Source: Lifetime / lifetime
A lot of us were pretty taken with the Clark Sisters biopic on Lifetime. We learned a lot about this legendary gospel group. And for those of us who grew up in similar church settings, it gave us more than a few things to think about in our own lives as well.
One of the moments that had the people shook was the fact that Twinkie Clark, the leader of the group who composed a majority of their songs, sold her catalog for a new car. Given the success and the crossover of the Clark Sisters music, it was a decision that could have had devastating, far-reaching effects.
But according to Kierra Sheard, Karen Clark-Sheard’s daughter and niece to Twinkie, that’s not how the story ended. Thankfully.
During a digital interview with Shadow and Act, Sheard took questions from viewers about the film and her history-making family members.
Sheard said that she didn’t even know that her Aunt Twinkie had once given up the rights.
“I did not know that my aunt Twink sold her catalog for a car. She got it back by the way. So kudos to her. And it was such a great lesson my grandmother, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, had said to her in front of her sisters. Basically to not think for today. I thought it was a great lesson even for this generation. We’re so in the moment, do it, go. But she [Mattie Moss Clark] was like, ‘You know what you did? You sold your sister’s future. You sold your children’s future. Aunjanue Ellis murked that role! I was just so inspired. The way she stays in it. She’s a G. It was so interesting to see how she channeled the emotions. She was so in the moment. “
Sheard also shared that she didn’t know the group faced such opposition from the church.
“My grandmother was so passionate about ministry, the church, about the gospel that she didn’t let nothing stop her. She was like a gangster…I didn’t know that my grandmother went through so much supposition with men. But inspired me is that the sisters still found good men while they may not have seen the best male examples. So kudos to them on not repeating the cycle.”
A fan asked about the family’s relationship with Denise Clark-Bradford, who left the group in a bit of a dramatic moment.
“We’ve tried reaching out to my aunt,” said Sheard, adding that it “not been the smoothest event or experience.”
“But she’s super vibrant. When I talked her to her the first time, it was super fun.” Sheard said she was looking forward to the talk because of how her mother has always spoken highly of Clark-Bradford. “She has often said that I remind her a lot of my aunt…because I’m talkative, I like to be informed, I like to read and she says I’m well-spoken…but [the] relationship [with Denise] is distant, I’ll say that, but we connected with her children.”
When asked if there would ever be a chance for the sisters to unite, Sheard said, “I think that would be super dope. We’ve just got to make sure everybody’s on one accord.”
You can watch this portion of the interview below.
And the full interview, over at Shadow and Act.
