1979)
• UNAC 5 Miami Beach 1980, Volume 1 (Sound of Gospel, 1980, SOG 111)
• UNAC 5 Miami Beach 1980, Volume 2 (Sound of Gospel, 1980, SOG 112)
• UNAC 5 Miami Beach 1980, Volume 3 (Sound of Gospel, 1980, SOG 113)
• A Song Is Born: U.N.A.C. V 1984 (DME, 1984)

[edit] Mattie Moss Clark Albums

• The Wages Of Sin Is Death (Sound of Gospel, 1975 SOG 072)
• He Was Hung Up For My Hang-Ups (Sound Of Gospel, 1976)
• I Am Crucified With Christ (Sound of Gospel, 1978)
• Wonderful Grace of Jesus (Westbound, 197?, Westbound 4002)
• Make Me That Building Not Made By Hand (Sound of Gospel, 1979, SOG 089)
• I’m Not Alone (Sound Of Gospel, 1979, SOG 097)
• That’s Christ (Westbound, 1980, SOG 099)

[edit] CD Reissues

• I'm Not Alone/The Hands Of God Reached Out And Touched Me
  (Sound of Gospel, 2005) – 2 records on 1 CD
• That's Christ/He Was Hung Up For My Hang Ups
  (Sound of Gospel, 2005) – 2 records on 1 CD
• God's Got All You Need/I'm Crucified With Christ
  (Sound of Gospel, 2005) – 2 records on 1 CD
• Mattie Moss Clark - UNAC5 Live In Miami Beach 1980 - Volumes 1-3
  (Sound of Gospel, 2005) – 3 records on 2 CDs
• I Don't Know What I Would Do Without The Lord/Southwest Michigan State Choir Sings Again (Dr. Mattie Moss Clark - Michigan State Community Choir - Southwest Michigan State Choir) - Excerpts From Unac 5 New Orleans 1977 - Recorded September 1977 Bailey Cathedral COGIC Detroit, MI (Sound of Gospel, 2005)

[edit] External links

• Myspace Mattie Moss Clark Fans 1
• Myspace Mattie Moss Clark Fans 2
• The Clark Sisters Official Website
• Mattie Moss Clark at All Music Guide
• Partial Savoy Catalog Listing