( ENSPIRE Entertainment ) Twinkie Clark and Pastor Byron Stevenson Revisit Gospel History and Prepare For A New Live Recording
ENSPIRE Contributor: Kedrin Herron
Photo Credit: www.iconictwinkie.com
For Twinkie Clark, music has always been more than a melody — it’s ministry, memory, and message. As she prepares for her upcoming live recording in Jackson, Mississippi, the gospel trailblazer joins forces once again with Pastor Byron Stevenson, who serves as executive producer. Together, they’re crafting a project that honors the past while shaping the sound of the future.
“It started 30 years ago when we did the FAMU project, which was a wonderful project,” Stevenson recalled. “Twinkie and I, we’ve been friends for 41 years or so. We were going to do this in 2020 before the pandemic hit, and she reached out and said, ‘Byron, look, if we’re going to do this, [we] need to go ahead and do it.’ And the rest is history.” This time, that history continues in Jackson, Mississippi, a city known for its deep gospel roots. “If you want the best, it’s in Jackson,” Stevenson said. “The Mississippi Mass Choir is here, Malaco Records is here, and the great heritage of this city has drawn us here.”
For both Clark and Stevenson, the 1995 Florida A&M University Gospel Choir recording remains one of the most cherished and defining moments in gospel music. Clark and Stevenson vividly remember that day — and the powerful spontaneity that defined it.
“Most people don’t get that the Clark Sisters came in that day [of the recording],” Stevenson said. “Back at that time, we didn’t have teleprompters or iPads. We wrote all the words on poster boards. Jacky (Clark-Chisholm) was on one side of me, Karen (Clark-Sheard) was on the other, and we were arguing about which words went first.”
That night, the Clark Sisters’ unity electrified the stage. Dorinda Clark-Cole delivered a performance, “Complete the Work,” that Stevenson still marvels at decades later. “The genius of Dorinda Clark was that she didn’t require a whole lot,” he said. “You could see her eyes going back and forth, and so that actual clip was two takes fused into one. The second time around, we had to stop, because she’s like, ‘I need y’all to make up your mind. Which words do you want me to read from?’” Stevenson laughs. “That’s how it came about, and she went right into it. But that’s Dorinda — she brings a brilliance that doesn’t need explanation.”
When the conversation turned to Karen Clark-Sheard’s unforgettable performance of “I Won’t Complain,” Stevenson’s voice lit up with nostalgia. “Twinkie had heard the FAMU choir sing that song before,” he said. “The day of the recording, when we were finishing rehearsal, Twinkie said, ‘Wait a minute, Byron — what about that song “I Won’t Complain”?’ The choir said, ‘No, we’re not doing that.’ And Twinkie said, ‘Byron, there will be no recording if we don’t sing that song!’” Clark laughed as she remembered the moment. “Everybody knows ‘I Won’t Complain,’” she said. “The song was already well known, and then for Karen to sing on top of it, it was just awesome.”
It was also the night Donald Lawrence helped spark one of the most memorable gospel moments in history. “Donald said, ‘Twinkie, since your sisters are here, why don’t y’all sing together?’ And she said, ‘People don’t want to hear that old song.’ But 20 minutes later, they came out and did ‘Nothing to Lose,’” Stevenson remembered. “When you look at that video, you can see how they gel and vibe. Twinkie says ‘Follow me,’ and The Clark Sisters’ magic comes alive.” Twinkie smirks as she recalls it all. “The end of it, where I do the repeat, and they do the riffs and runs behind me – that’s what made it so unique,” she said.
Twinkie added, “It wasn’t rehearsed, and that’s what made it special. We all just flowed together. That’s the Clark Sisters.” Stevenson agreed, “If you’re going to work with Twinkie, there’s one word — adaptable. You cannot be so structured, because the Clark Sisters represent greatness, spontaneity, unstructured greatness. You’ve got to be able to flow.”
Now, nearly three decades later, Twinkie and Stevenson are set to create another unforgettable moment. “One of the things that we’re highlighting,” Stevenson said, “is that Twinkie is an artist that spans decades. Her music is iconic. She’s a writer par excellence. Everybody understands that Twinkie doesn’t need anybody to tell her how it should sound. We let her genius tell us.”
Clark shared her vision for the upcoming recording. “Students are preparing for the future, the next generation. This project, I’m hoping, will reach different audiences — people in different denominations, mixing jazz, classical, and gospel to give it a fresh sound.”
The live recording will also feature Matthew Donaldson, whom Stevenson calls “one of the great directors of our time.” “Matthew is from Jackson,” he said. “Having him on board connects the legacy — from the FAMU project to this new generation.”
Clark has always written songs that speak ahead of their time—and she sees musical compositions on this new project as no different. “One of them is ‘Greater Is Coming,’ and it’s kind of prophetic,” she said. “The move of God is powerful. I think this song ‘Let the Healing Begin’ is going to reach nations. I’m hoping it goes far beyond ‘Pray for the USA.’”
And of course, the Hammond B3 organ — Twinkie’s trademark — will be at the center of it all. “The way I feel about the B3 is that it can fill the whole room and take the place of horns or strings,” she explained. “You don’t need a band if you’ve got a strong B3 organ — it carries the room. In the Church of God in Christ conventions, the organ is so powerful it bounces off the wall. The B3 organ is the key to having a great production.”
Next year, The Clark Sisters will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, marking another monumental chapter in their story. “Exciting. That’s something never done before,” Twinkie said. “Out of all the awards, the Lord blessed us with the Grammy Awards, but this is a step some gospel artists may never arrive at. The only person I remember getting one is Mama Shirley — Shirley Caesar. We’re excited.”
For Stevenson, it’s a moment that confirms what he’s always believed. “If she gave the Clark Sisters their sound, then she can give us our sound back — for the church, for the community, for the world. That’s what this new recording is all about.”
A sound reborn. A legacy renewed. On October 12, at Jackson State University in Rose E. McCoy Auditorium, Twinkie Clark and Pastor Byron Stevenson are not just revisiting history — they’re writing the next chapter of gospel music’s future.
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