Karen Clark Sheard’s gloriously expressive vocals and R&B-infused style are big reasons urban contemporary gospel achieved mainstream recognition. Born in 1960 and raised in the Church of God in Christ, where her mother served as choir director, the Detroit native attained fame as the youngest member of The Clark Sisters before dropping her debut, Finally Karen, in 1997. Her solo output blends the uplifting force of Black worship music with silky radio hooks and features genre-smashing collaborations with secular artists such as Faith Evans and Missy Elliott. Sheard is nothing less than a gospel icon; in addition to Beyoncé and Mariah Carey citing her as a key influence, the singer founded her own label, Karew Records, and raised two children, including Kierra Sheard, a star in her own right carrying on the Clark family tradition in gospel.