O’landa Draper & The Associates (1990) **NM Debut LP** -The Clark Sisters Er

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Olanda Draper & The Associates ***Rare Debut Promotional Album*** 1990. This is a white label promo only LP IN NEAR MINT condition from Word records, distributed by A&M Records. LP comes in plain black cover with "A&M Black Gospel" sticker laminated to cover.

O'Landa Draper

(September 29, 1963 – July 21, 1998)

was an American Grammy Award-winning Gospel music artist. He was the founder of the Associates Choir and is considered to be one of the top gospel artists of the 1990s. Draper was nominated for the Grammy Award, Stellar Awards and the Dove Award multiple times

Draper was known for his choir directing style. Songs that were well known by fans of Draper's work were, "My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord," "I See my Miracle," "Lift the Savior Up," "Stand Up," "Gotta Feelin'," "He Touched Me," and "Jesus Touched Me".

Draper grew up in Alabama and Washington, D.C., listening to gospel music as a child. His late mother, Marie Draper, was a gospel music promoter and artist, and was a main reason for his fascination in the genre. When he was 13, he moved to Memphis and attended Overton High School (Memphis, Tennessee) where he joined a glee club. He began to write and sing gospel music in the club. After he finished his musical studies in high school, he moved on to the Memphis State where he directed the school's choir. After school he would work part-time for Federal Express.[4]

In 1986, he formed his own choir and named them "The Associates" in Memphis, Tennessee. Gospel artists such as Earnest Pugh and Janice Gaines were once members of The Associates.

In 1988, gospel great Shirley Caesar used O`landa Draper and the Associates to back her up on her first live recorded music video and one year later on her blockbuster `I Remember Mama`album on the `Word records` label. Caesar went to her record label and shortly after, Draper and the choir were immediately signed to the Word Recordslabel and recorded their first album, Do It Again in 1990. Their second album, Above and Beyond, was their first Grammy-nominated album. The choir went on performing across the United States, making television appearances, performing for presidents such as Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The choir also sang back up for Billy Joel during the 1994 Grammy Awards, performed with celebrities such as actress Jennifer Holliday, performer B.B. King and other gospel artists such as Albertina Walker, Beverly Crawford and Shirley Caesar. Draper has also collaborated with Christian Contemporary Artists such as Russ Taff and Steven Curtis Chapman, specifically during the 1994 Dove Awards. Draper hosted gospel workshops around the world in nations such as Europe and in countries such as the Bahamas. He recorded a live workshop that took place in 1994 in Memphis, Tennessee.[6] It featured artist such as Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams. In that same year, Draper recorded Live: A Celebration of Praise, his second Grammy-nominated album. The album's well known song "My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord" was the only song recorded for VHS.[4]

In 1996, Draper recorded for Warner Music Group and released his third Grammy-nominated live album Gotta Feelin which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Magazine Gospel Album's chart. The album was also recorded for VHS. The song "Gotta Feelin'" was featured in WOW Gospel 1998, the first Gospel album of the WOW series and the song also made its public debut during Azusa 1996, a popular convention at the time hosted by Bishop Carlton Pearson. In 1998, Draper released his last album before his passing, Reflections. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album in 1999.

On July 21, 1998, only a few months after the release of his recording of Reflections, Draper unfortunately died of renal failure.[9] In 2000, the Associates choir, led by Draper's fiancée Patrina Smith, recorded their last album All About Him (Jesus) in Memphis, Tennessee. The album introduces new songs such as "All about Him", "Clean Me Up" and old favorites such as "My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord". The song "I'll See You Again" is a song dedicated to Draper and his legacy. The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album in 2002.

Gospel Artist Hezekiah Walker in a tribute to Draper, performed "I've Got a Reason to Praise the Lord" in his live recording album Family Affair in 1999. He renamed the song "I've Got a Reason (Draper's Legacy)." Gospel Artist Earnest Pugh also paid tribute to Draper in his 2013 album, The W.I.N. (Worship in Nassau) Experience. The 13 minute medley featured other Gospel Artists such as Shirley Caesar, LeJuene Thompson, Vincent Tharpe and Kenosis and Angel Bigelow-Davis.[10]

In 2010, the Brat Pack, a Gospel group that started in the 1990s that consisted of individual gospel artists' Hezekiah Walker, Donald Lawrence, and Ricky Dillard, reunited to perform during the Gospel Music Workshop of America. They performed Draper's song "My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord".[11] In 2016, the Stellar Awards honored him with the Rev. James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award. Ricky Dillard, Donald Lawrence and Hezekiah Walker along with the Associates sang some of his greatest hits. His sister and nephew accepted the award on his behalf. In 2018, Draper was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

Discography

* Do It Again, 1990

* Above and Beyond, 1991

* All The Bases, 1993

* Live: A Celebration of Praise, 1994

* Gotta Feelin', 1996

* Reflections, 1998

* All About Him (Jesus), 2001 (Posthumous)[

LLP

Similar in genre to the Clark Sisters

The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting

of four sisters: Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Karen Clark Sheard. A fifth sister, Denise Clark Bradford, no longer performs with the group. The Clark Sisters are the daughters of legendary gospel musician and choral director Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. They are credited for helping to bring gospel music to the mainstream and are considered as pioneers of contemporary gospel. Their biggest crossover hits include: "Is My Living in Vain?" "Hallelujah," "He Gave Me Nothing to Lose," "Endow Me," their hit song "Jesus Is A Love Song," "Pure Gold," "Expect a Miracle," and their largest mainstream crossover gold certified, "You Brought the Sunshine." The Clark Sisters have won two[1] Grammy Awards. With 16 albums to their credit and millions in sales, the Clark Sisters are the highest-selling female gospel group in history.

Discography

* 1973: Jesus Has a Lot to Give

* 1974: Dr. Mattie Moss Clark Presents the Clark Sisters

* 1975 Sound Of Gospel Presents

* 1976: Unworthy

* 1978: Count It All Joy #20 (US Gospel)

* 1978: New Dimensions of Christmas Carols

* 1979: He Gave Me Nothing to Lose (But All to Gain) #18 (US Gospel)

* 1980: Is My Living in Vain #18 (US Gospel)

* 1981: You Brought the Sunshine #9 (US Gospel)

* 1982: Sincerely #12 (US Gospel)

* 1982: Gospel

* 1984: Heart and Soul (First version Never released)

* 1986: Best

* 1986: Heart and Soul #5 (US Gospel)

* 1988: Conqueror #7 (US Gospel), #29 (US Contemporary Christian)

* 1989: Bringing It Back Home #13 (US Gospel)

* 1994: Miracle #8 (US Gospel)

* 2007: Live - One Last Time #1 (US Gospel), #56 (US Billboard 200)

* 2008: Encore: The Best of the Clark Sisters

* 2008: The Clark Sisters Definitive Gospel Collection

* 2009: A Clark Family Christmas #15 (US Gospel)

Other Appearances[edit]

* "Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates" - Commissioned & The Clark Sisters (from Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration) (Reprise, 1992)

* "Nothing to Lose" - Florida A&M University Gospel Choir featuring The Clark Sisters (Crystal Rose, 1996)

* "Jesus Is a Love Song" - Karen Clark-Sheard featuring The Clark Sisters (from Finally Karen) (Island, 1997)

* "Pure Gold" - Karen Clark-Sheard featuring The Clark Sisters (from Finally Karen... Live! - VHS Only) (Island/Polygram Video, 1997)

* "Show Me the Way" - Dorinda Clark-Cole featuring The Clark Sisters (from Dorinda Clark-Cole) (Gospocentric, 2002)

* "You Brought the Sunshine" - Kelly Price feat. The Clark Sisters (Def Soul, 2003)

* "I'm Not Perfect" - Missy Elliott feat. The Clark Sisters (from This Is Not a Test) (Elektra, 2003)

* "I Made It" - Twinkie Clark featuring The Clark Sisters (from Home Once Again) (Verity, 2004)

* "Blessing Me" - Jacky Clark-Chisholm featuring The Clark Sisters (from Expectancy) (Entheos, 2005)

* "Higher Ground" - Robert Randolph & The Clark Sisters (from Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration) (EMI Gospel/Vector Recordings, 2009)[17]

* "I Wanna Thank You"- The Clark Sisters, Kierra Sheard, and J Moss(from "Silky Soul Music... an All-star Tribute to Maze feat. Frankie Beverly) (Brantera Music Group, 2009

Covers

* One of the Clarks' signature songs "Is My Living In Vain" was remade by R&B quartet Xscape, as well as Light Records gospel quartet Zie'l.

* An early Clark favorite "Endow Me" from their chart topping album You Brought The Sunshine was remade by Coko featuring Faith Evans, Fantasia Barrino, and Lil' Mo on her 2006 gospel debut.

* "You Brought The Sunshine" has been covered by artists such as Al Green, Kelly Price, Shirley Murdock, Out of Eden, Melinda Doolittle and LeJeune Thompson.

* The ending vamp of the song "I've Got An Angel" from the (1986) Heart & Soul album of the Clark Sisters was used by Aaliyah in the song "Never Givin' Up" off of her 1996 album "One In A Million".

* "Hallelujah" from the Clark Sisters was sung in the Derek Luke film Antwone Fisher, starring Denzel Washington.

* Mary J. Blige sampled The Clark Sisters' 1980 "They Were Overcome (By the Word)" from their "Is My Living in Vain?" album. She used the sample on "Checkin' for Me," from her 2001 smash album, "The Breakthrough