Dr. Dorinda Clark-Cole

She has been called “the Rose of Gospel,” “the church girl,” and “evangelist” but more than anything else, three time Grammy award winner Dorinda Clark Cole is a fired up sister for Christ and one of the most gifted vocalists in the music world today.

Her Story
The second from the youngest of The Clark Sisters, Dorinda attributes her fiery, convicting singing style to her mother, Dr. Mattie Moss-Clark, who saw the gift of singing and preaching in her at an early age. Back in the 1960’s and 70’s, when other children their age were playing outside, Dorinda and her sisters had to work on their now famous familial harmonies. She says, “We made a lot of sacrifices. My mom was a stickler for making sure we rehearsed before we went out to perform. If we had an engagement on a Saturday or Sunday, during the week she would call us in and say, ‘Hey ya’ll I need you to come in here and rehearse.’ That’s when mom started really putting the discipline in us. She would say, ‘Karen, I want you to take that microphone and sing this note…and now Dorinda, I want you to talk a little bit.’ When Karen the youngest turned five we started recording. She saw the gifts and talents within us and started shaping and molding us. She taught us discipline along with how to use our gifts. We still have those gifts today. It was all in preparation for what we do today as recording artists, writers and producers.” The gift of talking that Dorinda’s mother saw in her as a little girl has evolved into a phenomenal preaching ministry that goes hand in hand with her singing ministry. “I can’t get around the both of them; I can’t leave the stage without saying something…and even when I preach, I can’t leave without singing a line of something,” she laughs.Today this gift has made room for her to serve in ministry to God’s glory, while juggling her life as a wife, mother of two; Nikkia and Greg Jr. and grandmother of one DJ.

Career
Dorinda has been evangelizing and juggling hundreds of speaking engagements annually for over twenty years, along with her singing career and being a wife and mother. She ministers nationally as well as internationally in countries such as England, Japan, Germany, France, Korea and South Africa. She made history in South Africa, having been the first woman to minister in the pulpit to over 4,000 people. Dr. Cole has followed in her mother’s footstep by having several leadership roles in the International Church of God in Christ. She currently serves as the Elect Lady of the Evangelism Department of the Church. She is a also member and administrator at the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ under the leadership of Bishop J. Drew Sheard.

And to add to that, she is the new host of TCT Network’s Dorinda Show, co-host of TCT’s Celebrate on the Road, former Stellar Awards host, guest judge on Verizon’s “How Sweet The Sound” national televised competition, the former spokes model for Donna Vinci Clothing and her “Rose Collection” is now distributed by Terra Mina Fashions. She has since partnered with MR. SONG, an immaculate fashion designer of Detroit, in creating The Bloom Collection, a couture collection of hat adorning accessories. She is also the Founder and CEO of Lifeline Productions Inc., which holds an annual Singers & Musicians Conference. In September 2004 she received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Mt. Carmel Theological Seminary of Fresno, CA.

Music
In June 2002 Dorinda released her self-titled album Dorinda Clark- Cole on Gospo Centric Records/Zomba Label Group. This was followed in August 2005 by her sophomore album The Rose of Gospel on Gospo Centric Records/Zomba Label Group. The album debuted in Billboard’s Top 5 and garnered a Grammy Nomination for the Best Traditional Soul Gospel album & won 2007 and 2009 Stellar Award for the “Best Female Artist of The Year”. Her third project Take It Back was released in April 2008 on Gospo Centric Records/ Zomba Label Group. Her latest release, an EP Album titled In the Face of Change, included BAMM, which was a “Verizon Select”. In early spring of 2009, Dorinda received the honor of performing Nothing but the Truth for the Sojourner Truth unveiling on Capitol Hill for 1st Lady Michelle Obama and other officials. Dorinda’s solo career continues to progress with a newly established deal with Light Records in 2010.

As a member of the world renowned Clark Sisters, Dr. Cole won three Grammys in 2008. Live – One Last Time won the Best Traditional Gospel Album. Its album track “Blessed & Highly Favored” won the Best Gospel Performance as well as the individual Best Gospel Song. With the group she appeared nationally on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ABC’s “The View”, Bobby Jones Gospel, Lift Every Voice, Gospel Superfest, TBN’s Praise the Lord, The Stellar Award and The Lady of Soul Awards.

Testimony
However, she hasn’t always been at such a joyous place in her life. Dorinda was once a wounded soul who contemplated suicide and now testifies about that very trying time in her life. She recounts, “At that time my mother was not with me to help me get through that rough time. We were always dependent on our mom because she was always there… I didn’t understand why it was happening to me…It was very devastating. And it caused me to go into a state of depression…I just couldn’t take it anymore and I got into my car and I began to drive to the river. I was about to drive my car off the bridge. And while I was right there…the enemy was speaking to me, so I had a war going on. I began to drive and accelerate up to 80 miles per hour. God spoke to me just as plain as day and said, ‘Dorinda, are you going to let everything that has been invested in you go down the drain?’ And when I heard God’s voice, I began to take my foot off the accelerator and the car started coasting right to the bridge. And the Lord whispered to me and said, ‘Peace be unto you.’ And that’s when I grabbed the steering wheel and I said, Lord I thank you. I began to weep and cry. So if it had not been for God keeping me, right then I would have been doomed and consumed. I want it to reach those who are strung out on drugs. I want them to be able to hand it over to other drug abusers and say listen to it and have it bless their lives.”