Karen Clark Sheard (born Karen Valencia Clark) is an American gospel singer… Read Full Bio ↴Karen Clark Sheard (born Karen Valencia Clark) is an American gospel singer, member of seminal group The Clark Sisters, and mother of contemporary gospel singer Kierra "Kiki" Sheard.

Brief Biography

Karen Clark Sheard was born the youngest of six children born to Pastor Elbert Clark and Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, a pioneering gospel choral director. Clark-Sheard is best known for being a member of iconic gospel group The Clark Sisters.

Karen's involvement in the Island Inspirational All Stars' "Don't Give Up" in 1996 (along with Donald Lawrence, Hezekiah Walker, and Kirk Franklin) led to her signing with Island Records.[1] Her solo career began with the release of her debut album Finally Karen in 1997. The album, consisting of half studio recordings and half live recordings, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 1998. The set did however win the Lady Of Soul award for Best Gospel Album the same year.[2]

After Yolanda Adams, Karen Clark-Sheard became the 2nd gospel artist to sign to Elektra Records. She released her Elektra debut album 2nd Chance in 2002 led off by the single "Be Sure". Though Clark-Sheard was in excellent form vocally, the slick, progressive sound of the disc was not received well. The 2003 followup The Heavens Are Telling fared well, but came at an awkward time when Elektra Records was being dissolved into Atlantic Records. In 2005, after a bidding war with several labels, Karen Clark Sheard finally signed with Word Records and issued It's Not Over, the following year.

Singers Mariah Carey, Faith Evans and Beyoncé all count Karen Clark-Sheard as one of their greatest vocal influences.[3]

Personal life

On June 16, 1984, Karen Clark-Sheard wed John Drew Sheard, a minister. Her husband is senior pastor of Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ in Detroit. Together they have 2 children: Kierra, who is also a gospel recording artist, and John Drew Sheard II, a young musician and up-and-coming producer.

In 2001, Clark-Sheard was faced with a life-threatening crisis when a blood vessel burst during a scheduled hernia surgery. Her doctors only gave her a 2% chance of survival due to her complications. After the blood clot was surgically removed, Clark-Sheard fell into a coma. The coma lasted three and a half weeks[4], but Clark-Sheard made a miraculous [5][6]recovery and recorded her sophomore album, 2nd Chance (named so because of the "second chance" given to her by God) [7], in 2002. Clark-Sheard's near-death experience is referenced in her daughter Kierra's song "You Don't Know".

Voice

* 1st Soprano

Highest Note

* Eb6 in "Name it and Claim it" (Gospel, motion picture, 1982) and "Livin'" ("You Showed Me" was a C6 natural)

Lowest Note

* G3 in "So Good" and "Its Not Over" (version from album of same title)

God Is Here
Karen Clark Sheard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Can I be real
Sometimes when it comes to your house
You wanted it to leave you out
Just remember our God is not surprised
About the problem, that's stressing you out
His ways are not our ways
His thoughts are not our thoughts
But please believe

He's the God that never failed
Never failed
Never never failed us

Our God is big
So strong and mighty
And his plan for me is victory
Victory, victory

I wanna hear all the victorious people say

Our God is big
So strong and mighty
And his plan for me
Is victory, victory, victory

Our God is big
So strong and mighty
And his plan for me
Is victory, victory, victory

Can I be real
Sometimes when it comes to your house
You wanted it to leave you out
Just remember our God is not surprised
About the problem, that's stressing you out
His ways are not our ways
His thoughts are not our thoughts
But let me remind you
He's a God that never fails
Never fails us

Our God is big
So strong and mighty
And his plan for me
Is victory, victory, victory

There's nothing my God cannot do
There's nothing my God cannot do
There's nothing my God cannot do
There's nothing my God cannot do

Psalm 24:7 says
Lift up your heads, o ye gates
And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors
And the King of glory shall come in
Who is this King of glory?
Well, I'm glad you ask?
The Lord strong and mighty
The Lord mighty in battle

Victory I got it
I thank God
I got it

Victory I got it
I thank God
I got it

Victory I got it
I thank God
I got it

Victory I got it
I thank God
I got it

I thank God
I got it

Victory, I got it
You got it

I thank God
I got it

Victory, I got it
You got it

Overall Meaning

In Karen Clark Sheard's song "God Is Here," the artist emphasizes the greatness and strength of God in the midst of difficult times. The song begins with the line “Can I be real,” implying that the singer is going to be honest about a challenging situation. The next line talks about how the listener might feel unwelcome at God’s “house” because of a problem that is stressing them out. However, the singer reminds the listener that God is never surprised by their struggles and that His ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts our thoughts, but He never fails. The chorus repeats the phrase “Our God is big, so strong and mighty, and his plan for me is victory” several times, emphasizing the power of God's plan in the lives of His followers.

In the second verse, the singer highlights that there is nothing that God cannot do, affirming that God's strength is unmatched. The bridge of the song references Psalm 24:7, which speaks of lifting up the gates for the King of glory to come in - this "king of glory" is identified as the mighty Lord. The song ends on a repetitive note of thanksgiving for victory, emphasizing the tangible nature of God's plan for his followers.

Line by Line Meaning

Can I be real
May I be honest

Sometimes when it comes to your house
At times, in regards to your situation

You wanted it to leave you out
You wanted to be excluded

Just remember our God is not surprised
Recall that God is not caught off guard

About the problem, that's stressing you out
Regarding the issue causing your stress

His ways are not our ways
God's methods differ from ours

His thoughts are not our thoughts
God's ideas don't match ours

But please believe
However, have faith

He's the God that never failed
He's the God who never disappoints

Our God is big
Our God is enormous

So strong and mighty
Exceptionally powerful