Today marks the birthday of Dr. Mattie Juliet Moss-Clark, born on March 26, 1925. Had she been with us, she would have celebrated her 100th birthday. Over the past six decades, every Choir Director and Minister of Music has benefited from her groundbreaking contributions. Her choral techniques have been widely borrowed, emulated, and admired, establishing her as a transformative figure in the field.
Mattie Moss Clark, originally named Mattie Juliet Moss, was born on March 26, 1925, and passed away on September 22, 1994. She was a prominent American gospel choir director and the mother of The Clark Sisters, a renowned gospel vocal ensemble. Clark held the position of International President/Minister of Music for the Church of God in Christ for an extended period, making her the longest-serving individual in that role. Her musical arrangements, likely shaped by her classical training, transformed the traditional unison or two-part structures of earlier gospel music into three-part harmonies for soprano, alto, and tenor voices. This innovative approach became a standard in gospel choir music for many years to come.
In early 1968, Clark and Elma Hendricks organized a Sing-A-Rama at Reverend C. L. Franklin's New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. They assembled a choir of 1,000 voices and invited the renowned gospel artist, Reverend James Cleveland, as a special guest. Cleveland was so impressed by the music and the educational sessions that he expressed to Clark his desire to establish a similar event, potentially naming it the Music Workshop of America. Clark recommended incorporating "Gospel" into the title to clarify that the focus would be solely on gospel music. Cleveland promptly began promoting the initiative. Consequently, the inaugural Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA) convention was held in August 1968 at the King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit. The purpose of this gathering was to honor and promote the legacy of gospel music through educational classes and to provide a platform for emerging talent.
In 1979, she established the Clark Conservatory of Music in Detroit, which quickly gained recognition as one of the leading institutions of its type in the nation. In 1981, she was awarded one of the highest distinctions from Trinity College in Pennsylvania, receiving the degree of Doctor of Humanities. Following the passing of Bishop Bailey in 1985, she maintained her role as State Minister of Music for Southwest Michigan Jurisdiction #1, participating in the Greater Mitchell Church of God in Christ under the leadership of Bishop J.H. Sheard.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Clark's health began to deteriorate as a result of diabetes. Dorinda Clark-Cole reported that Clark underwent an amputation of her right leg and experienced a stroke, which necessitated her use of a wheelchair. Despite her declining health, Clark persisted in recording music until the final year of her life, ultimately passing away from diabetes-related complications on September 22, 1994, at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan, at the age of 69.
She was laid to rest at Roseland Park Cemetery in Oakland County, Michigan.
Beyond her work with The Clark Sisters, Mattie Moss Clark's legacy in gospel music is carried on by her grandchildren, including Kierra Sheard, J. Drew Sheard, Angel Chisholm, Lorenzo, Larry, and Derrick (of the Clark Brothers), as well as her nephews Bill Moss Jr. and J. Moss, who are part of the production team PAJAM.
Actress Aunjanue Ellis portrayed Clark in the 2020 Lifetime biopic, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel, receiving widespread acclaim from fans, critics, and the Clark Sisters themselves.
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