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Kim Burrell

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Kim Burrell

Kimberly Burrell Wiley [1] is an American gospel singer from Houston, TX. She calls her musical style jazz gospel. Though she is comparatively new to the gospel music industry, having only debuted in 1995, she has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the genre, often named as "this generation's Ella Fitzgerald."[2]

Life and career

By her own admission, Burrell's first solo was taken at the age of only one year old singing Andrae Crouch's "Hallelujah Praise" with the church choir.[3] Burrell began her gospel career proper performing with Reverend James Cleveland's Gospel Music Workshop Choir, Trinity Temple Full Gospel Mass Choir of Dallas and The Inspirational Sounds Mass Choir of Houston.[3]

Her first independent album Try Me Again was delivered on the Texas-based boutique label Pearl Records in 1995. Though limited distribution kept the album from nationwide recognition, it did build a strong buzz that helped her get signed to Tommy Boy Gospel and deliver the now-classic Everlasting Life produced by Asaph Alexander Ward. The album performed well and peaked at #12 on the Billboard Gospel Charts.

Cover of Burrell's breakthrough album Everlasting Life.

Quickly becoming known as a virtuoso vocalist and pianist, it seemed only logical to deliver a live album which Burrell recorded November 2000 at the annual COGIC Convention in Memphis, Tennessee. Though the recording of the concert was widely storied to be troubled requiring notable some overdubs and post-production, the resulting Live In Concert album released in 2001 sated eager fans and earned Burrell a Grammy nomination for Best Soul Gospel Album in 2002.

Though her then-label Tommy Boy Gospel folded shortly after the release of Live In Concert, by 2002, had already signed a recording contract with Elektra Records[4] who had newly considerable success in the gospel market with signing Yolanda Adams and Karen Clark Sheard. Unfortunately, this contract yielded naught but 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,[5] but was later featured on Karen Clark Sheard's 2nd Chance album. Since that time, Burrell has become a wife and mother, as well as continuing to perform live and collaborate with other artists.

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,[6] Beyoncé Knowles, Faith Evans, Mariah Carey and more. In 2004, Kim 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.[7]

Burrell is signed to Epic Records/Sony Gospel and expected to deliver a new album soon.

Burrell is married with one child.

Recent & Future

  • Burrell will be featured on "Journey," the title track from Richard Smallwood's soon-to-be-released Journey: Live In New York. The song was recorded live at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York in August 2005. The CD will be released on June 5, 2007.[8]

New music

Though Kim Burrell's musical impact is widespread, the fact remains that she has not released a new recording since 2001's Live In Concert and nearly a decade has passed since her groundbreaking national debut Everlasting Life in 1998. Details of new recordings have periodically surfaced, some of which are listed below:

  • 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[10] and is rumored shelved indefinitely.
  • Burrell collaborated with Tonéx in 2004 on some recordings for a new album. [11]
  • As of August 2006, according to Sony Gospel president Tara Griggs-McGee, the anticipated new studio album from Kim Burrell has now turned to plans for a live recording, though no date has been set. The live album will likely include several studio tracks already recorded.[12] However, since the time of that article, Sony Gospel has folded into Columbia Records and Griggs-McGee is no longer with either label.[13]

Selected discography

Other

Year Title Artist Album Label
1996 "Jesus Paid It All (Reprise)" Ricky Dillard & New G Worked It Out Crystal Rose
1998 "I Don't Know Why (He Loves Me) (Remix)" Kim Burrell Tommy Boy Gospel: Keeping It Real Tommy Boy Gospel
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" Karen Clark-Sheard feat. Yolanda Adams, Kim Burrell, Dorinda Clark Cole, Mary Mary & Missy Elliott 2nd Chance 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" The Stewart Singers featuring Kim Burrell Back to the Roots Independent
2003 "O When I Come" The Stewart Singers featuring Kim Burrell Back to the Roots Independent
2003 "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 "You Can Change" Tye Tribbett & G.A. featuring Kim Burrell Life Columbia/Sony Gospel
2005 "If Your Love Cannot Be Moved" Stevie Wonder featuring Kim Burrell A Time 2 Love Motown
2005 "Not Until" Lexi featuring Kim Burrell A Praise 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 "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
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

Awards

  • 2000 Gospel Music Excellence Award, Female Vocalist of the Year - Contemporary for Everlasting Life[14]
  • 2000 Stellar Award, Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year for Everlasting Life[15]

Trivia

  • As a child, Kim Burrell battled double pneumonia for eight years.[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.[16]
  • Kim Burrell's Everlasting Life peaked at #12 on the Billboard Gospel charts in 1998.[3]
  • Chaka Khan deemed Kim Burrell "one of the most interesting voices I've heard in a long while."[17]
  • 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.
  • At the close of a gospel industry retreat hosted by Dr. Bobby Jones, a local woman named Kathleen Goodin had stopped breathing, prompting a call for paramedics, as well as a call for prayer. While CPR procedures were under way, Burrell initiated a healing prayer. After escorting Goodin out on a stretcher, those remaining were informed that the woman had died. Adamant about praying with the woman again, Burrell followed the ambulance to the hospital. When she finally convinced medical staff to allow her to pray with the woman a second time, reportedly Burrell prayed "Kathleen Goodin, take off your grave clothes." By the time Burrell left the hospital, the woman was miraculously breathing on her own.[18] The article's reporter later exclaimed, "if I ever get sick, somebody call Kim Burrell!"[19]

References

  1. ^ "Nourishing the soul through song". Essence Lifestyle magazine. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |publisher= at position 8 (help)
  2. ^ Murray, Jawn (December 14, 2004). [? "JAWN'S JUICE #27 - VOL. lll"]. EURweb. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  3. ^ a b c "Diva for the New Millennium: An Interview with Kim Burrell". GospelFlava.com.
  4. ^ Murray, Jawn (March 12, 2002). "#3 JAWN'S JUICE / MARCH 12, 2002". EURweb.
  5. ^ "Missy Elliott has raised the bar on hip-hop". BlackFlix.com.
  6. ^ Bass, Lance (August 2001). "Jessica Simpson - Brief Article - Interview". Interview.
  7. ^ Bonner, Gerard (August 2004). "R. Kelly: U Saved Me". GospelFlava.com.
  8. ^ Murray, Jawn (August 30, 2005). "Jubilant Journey". AOL Black Voices.
  9. ^ a b North, Stan (2001). "Interview With Kim Burrell: Glorious Praise". GospelFlava.com.
  10. ^ "Gospel Newsbits". EURweb.
  11. ^ "Tonex: Out The Box in 2004 (Interview)". GospelFlava.com.
  12. ^ Murray, Jawn (August 28, 2006). "The BV Buzz with Jawn Murray". AOL BlackVoices.
  13. ^ "A Gospel Recap of 2006: The Demise of Sony Gospel". GospelFlava.com.
  14. ^ "19th Annual Gospel Music Excellence Award Results". GospelFlava.com.
  15. ^ "15th Annual Stellar Award Winners". GospelFlava.com.
  16. ^ Scaggs, Austin (Jun 19, 2006 10:24 AM). "Why Is Nelly Furtado's Album So Loud". Rolling Stone. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ Thomas, Nathan (December 1999). "The Gospel According to Nathan....Book 1". GospelFlava.com.
  18. ^ Murray, Jawn (December 12, 2005). "Shining Moment: The BV Buzz with Jawn Murray". AOL Black Voices.
  19. ^ Murray, Jawn (December 13, 2005). "Jawn's Juice #19– Vol. IV".
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