About Twinkie
Dr. Elbernita “Twinkie” Clark, born to Dr. Mattie Moss Clark and Pastor Elbert Clark on November 15, 1954, is a Detroit native and living legend. She is an acclaimed gospel singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, musician, music educator, and evangelist. “Twinkie” as she is best known, has pinned over 350 songs. She is the leader of the Grammy Award Winning American gospel singing group The Clark Sisters, which include her sisters, Jackie Clark Chisholm, Denise Clark Bradford (departed the group in 1986), Dorinda Clark Cole and Karen Clark Sheard. Known as the “Mother of Contemporary Gospel Music” and The “Queen of the B3 Hammond Organ”, she is a member of the Hammond organ Hall of Fame.
Twinkie began her tutelage in music under the direction of her mother, very early in life. Twinkie credits her musical gifts to God and recognizes her mother as her greatest inspiration. From the age of thirteen, she began touring nationally with her mother, ministering and training choirs in three-part vocal harmony. In 1967, she made her recording debut as a featured vocalist alongside her mother. Clark attended Howard University.
Since the formation of the world renown Clark Sisters in 1973, Twinkie has been the leader, principal songwriter, and producer of the gospel group. The group achieved their biggest success with the mainstream, crossover hit “You Brought the Sunshine (Into My Life)” in 1983, which peaked within the top 20 of Billboard’s Gospel and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts and hit a top 30 peak on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. Other hit songs include, “Is My Living in Vain”, “Expect Your Miracle” and “Jesus is a Love Song”, all written by Clark. Receiving their first Grammy nomination at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards for Sincerely (1982) in the Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group category, they received subsequent nominations for their follow-ups, Heart & Soul (1986) and Conqueror (1988), for Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo, Group, Choir or Chorus at the 30th and 31st Annual Grammy Awards.
In 1990, the group received its first Grammy nomination for a live album when Bringing it Back Home (1989) was nominated for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards. In 2007, the Clark Sisters were awarded three Grammys at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Gospel Song and Best Gospel Performance for “Blessed & Highly Favored” and Best Traditional Gospel Album for its parent album Live: One Last Time, which topped both the Billboard Gospel Albums and Christian Music Video charts
Along with her sisters and individually, Twinkie is the recipient of multiple awards including multiple Grammy’s, The Grammy Life Time Achievement Award, Dove, BMI, Stellar, Soul Train, Black Image, The James Cleveland lifetime Achievement Award, Black Music & Entertainment Walk Of Fame and many more. The Church Of God In Christ recently honored Twinkie for her contributions to the music department and she was credited for giving the church its “COGIC Sound”.
Twinkie has produced albums for several choirs and traveled the world abroad as an evangelist, workshop facilitator, and music educator. She taught organ, piano and vocals for several years at “The Clark Conservatory”.
In 2020 Lifetime Television Networks released “The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel” produced by Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blidge and Missy Elliott. It is a movie chronicling the early life of the Clark Sisters. It illustrates a true story of the ups and downs of a legend into making. It became the highest rated original movie release by Lifetime in four years.
In 2023, award winning producer Donald Lawrence recently released “Donald Lawrence Presents Power: A Tribute to Twinkie Clark”, a composition of music re-presenting to the world the classic solo project by released in 1981 entitled “Power”. Twinkie is currently writing new music and is working with Producer Byron Stevenson on a Live recording at Jackson State University scheduled for October 12th, 2025.