Kurt Carr
Musical artist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kurt Carr (born October 12, 1964) is an American gospel music composer, songwriter, producer, and singer. While living in the city of Hartford, Connecticut, he served as Minister of Music at The First Baptist Church of Hartford located at the time on Greenfield Street. He is currently the Praise and Worship leader at The Fountain Of Praise in Houston, Texas.
Kurt Carr | |
|---|---|
The Kurt Carr Singers perform for President George W. Bush and guests on June 17, 2008 in the East Room of the White House | |
| Background information | |
| Born | October 12, 1964 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Genres | Gospel, praise & worship |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | www |
Carr's music is a blend of traditional gospel composition and vocals, with elements of R&B, jazz, soul, blues, and the distinct modern harmonies and singing styles found in urban contemporary gospel. The Kurt Carr Singers under his direction and musical influence have created seven albums. Kurt Carr has won four Stellar Awards.
Biography
Early years
Kurt Carr was born in the mid-1960s in Hartford, Connecticut, where he grew up in a family who believed in Jesus, but was not deeply involved in church. It was around the age of 13, Carr found himself being increasingly drawn to the church. During this period, Kurt Carr became also focused in his instrument playing, compositions, and singing. In his early teen years, he performed as an actor and dancer at the Hartford Stage Company in a Broadway musical called On the Town, which was directed by Clay Stevenson. He became an active member in his church's music department. At the age of 17, Carr realized that he was being called to do something even higher with his life. After high school, he entered into the music program at the University of Connecticut, where he studied classical music and earned a Fine Arts degree. Carr is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
Music career
Early career
Kurt Carr in his youth, was inspired under The Hawkins Family, and was cultivated under Richard Smallwood in his inception of his career. Kurt Carr eventually relocated to the Los Angeles region in the mid 1980s, subsequently hired to be musical director and pianist for Rev. James Cleveland, working for his church establishment of Conerstone Institutional Baptist Church, alongside further aspects in the same established church and related career and ministry. This allowed Kurt Carr to be further into the Gospel Industry, including GMWA events and also on Bobby Jones Gospel. Being under the then-considered, "relevant" gospel figures, allowed Kurt Carr to further solidify his own career. In June 1987, Kurt Carr formed his first widespread wave of the gospel vocal ensemble titled The Kurt Carr Singers, continuing from the previous variant of the singers from the prior periods in the home area of Kurt Carr. The singers commenced their debut EP, I'm Glad in 1988 released on the Independent label. After signing with Light Records in 1990, the major label debut album was recorded in periods between July 1991, in concert, with further subsequent work of the record. The record, titled Together, featured blend of Traditional Gospel Music, R&B, Funk, Soul, and Classical Music, and was released in late 1991. Notable tracks included rendition of Love Under New Management, alongside the return of the indie-debut version "Holy, Holy, Holy." The record featured Kurt Carr in his role of, songwriter, arranger, producer, instrumentalist, and singer. The record charted, Number 10 on the Gospel Billboard Charts, and was Stellar Award Nominated. While still working under the ministry established under Rev. Cleveland, Carr became attendee of West Angeles Church of God In Christ, under the pastoralship of Bishop Charles Edward Blake. During the early and mid 1990s, Kurt Carr used dual roles in working for the ministry established under Rev. James Cleveland and being installed-music minister of the choir of West Angeles Church of God In Christ. In this vicinity, Kurt Carr was able to further be in the realm of both Contemporary Gospel Music and Praise & Worship. Andraé Crouch had also had his collaborations in working with Kurt Carr in his career, and further inspiring him directly. Transitions in the Light Records label, led to GospoCentric Records which was owned and co-founded by to Vicki Mack Lataillade.
1994–2000: Serious About It! and No One Else
Now signed onto GospoCentric, the group released their debut on the label titled Serious About It! The album featured songs including the rendition of Salt-N-Pepa's "Whatta Man" titled, What a God, You Always Make A Way, and most notably, Surely God Is Able. The album succeeded onto the charts and stayed there for several months, eventually leading the Kurt Carr and the Singers to be featured on the "Why We Sing tour" with Kirk Franklin in 1995. After the period of touring, In July 1996, the singers recorded their following album on the label, No One Else, at the West Angeles which was released in March 1997. The album also features Anastacia, Mary Mary, & Andrea McClurkin-Mellini (sister of Donnie McClurkin) serving as a few of the additional background singers.[1] The album most notably featured "For Every Mountain," which became one of the Carr's most known features over time. Other tracks were notably present, including Do You Know Him, which is the hip-hop "influenced" version of the previous rendition done under Edwin Hawkins of the same title in song. Both Serious About It! and No One Else, featured blending of R&B, Hip-Hop, Choral Compositions, and further intertwined into the musicality Kurt Carr had set forth.
2000–2012: Growing success and acclaim
In 2000, Awesome Wonder was released. Notable tracks included I Almost Let Go, Set The Atmosphere, and most notably, In the Sanctuary. The latter of the three became widespread inside its first year of release, eventually leading to internet memes, and the alike, in result of the success of the song over twenty years after the release. The album stayed in the charts longer than the previous albums and it increased the group's success higher, eventually earning gold. The record was known for its broader Praise & Worship vision, incorperating further ministry-centered doctrine in lyrics, and with further congregational focus, which departed from the overtly "urban sound" on the previous records. In the Sanctuary eventually transcended countries and regions during the early 2000s. Carr took it upon to produce and write tracks in the 2000s for Byron Cage, among others such as Tramaine Hawkins, and Bishop Paul S. Morton. In July 2004, Kurt Carr recorded The Kurt Carr Project: One Church which was successfully released in March 2005. Centered upon being a multicultural church, the record blends the music sounds of various regions, while continuing and expanding from the sound of the previous record. Notable features include "God Great God," and "God Blocked It," among others becoming staples. Returning to the more "traditional" congregational sound, Kurt Carr had done his first two disc album Just the Beginning, which was released on his self titled label Kurt Carr Gospel and Zomba in 2008.
2012–present: Current
In 2013, Bless This House was released on Verity Gospel Music Group which notably included the single "I've Seen Him Do It." The blended the ministrial focus of the 2000s records, with also the return of urbanized mainstream features, including the disco-influenced Always Covering Me and R&B/Pop influenced, It's A Good Day. The album debuted Number 1 on the charts. During the personal transitions during the early to mid 2010s, Kurt Carr released Bless Somebody Else on RCA Records' Gospel Label RCA Inspiration in 2019 in which Kurt Carr Gospel Label from Just the Beginning returned. The album continued the similar sound from the previous album. The titular single was released the same year of the record release of Bless Somebody Else, with "Blessing After Blessing," following one year later. Kurt Carr is currently set to release his upcoming record, being the first for the 2020s.
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [2] |
US R&B /HH [3] |
US Gospel [4] |
US Christian [5] | |||||
| I'm Glad (as the Kurt Carr Singers) |
— | — | — | — | ||||
| Together (as the Kurt Carr Singers) |
|
— | — | 11 | — | |||
| Serious About It! (as the Kurt Carr Singers) |
|
— | — | 21 | — | |||
| No One Else (as the Kurt Carr Singers) |
— | — | 8 | — |
|
|||
| Awesome Wonder (with the Kurt Carr Singers) |
— | — | 5 | 14 |
|
|||
| The Kurt Carr Project: One Church |
|
109 | 27 | 1 | — | |||
| Just the Beginning | 62 | — | 2 | — | ||||
| Bless This House |
|
43 | — | 1 | — | |||
| Bless Somebody Else |
|
— | — | 2 | — | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||
Compilation albums
| Title[4] | Album details[4] | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Gospel [4] | ||
| Playlist: The Very Best of Kurt Carr & the Kurt Carr Singers | 33 | |
| Setlist: The Very Best Of Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers Live |
|
50 |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Gospel [27] | ||||||||
| "God Blocked It" | 2004 | 3 | One Church | |||||
| "God Great God" | 26 | |||||||
| "Peace And Favor Rest On Us" | 2008 | 2 | Just The Beginning | |||||
| "Bless Somebody Else (Dorothy's Song)" | 2019 | 18 | Bless Somebody Else | |||||
| "Blessing After Blessing" | 2020 | —[A] | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Gospel [27] | ||||||||
| "For Every Mountain" | 1996 | —[B] | No One Else | |||||
| "I Almost Let Go" | 2000 | —[C] | Awesome Wonder | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||