Vernessa Mitchell is an R&B/soul/gospel/house music artist from Pasadena, California. She was the lead singer of the Motown recording act High Inergy before gaining success as gospel artist.
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Vernessa and her sister Barbara Mitchell were first discovered and introduced to the music industry by producer Melvin Ware in the mid-70s, and later they also became part of the 1970s Motown R&B vocal quartet High Inergy. Vernessa appeared on the group's first two albums, Turnin' On and Steppin' Out. On the latter, she also co-wrote two songs, "Hi!" and "Peaceland."[1]
She left the group in 1978 to pursue a gospel career after becoming a born-again Christian. Mitchell released two gospel/CCM music albums during the 1980s. This Is My Story was released in 1985 and Higher Ground followed in 1988.
Although she had success as a gospel/CCM artist, Mitchell has also done well as a Gospel dance diva. Her uplifting house songs have charted seven times on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play with gospel/inspirational themed dance songs "Reap (What You Sow)" (#19/1996), "This Joy" (#5/1998), "Issues" (#12/2000), "Serious" (#37/2003), "Took My Life" (#2/2004; #1 Club Play track in 2004 year-end chart) and "Accept Me"(#1/2005). Mitchell's 2006 single, "Love Will Find A Way" peaked at #5 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.