Kayla Parker
Encyclopedia
Kayla Denise Parker-Tolbert (June 29, 1971 – April 21, 2007) was an American
R&B
singer.
As a songwriter, producer and backing singer, she worked with a number of gospel
and R&B musicians, including CeCe
, BeBe
and Vickie Winans
, Brandy
, Anthony Hamilton
, Michelle Williams
of Destiny's Child
and Mark Kibble of Take 6
. Her television appearances included Oprah
, David Letterman
and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and her songs were performed on Good Morning America
, CNN
, BET
and TBN
among others.
.
She showed an early interest in music, influenced by her father, a songwriter
, producer and label
executive who was discovered by Sam Cooke
, and her mother, a jazz
singer in nightclubs. After her parents' marriage broke up and they were divorced, Kayla's mother bought her a piano
, on which she would learn songs by the likes of DeBarge
, Michael Jackson
, the Clark Sisters, the Winans and Stevie Wonder
.
Kayla became a Christian
and continued to develop her musical ability as she served as an apprentice under the Minister of Music at Goodwill Community Chapel.
At Detroit's Pershing High School she formed an all-female vocal group, taking the name "God's Special Gift" after an audience member's compliment. The group won a talent show and went on to become widely known in the city's churches. As their fame spread, producer
Michael Powell
(Anita Baker
) heard them and began working with them. At this point the group shortened their name to "Special Gift". Their recordings and performances, riding the strength of Kayla's songwriting, quickly earned them national recognition.
As a member of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Chorus, Kayla's 1989 arrangement of "Since Jesus Came Into My Life" won the convention's nationwide competition for "Song of the Year". This arrangement was later included on the album Ron Winans Family and Friends Volume 3.
Kayla joined Perfecting Church, whose pastor was Marvin Winans
, in 1990. Her song "Now Are We", performed by the Perfected Praise Choir, gained her national recognition.
A fan of Twinkie Clark
, Kayla would listen to the Clark Sisters and try to play their music at the church piano between services. When Twinkie Clark left the Clark Sisters, Kayla was chosen as their first background singer, a slot she held for a year.
She worked with Mark Kibble of Take 6
on gospel's Grammy- and Stellar
- award-winning Donnie McClurkin
's first solo project. She did commercials with Fred Hammond
and Eric Dawkins, wrote songs for Hammond's second album, and wrote the hit "Now Are We" for Marvin Winans and the Perfected Praise Choir.
She also sang backup for BeBe Winans
, traveling to Europe and performing on Oprah Winfrey
's and Jay Leno
's shows. She met superstar producer David Foster
and sang on Brandy
's record, then moved to California.
In 1999 Parker was diagnosed with cancer, and returned to Detroit for treatment and recovery.
After overcoming the disease, she returned to California, where she threw herself back into songwriting and also learned to engineer her own recording sessions.
Working with a producer friend, she pulled together recordings of a number of her songs, both gospel and inspirational R&B - - "life music," she calls it - - and looked to develop her own artistry. Her material was also recorded by other artists: CeCe Winans
recorded "He's Concerned About You," whose message of hope found a natural audience in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
, and Vickie Winans
recorded the hit single "It's Alright". Others including Rodney
and Joy Jerkins
and gospel jazz artist Tim Bowman have recorded material written by Parker.
In 2004, Kayla married David E. Tolbert.
Her music was played at the funeral of Coretta Scott King
.
Kayla Parker died on April 21, 2007. She is buried in Hillside Cemetery in Los Angeles. The cemetery is also the resting place of Michael Landon, and Lorne Greene.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer.
As a songwriter, producer and backing singer, she worked with a number of gospel
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....
and R&B musicians, including CeCe
CeCe Winans
Priscilla "CeCe" Marie Winans Love is an American Gospel singer, who has won numerous Grammy and Stellar Awards.-Early life:CeCe Winans was born in Detroit, Michigan, to David and Delores Winans, on October 8, 1964...
, BeBe
BeBe Winans
Benjamin "BeBe" Winans is a gospel and R&B singer. He is a member of the noted Winans family, most members of which are also gospel artists.-The PTL Club:...
and Vickie Winans
Vickie Winans
Vickie Winans is an American Gospel recording artist.-Biography:The seventh of twelve children, Vickie was born in Detroit, Michigan to Mattie A. Bowman, a housewife, and Aaron Bowman, a father who worked at various times as a laborer, contractor, carpenter and mason...
, Brandy
Brandy (entertainer)
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
, Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton (musician)
Anthony Hamilton is an American R&B, and soul singer-songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame with his platinum-selling second studio album Comin' from Where I'm From , which featured the singles "Comin' from Where I'm From" and "Charlene."-Life and career:Hamilton was born in Charlotte,...
, Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams (singer)
Tenitra Michelle Williams , commonly known as Michelle Williams, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress...
of Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
and 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...
. Her television appearances included Oprah
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and her songs were performed on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
and TBN
Trinity Broadcasting Network
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
among others.
Biography
She was born Kayla Denise Parker to Richard and Aseneth Parker on June 29, 1971 in Detroit, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
She showed an early interest in music, influenced by her father, a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, producer and label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
executive who was discovered by Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
, and her mother, a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer in nightclubs. After her parents' marriage broke up and they were divorced, Kayla's mother bought her a 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...
, on which she would learn songs by the likes of DeBarge
DeBarge
DeBarge was a sibling music group of American origin whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group from 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing from...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, the Clark Sisters, the Winans and Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
.
Kayla became a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and continued to develop her musical ability as she served as an apprentice under the Minister of Music at Goodwill Community Chapel.
At Detroit's Pershing High School she formed an all-female vocal group, taking the name "God's Special Gift" after an audience member's compliment. The group won a talent show and went on to become widely known in the city's churches. As their fame spread, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Michael Powell
Michael J. Powell
Michael J. Powell is an American R&B musician, record producer and arranger who is best known for his work as producer for eight time Grammy Award-winning soul / R&B vocalist Anita Baker....
(Anita Baker
Anita Baker
Anita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit....
) heard them and began working with them. At this point the group shortened their name to "Special Gift". Their recordings and performances, riding the strength of Kayla's songwriting, quickly earned them national recognition.
As a member of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Chorus, Kayla's 1989 arrangement of "Since Jesus Came Into My Life" won the convention's nationwide competition for "Song of the Year". This arrangement was later included on the album Ron Winans Family and Friends Volume 3.
Kayla joined Perfecting Church, whose pastor was Marvin Winans
Marvin Winans
Marvin Lawrence Winans is an American gospel singer and member of the musical Winans family. He is also known for his recurring role in the hit show Tyler Perry's House of Payne.-Personal life:...
, in 1990. Her song "Now Are We", performed by the Perfected Praise Choir, gained her national recognition.
A fan of Twinkie Clark
Twinkie Clark
Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell is a two-time Grammy Award–winning American gospel singer, composer, musician, and evangelist. She is a member of The Clark Sisters, an influential gospel vocal ensemble active since the late '60s.-The Clark Sisters:...
, Kayla would listen to the Clark Sisters and try to play their music at the church piano between services. When Twinkie Clark left the Clark Sisters, Kayla was chosen as their first background singer, a slot she held for a year.
She worked with 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...
on gospel's Grammy- and Stellar
Stellar Awards
The Stellar Awards is the first Gospel Music Awards show in the country, honoring Gospel Music Artists, writers, and industry professionals for their contributions to the Gospel Music Industry. The Stellar Awards ranks high in status as the only Gospel Music television awards program syndicated in...
- award-winning Donnie McClurkin
Donnie McClurkin
Donald Andrew McClurkin, Jr. 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....
's first solo project. She did commercials with Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond is a gospel music singer, bass guitar player, and record producer.-Musical career:Hammond has been active both as a member of the gospel performing group Commissioned, and as a solo artist...
and Eric Dawkins, wrote songs for Hammond's second album, and wrote the hit "Now Are We" for Marvin Winans and the Perfected Praise Choir.
She also sang backup for BeBe Winans
BeBe Winans
Benjamin "BeBe" Winans is a gospel and R&B singer. He is a member of the noted Winans family, most members of which are also gospel artists.-The PTL Club:...
, traveling to Europe and performing on Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
's and Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
's shows. She met superstar producer David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
and sang on Brandy
Brandy (entertainer)
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
's record, then moved to California.
In 1999 Parker was diagnosed with cancer, and returned to Detroit for treatment and recovery.
After overcoming the disease, she returned to California, where she threw herself back into songwriting and also learned to engineer her own recording sessions.
Working with a producer friend, she pulled together recordings of a number of her songs, both gospel and inspirational R&B - - "life music," she calls it - - and looked to develop her own artistry. Her material was also recorded by other artists: CeCe Winans
CeCe Winans
Priscilla "CeCe" Marie Winans Love is an American Gospel singer, who has won numerous Grammy and Stellar Awards.-Early life:CeCe Winans was born in Detroit, Michigan, to David and Delores Winans, on October 8, 1964...
recorded "He's Concerned About You," whose message of hope found a natural audience in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, and Vickie Winans
Vickie Winans
Vickie Winans is an American Gospel recording artist.-Biography:The seventh of twelve children, Vickie was born in Detroit, Michigan to Mattie A. Bowman, a housewife, and Aaron Bowman, a father who worked at various times as a laborer, contractor, carpenter and mason...
recorded the hit single "It's Alright". Others including Rodney
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
and Joy Jerkins
Joy Enriquez
Joy Charity Enriquez is an American singer and actress who has appeared on the television series 7th Heaven and also starred in films such as Chasing Papi and Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure...
and gospel jazz artist Tim Bowman have recorded material written by Parker.
In 2004, Kayla married David E. Tolbert.
Her music was played at the funeral of Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.Mrs...
.
Kayla Parker died on April 21, 2007. She is buried in Hillside Cemetery in Los Angeles. The cemetery is also the resting place of Michael Landon, and Lorne Greene.