Mattie Moss Clark

American gospel choir director, March 26, 1925 - September 22, 1994, the mother of The Clark Sisters and sister of Bill Moss. A pivotal figure in the rise of the gospel mass choir movement, Clark was a richly gifted vocalizer, musician, arranger, songwriter, director and music minister. Clark’s tenacious quest for perfection enabled her to teach her newest compositions to hundreds of choristers in a short period of time.

By 1968, Clark was director of the International Music Department for the COGIC denomination. During her more than 25-year tenure, Clark was the longest serving international music minister and formed the International Mass Choir, which sang at the annual United National Auxiliary Convention (UNAC), and “A Star is Born,” a showcase for emerging musical talent within the denomination. Clark is reported to have written more than 100 songs and recorded more than 35 albums during her career.

The Clark Conservatory of Music, which she founded in Detroit in 1979, helped train singers and musicians. She was the matriarch of a gospel music dynasty that has spanned more than seven decades and three generations. In addition to the Clark Sisters, Mattie Moss Clark’s gospel singing legacy includes grandchildren Kierra “Kiki” Sheard and J. Drew Sheard, nephews Bill Moss Jr., J Moss (part of the production team PAJAM) and Lorenzo, Larry and Derrick (of the Clark Brothers). She was inducted posthumously into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1997.