Kimberly Burrell is an American gospel singer from Houston, Texas.
She calls her musical style jazz gospel. Though she is comparatively
new to the gospel music industry, having only performed since 1989,
she has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the
genre, often named as "this generation's Ella Fitzgerald".
In 2010 she founded The Love & Liberty Fellowship Church, where
she serves as Pastor.
Though Burrell battled double pneumonia for eight years as a child,
she performed her first solo with the church choir at the age of
only one year old singing Andraé Crouch's "Hallelujah
Praise".[4] She is the daughter of a pastor in the Church of
God in Christ (COGIC). Burrell began her gospel career proper performing
with Reverend James Cleveland's GMWA Youth Mass Choir, Trinity Temple
Full Gospel Mass Choir of Dallas and The Inspirational Sounds Mass
Choir of Houston.
In 1996, she appeared on Ricky Dillard & New G's "Worked
It Out" album, as the feature on the reprise of "Jesus
Paid It All", which is credited as the turning point of her
national career.
Her first independent album, Try Me Again, was released on the Texas-based
boutique label Pearl Records in 1995. Though limited distribution
kept the album from nationwide recognition, it did build a strong
reputation that led to her being signed to Tommy Boy Gospel and the
now-classic Everlasting Life, produced by Asaph Alexander Ward. The
album performed well and peaked at #12 on the Billboard Gospel Charts.[4]
Quickly becoming known as a virtuoso vocalist and pianist, it seemed
only logical to produce a live album which Burrell recorded in November
2000 at the annual COGIC Convention in Memphis, Tennessee. Though
the recording of the concert was widely said to be troubled, requiring
notably some overdubs and post-production, the resulting Live In
Concert album released in 2001 satisfied eager fans and earned Burrell
a Grammy nomination for Best Soul Gospel Album in 2002.
Though her then-label, Tommy Boy Gospel, closed shortly after the
release of Live In Concert, by 2002, she had already signed a recording
contract with Elektra Records[5] who had newly considerable success
in the gospel market with signing Yolanda Adams and Karen Clark Sheard.
Unfortunately, this contract yielded only a guest appearance on the
all-star gospel track Missy Elliott-produced "Higher Ground" which
first appeared as a bonus track on Missy's album Miss E... So Addictive,[6]
but was later featured on Karen Clark Sheard's 2nd Chance album.
Since that time, Burrell has become a wife and mother with a son
by the name of Christian. She has continued to perform live and to
collaborate with other artists. Though only intermittently active
as a recording artist, Burrell has established and hosts the Ephesians
4 conference annually to show up-and-coming singers, dancers and
other artists how to improve the quality of their craft.
[edit] Widespread influence
Burrell was featured in a half-hour MTV special From The Church
To The Charts in conjunction with the gospel themed motion picture
Fighting Temptations. Among those who count Burrell as an influence
are such contemporaries as Jessica Simpson,[7] Beyoncé Knowles
and Faith Evans. In 2004, Burrell made an unlikely guest turn along
with Kelly Price on R. Kelly's "3-Way Phone Call" playing
the part of Price's "prayer partner" in the soap-opera-like
song.[8]
There are many instances of established artists who laud Burrell:
Chaka Khan deemed Kim Burrell "one of the most interesting
voices I've heard in a long while".[9]
After expressing an interest in gospel music, pop singer Nelly Furtado purchased
Burrell's Everlasting Life on recommendation from Destiny's Child's Michelle
Williams.[10]
In a recent interview on XM Satellite Radio, Harry Connick, Jr. said of Burrell, "if
she's not the greatest musical mind I've ever been around, she's certainly
up at the top of the list." Burrell appears on Connick, Jr.'s most recent
album.
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(December 2009)
Continuing her trend of affecting artists both inside and outside
the realm of gospel music, Kim Burrell will make an appearance on
a new album by funk pioneer George Clinton on the original song "Mathematics
of Love" from a new album of covers entitled George Clinton
and Some Gangsters of Love on September 16, 2008.[11]
[edit] New music
Kim Burrell's musical impact is widespread: she has released two
new recordings (2009's No Ways Tired and 2011's The Love Album) since
2001's Live In Concert and nearly a decade has passed since her 1998
national debut Everlasting Life. Details of new recordings have periodically
surfaced, some of which are listed below:
In 2001, shortly after the release of Live In Concert, Kim Burrell
was said to be working with Stevie Wonder, Deitrick Haddon, Chaka
Khan, and Eric Dawkins on a new studio album.[3]
The long-awaited gospel compilation from Bad Boy Entertainment
was slated to release May 8, 2001 featuring Kim Burrell, John P.
Kee, Mary Mary, Hezekiah Walker, Fred Hammond, and Vickie Winans
among other performers. To date, the project has still not been released[12]
and is rumored shelved indefinitely.
Burrell collaborated with Tonéx in 2004 on some recordings
for a new album.[13]
Since August 2006, according to Sony Gospel president Tara Griggs-McGee,
the anticipated new studio album from Kim Burrell has been turned
to plans for a live recording, though no date has been set. The live
album may include several studio tracks already recorded.[14] However,
since the time of that article, Sony Gospel has been merged into
Columbia Records and Griggs-McGee is no longer with either label.[15]
An interview[16] revealed that Burrell is planning a live recording
at the Lincoln Jazz Center in New York City on December 11 and 13,
2008.[17]
Burrell also revealed on April 26, 2009, on K.I.N.G.(Kingdom Inspiration
for a Now Generation) Talk Radio that she is planning a second 2009
album release: "...who knows...actually I plan to put out another
album before the year is out..."-Kim Burrell.
Burrell released her first studio album in 11 years, entitled No
Ways Tired on April 7, 2009 through Shanachie Records.[18] The album
will feature covers of classic gospel songs like "My Faith Looks
Up To Thee", "What A Friend We Have In Jesus", "O
Lamb Of God" and "I Surrender All", as well as the
classic James Cleveland song after which the album is named.[19]
On May 17, 2011, her highly anticipated The Love Album was released.
In its first week after being releasted, it was #5 on the Billboard
Gospel Albums chart, #166 on the Billboard 200 chart, and was the
#2 most downloaded Gospel album on iTunes.
[edit] Selected discography
[edit] Albums
Try Me Again (Pearl, 1995)
Everlasting Life (Tommy Boy Gospel, 1998)
Live In Concert (Tommy Boy Gospel, 2001)
No Ways Tired (Shanachie, 2009)[18]
The Love Album (Shanachie, 2011)
[edit] Singles
"Special Place" (Bad Boy Entertainment, 2001)[20]
[edit] Videos
Live In Concert (VHS) (Tommy Boy Gospel, 2001)
[edit] Other
Year Title Artist Album Label
1990 "Praise Him" GMWA National Youth Mass Choir Win The
World For Christ Sweet Rain
1996 "Jesus Paid It All" Ricky Dillard & New G Worked
It Out Crystal Rose
1998 "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus (Remix)" Trinity Temple
Mass Choir featuring Kim Burrell Gospel Out-Takes: Unreleased Music
Tyscot
2000 "Woman" Kim Burrell with Montrel Darrett J2K Jesus
2000 EMI Gospel
2000 "God's Favor" Tri-City Singers featuring Karen Clark-Sheard,
Kim Burrell, and Kelly Price Tri-City4.com EMI Gospel
2001 "Special Place" Kim Burrell Thank You (Unreleased)
Bad Boy
2002 "The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow" Hezekiah Walker & The
Love Fellowship Choir Family Affair II: Live At Radio City Music
Hall Verity
2002 "Higher Ground" Missy Elliott feat. Yolanda Adams,
Dorinda Clark Cole, Karen Clark-Sheard, Mary Mary & Kim Burrell
Miss E...So Addictive Elektra
2002 "The Moment I Prayed" Kirk Whalum featuring Kim Burrell
The Gospel According to Jazz, Chapter II Word
2002 "I'm Gonna Praise Him" Kim Burrell Gospel Today Presents:
Praise and Worship 2002 Verity
2003 "We Praise You Lord" Shirley Caesar featuring Kim
Burrell Shirley Caesar & Friends Word
2003 "Go Tell It" Gary Mayes & Nu Era featuring Kim
Burrell Go Tell It: The N.E. X-Perience, Vol. 2 Gvm Soul Muzick
2003 "I Pray On Christmas" Harry Connick, Jr. featuring
Kim Burrell Harry For The Holidays (DVD-only bonus track) Columbia
2003 "Try Jesus"
"
O When I Come"
"
Family That Prays Together"
The Stewart Singers featuring Kim Burrell Back to the Roots Independent
2004 "3-Way Phone Call" R. Kelly featuring Kim Burrell & Kelly
Price Happy People/U Saved Me Jive
2004 "You Can Change" Tye Tribbett & G.A. featuring Kim Burrell
Life Columbia/Sony Gospel
2005 "Soldier" The Andrews Brothers featuring Kim Burrell Free Indeed
Sic Records
2005 "If Your Love Cannot Be Moved" Stevie Wonder featuring Kim Burrell
A Time 2 Love Motown
2005 "Not Until" Lexi featuring Kim Burrell Crusty Feet in the Valley
[Live] Holy Music
2006 "Everything Will Be Alright (reprise)" Tye Tribbett & G.A.
featuring Kim Burrell Victory Live Columbia/Sony Gospel
2006 "All These People" (single) (all proceeds to New Orleans Habitat
Musicians' Village) Harry Connick Jr featuring Kim Burrell Oh My NOLA Columbia
2007 "Over and Over Again" VaShawn Mitchell featuring Kim Burrell
Promises Tyscot
2007 "Journey" Richard Smallwood featuring Kim Burrell Journey: Live
In New York Verity
2007 "If You Never" Byron Cage featuring Kim Burrell & J. Moss
Live At the Apollo: The Proclamation GospoCentric/Zomba Gospel
2007 "Try" Marvin Winans featuring Kim Burrell Alone But Not Alone
PureSprings Gospel
2007 "I Come To Thee" Sean Jones featuring Kim Burrell Kaleidoscope
Mack Avenue
2007 "You're the Reason" Sean Jones featuring Kim Burrell Kaleidoscope
Mack Avenue
2008 "I Understand" Kim Burrell, Rance Allen, BeBe Winans, Mariah
Carey & Hezekiah Walker's Love Fellowship Tabernacle Choir Randy Jackson's
Music Club: Volume One Concord Music Group
2008 "He Has Made Me Glad" Tye Tribbett & GA featuring Kim Burrell
Stand Out Columbia/Integrity
2008 "Mathematics of Love" [11] George Clinton featuring Kim Burrell
George Clinton and Some Gangsters of Love Shanachie Records
2008 "Song for the Hopeful" Harry Connick, Jr. featuring Kim Burrell
What a Night! A Christmas Album Columbia/Sony
"
Let There Be Peace On Earth"
[edit] Awards
2000 Gospel Music Excellence Award, Female Vocalist of the Year
- Contemporary for Everlasting Life[21]
2000 Stellar Award, Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year for Everlasting
Life