Twinkie Clark

In 2016, the group was honored at the Essence festival. In 2020, it was announced that the Clark Sisters would be honored with the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the 35th Annual Stellar Awards. The same year, a Lifetime biographical film, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel was released, starring Kierra Sheard, daughter of Karen Clark-Sheard, and became the highest rated original movie release by Lifetime in four years.

Clark is the leader and principal songwriter of the gospel group the Clark Sisters, which includes Jacky Clark-Chisholm, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Karen Clark-Sheard and formerly Denise Clark Bradford, who departed in 1986. The group performed the crossover hit "You Brought the Sunshine (Into My Life)", which peaked within the top 20 of Billboard' s Gospel and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts and hit a top 30 peak on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. Other songs include, "Is My Living in Vain", "Expect Your Miracle" and "Jesus is a Love Song", all written by Clark. Receiving their first Grammy nomination at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards for Sincerely (1982) in the Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group category, they received subsequent nominations for its follow-ups, Heart & Soul (1986) and Conqueror (1988), for Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo, Group, Choir or Chorus at the 30th and 31st Annual Grammy Awards. In 1990, the group received its first Grammy nomination for a live album when Bringing it Back Home (1989) was nominated for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards. In 2007, the Clark Sisters were awarded three Grammys at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Gospel Song and Best Gospel Performance for "Blessed & Highly Favored" and Best Traditional Gospel Album for its parent album Live: One Last Time, which topped both the Billboard Gospel Albums and Christian Music Video charts.

Clark has recorded several solo albums. Her debut studio album, Praise Belongs to God (1979), was ranked at No. 28 by Billboard on the 1981 year-end Spiritual Albums chart and followed shortly by Ye Shall Receive Power (1981). Later, Clark released Comin' Home (1992) and The Masterpiece (1996). In 1996, she also made her live solo debut in a collaborative album Twinkie Clark-Terrell Presents the Florida A&M University Gospel Choir, which was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart, where it was placed by Billboard as the 34th Top Gospel Album of 1996. In 2002, she released Twinkie Clark & Friends...Live in Charlotte which received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. In 2004, it was followed by the Asaph Ward-produced Home Once Again: Live in Detroit, which became her highest charting album on Billboard' s Gospel Albums chart and also appeared on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 2011 and 2013, Clark released With Humility and Live & Unplugged respectively on Larry Clark Gospel, before releasing a collaborative album with Larry Clark, who is the son of her sister Denise Clark Bradford: The Generations (2020).

From the age of thirteen, Clark toured nationally under the tutelage of her mother Mattie Moss Clark, ministering and training choirs in three-part vocal harmony. In 1967, Clark made her recording debut as a featured vocalist alongside her mother Mattie Moss Clark, sister Denise Clark and Dolores Jones on Southwest Michigan State Choir of the Church Of God in Christ's "He Will Supply Your Need", from the album A Closer Walk with Thee. Clark received formal music education from Howard University.

Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark (born November 15, 1954) is an American gospel singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, musician and evangelist. Clark is best known as a member the American gospel singing group the Clark Sisters. Clark has been called the "Mother of Contemporary Gospel Music". In addition to singing, Clark is a heralded musician. Known as "the Queen of the B3 Hammond Organ", Clark is a member of the Hammond organ Hall of Fame Class of 2014. In 2012, Clark was honored by Dr. Judith Christie McAllister and the International Music Department of the Church of God in Christ, as a living legend and influencer during the 105th International Holy Convocation, where Clark received an honorary doctorate of sacred music from Dr. Tony Lewis and the Christian Bible Institute and Seminary (CBIS).