Donnie McClurkin
Encyclopedia
Donald Andrew McClurkin, Jr. (born November 9, 1959) is an American gospel music
singer and minister. He has won three Grammy awards, ten Stellar awards, two BET awards, two Soul Train awards, one Dove award and one NAACP Image award for his work.
and drug abuse
took hold in the family. At the age of thirteen, McClurkin was again raped, this time by his cousin, his uncle's son. McClurkin found comfort through an aunt who sang background vocals with gospel music
musician Andraé Crouch
. On 2 April 2011 during his first show in Harare, Zimbabwe, Donnie also made reference to his childhood abuse and how such adversity has shaped him as a Christian.
After staying close to Christ throughout his boyhood, he began to play piano
and sing with his church youth choir
. He formed the McClurkin Singers by the time he was a teenager, and later formed another group, the New York Restoration Choir.
at Marvin Winans'
Perfecting Faith Church in 1989. The Winans are a well-established family of singers who have dominated the modern gospel genre and also crossed over into soul and pop. McClurkin served as an assistant to Winans for over a decade.
In 1991, a sharp pain and swelling, followed by internal bleeding, led, he says, to a diagnosis of leukemia. The doctor suggested immediate treatment, but McClurkin, who was then 31, decided take his own advice. "I tell people to believe that God will save you," he says, "[and] I had to turn around and practice the very thing that I preached."
He was ordained and sent out by Winans in 2001 to establish Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, Long Island, where he is now Senior Pastor.
In 2004, he sang at the Republican National Convention. The appearance generated criticism for the event organizers and McClurkin for his statements on homosexuality
. He claims to have struggled with homosexuality during his youth for several years, but states that he is now "delivered" from the condition. McClurkin wrote that homosexuality is a spiritual issue and that one can be delivered from it but by God
; "The abnormal use of my sexuality continued until I came to realize that I was broken and that homosexuality was not God's intention [...] for my masculinity." He then describes himself as going through a process by which he became "saved
and sanctified
." McClurkin has stated that homosexuality is a curse. McClurkin also speaks openly about sexual issues since becoming the biological father of a child with a woman to whom he was not married. He uses these life experiences in his concerts and speaking engagements.
McClurkin's listing as a headlining performer for Senator Barack Obama
's 2008 Presidential campaign
stirred controversy because of his views on homosexuality. As a result McClurkin was removed from the performance roster but he still performed at one of the concerts.
executive resulted in his signing to the label for his 1996 self-titled LP, with producers Mark Kibble of Take 6
, Cedric and Victor Caldwell plus Andraé Crouch
. The disc, which featured the perennially popular "Stand," went gold shortly after being publicly lauded by Oprah Winfrey. At the 48th annual Grammy Awards, he won in the category Traditional Soul Gospel Album, for "Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs". McClurkin is best known for his hit songs “Stand” and “We Fall Down” which were played in heavy rotation on both Gospel and Urban radio. His three solo albums have topped the Billboard charts.
Dovetailing off the success of his near double-platinum selling live album, McClurkin released “We All Are One: Live In Detroit” in 2009 which also topped Billboard charts across various musical genres. He performed tracks on his last live album in Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Dutch.
In 2009 he also broadcast his own television show titled “Perfecting Your Faith” on cable television. His television appearances include Good Morning America, CBS Saturday’s Early Show, and the View. He has also been featured in movies like “The Gospel”, “The Fighting Temptations” and television shows “Girlfriends” and “The Parkers.”
Singles:
Notable television appearances:
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer and minister. He has won three Grammy awards, ten Stellar awards, two BET awards, two Soul Train awards, one Dove award and one NAACP Image award for his work.
Early life
McClurkin was born [Copiague, New York]and raised in Chester, (South Carolina]. When he was eight years old, his two-year-old brother was hit and killed by a speeding driver and the night of the funeral, McClurkin's uncle raped him. Domestic violenceDomestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
and drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
took hold in the family. At the age of thirteen, McClurkin was again raped, this time by his cousin, his uncle's son. McClurkin found comfort through an aunt who sang background vocals with gospel music
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
musician Andraé Crouch
Andrae Crouch
Andraé Crouch is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, record producer, and pastor.-Early years:Born Andraé Edward Crouch in San Francisco, California....
. On 2 April 2011 during his first show in Harare, Zimbabwe, Donnie also made reference to his childhood abuse and how such adversity has shaped him as a Christian.
After staying close to Christ throughout his boyhood, he began to play piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and sing with his church youth choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
. He formed the McClurkin Singers by the time he was a teenager, and later formed another group, the New York Restoration Choir.
Ministry
He was hired as an associate ministerMinister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
at Marvin Winans'
Winans family
The Winans family is an African-American family of Gospel music artists from Detroit, Michigan.-Family members:* David "Pop" Winans, Sr. * Delores "Mom" Winans * David Winans Jr....
Perfecting Faith Church in 1989. The Winans are a well-established family of singers who have dominated the modern gospel genre and also crossed over into soul and pop. McClurkin served as an assistant to Winans for over a decade.
In 1991, a sharp pain and swelling, followed by internal bleeding, led, he says, to a diagnosis of leukemia. The doctor suggested immediate treatment, but McClurkin, who was then 31, decided take his own advice. "I tell people to believe that God will save you," he says, "[and] I had to turn around and practice the very thing that I preached."
He was ordained and sent out by Winans in 2001 to establish Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, Long Island, where he is now Senior Pastor.
In 2004, he sang at the Republican National Convention. The appearance generated criticism for the event organizers and McClurkin for his statements on homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. He claims to have struggled with homosexuality during his youth for several years, but states that he is now "delivered" from the condition. McClurkin wrote that homosexuality is a spiritual issue and that one can be delivered from it but by God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
; "The abnormal use of my sexuality continued until I came to realize that I was broken and that homosexuality was not God's intention [...] for my masculinity." He then describes himself as going through a process by which he became "saved
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
and sanctified
Sanctification
Sanctity is an ancient concept widespread among religions, a property of a thing or person sacred or set apart within the religion, from totem poles through temple vessels to days of the week, to a human believer who achieves this state. Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity,...
." McClurkin has stated that homosexuality is a curse. McClurkin also speaks openly about sexual issues since becoming the biological father of a child with a woman to whom he was not married. He uses these life experiences in his concerts and speaking engagements.
McClurkin's listing as a headlining performer for Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's 2008 Presidential campaign
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
stirred controversy because of his views on homosexuality. As a result McClurkin was removed from the performance roster but he still performed at one of the concerts.
Music
A friendship with a Warner AllianceWarner Alliance
Warner Alliance was a Contemporary Christian imprint of Warner Music Group. Its operations were suspended in 1998. Artists on the label included Billy & Sarah Gaines, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Caedmon's Call, Donnie McClurkin, First Call, Wayne Watson, Take 6, Mid South, and the Worldwide...
executive resulted in his signing to the label for his 1996 self-titled LP, with producers Mark Kibble of Take 6
Take 6
Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel music sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. The group sings in a contemporary style, integrating R&B and jazz influences into their devotional songs and has 10 Grammy wins, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two...
, Cedric and Victor Caldwell plus Andraé Crouch
Andrae Crouch
Andraé Crouch is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, record producer, and pastor.-Early years:Born Andraé Edward Crouch in San Francisco, California....
. The disc, which featured the perennially popular "Stand," went gold shortly after being publicly lauded by Oprah Winfrey. At the 48th annual Grammy Awards, he won in the category Traditional Soul Gospel Album, for "Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs". McClurkin is best known for his hit songs “Stand” and “We Fall Down” which were played in heavy rotation on both Gospel and Urban radio. His three solo albums have topped the Billboard charts.
Dovetailing off the success of his near double-platinum selling live album, McClurkin released “We All Are One: Live In Detroit” in 2009 which also topped Billboard charts across various musical genres. He performed tracks on his last live album in Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Dutch.
Radio and television
Tom Versen and Tony Sisti of T&T Creative www.tandtcreative.com signed Grammy winner Donnie McClurkin to a radio syndication deal with advertising giant Dial-Global and syndicator Gary Bernstein. T&T Creative provided a mobile recording studio in Pastor Donnie's church that he can also take on the road. He is quoted as saying "As much as I love music and singing, I really love doing radio and the direct feedback I get from my listeners all over the country. I never thought I would be having this much fun doing radio and I could touch and impact so many people."[19]In 2009 he also broadcast his own television show titled “Perfecting Your Faith” on cable television. His television appearances include Good Morning America, CBS Saturday’s Early Show, and the View. He has also been featured in movies like “The Gospel”, “The Fighting Temptations” and television shows “Girlfriends” and “The Parkers.”
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart peaks | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... Certifications |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
U.S. Gospel |
|||
| 1996 | Donnie McClurkin
|
— | — | 4 |
Gold |
| 2003 | Donnie McClurkin Again
|
31 | 12 | 1 |
Gold |
| 2004 | Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs
|
12 | 5 | 1 |
Platinum |
Live albums
| Year | Album | Chart peaks | RIAA Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
U.S. Gospel |
|||
| 2000 | Live in London and More...
|
69 | 22 | 1 |
Platinum |
| 2008 | We All Are One (Live in Detroit)
|
26 | 7 | 1 | |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Chart peaks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
U.S. Gospel |
||
| 2001 | The Collection
|
— | — |
| 2007 | The Essential Donnie
|
— | 10 |
| 2009 | Playlist: The Very Best of Donnie McClurkin
Legacy Recordings Legacy Recordings is Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division. It was founded in 1990 by CBS Records under the leadership of Jerry Shulman, Richard Bauer, Gary Pacheco and Amy Herot to handle reissues of recordings from the vast catalogues of Columbia Records, Epic Records and associated... |
57 | 9 |
| 2010 | Donnie McClurkin: Double Play
|
— | — |
Singles:
- Stand (1996)
- Speak To My Heart (1996)
- Love will never be (1996)
- Lost without you (1997)
- We Fall DownWe Fall Down"We Fall Down" is a Contemporary Christian song written by Chris Tomlin. In the album, Tomlin sings this song with his friend, Steven Curtis Chapman. It is a popular worship song, making the most-viewed chart on sites such as . It has been covered by such artists as Kutless, in their album Strong...
(1998) - Love Melodies (1998)
- We Love You, Lord (2000)
- Some Day (2001) (with Kirk FranklinKirk FranklinKirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...
) - The Prayer (2003) (with Yolanda AdamsYolanda AdamsYolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning...
) - I Call You Faithful (2005)
- That Great Day (2007) (with Tye Tribbett, Da' T.R.U.T.H.)
- Wait on the Lord (2009)
Filmography
- Hopeville (2007)
- The Gospel (2005)The GospelThe Gospel is a 2005 film directed and written by Rob Hardy. It was released in the United States on October 7, 2005. The film retells the Parable of the Prodigal Son in a modern context.-Plot:...
- The Prince of Egypt (1998)The Prince of EgyptThe Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American animated musical drama film and the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks Animation. The film is an adaptation of the Book of Exodus and follows the life of Moses from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny to lead the...
wrote and sang "I Am" & "Humanity" - 25 Strong: The BET Silver Anniversary Special
- The Donnie McClurkin Story: From Darkness to Light (2004)
- Apollo at 70: A Hot Night in Harlem (2004)
- The Fighting Temptations (2003)The Fighting TemptationsThe Fighting Temptations is a 2003 American musical dramedy film produced by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. It stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. as the film's protagonist as he attempts to revive a church choir in order to enter a gospel competition with the help of a beautiful lounge singer with whom he...
Notable television appearances:
- 25th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2010)
- An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Stevie Wonder (2006)
- 20th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2005)
- 19th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2004)
- 18th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards Preshow (2003)
- 17th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2002)
- Essence Awards (2003)
- The Parkers (2002)The ParkersThe Parkers is an American sitcom . A spin-off of UPN's Moesha, The Parkers featured the mother-daughter team of Nikki and Kim Parker . The Parkers' signature "Heeyyy" greeting made its way into popular vernacular in the early 2000s.-Premise:The series centered around a mother and daughter who...
- Girlfriends (2001)GirlfriendsGirlfriends is an American comedy-drama sitcom that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN's successor network, The CW, before being cancelled in 2008...
- 1st Annual BET Awards (2001)BET AwardsThe BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
- Essence Awards (2001)
- An Evening of Stars: A Celebration of Educational Excellence (2001)
- BET's Sunday Best (2010)Sunday Best (show)Sunday Best is a reality television Gospel singing competition series which airs on BET.Each season the show and its judges set out to find the best undiscovered gospel talent in America. Finalist compete each week until a winner is crowned...
External links
- Donnie McClurkin: official site
- The Donnie McClurkin Show: radio broadcast
- Perfecting Faith Church: official site
- Exclusive Interview on BlackGospel.com (October 2008) : Interview