Over the last dozen years, the songs of Kurt Carr have become essential to Sunday morning church services. His sophisticated praise tunes such as In the Sanctuary, For Every Mountain and Peace and Favor Rest on Us are choir staples.

Carr was born in Hartford, CT to a non-churchgoing family and made the decision to attend church when he was 13 years old. His teenage musical heroes were gospel greats Bishop Walter Hawkins and Pastor Andrae Crouch. “I had a natural ear for music, and my mother saw my interest in gospel, so she bought me a Walter Hawkins album,” Carr says. “It literally changed my life. I listened to it every single day for a year or two, and I taught myself how to play piano from those songs.”

After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Fine Arts, Carr was mentored by gospel pianists such as Richard Smallwood and the Rev. James Cleveland. He began working with Cleveland in 1986 and served as his musical director until Cleveland’s death in 1991.

Meanwhile, Carr assembled his own ensemble, The Kurt Carr Singers who released their debut CD Together in 1991. The album was noted for his classical meets Pentecostal arrangement of the hymn Holy, Holy, Holy.

With a keen ear for corporate worship, millions continue to sing Carr’s In the Sanctuary across the globe every week, in no less than nine different languages. “After the success of that song, I knew God had called my music ministry to reach people of all races and all people who have an open ear for God’s message,” says Carr. His latest CD, Just the Beginning, features the Top Ten 2008 modern gospel iconic hit Peace and Favor Rest On Us.

Carr also shares his gift of music with other artists and is responsible for producing chart topping albums for Bishop Paul Morton, I’m Still Standing and Tramaine Hawkins, I Never Lost My Praise. In addition to producing, Carr wrote the BMI award winning title song for the Byron Cage album, The Presence Of The Lord Is Here.

“God has called me to preserve the music of the church,” Carr says, matter-of-factly. “There are people, there are ministers, who are called to go into the world and evangelize it. I feel that I am called to perpetuate the music of the church so that there’s substance to feed seasoned saints, and new converts once we catch them. That summarizes my calling.”

Carr recently moved his quarters to Houston, Texas, after a 20-year tenure in Los Angeles. Even after his success, he does not attribute his gifting to anything but God’s incomparable anointing.

“Most times when I sit down to write I go, ‘Oh, God, I don’t have any songs. I can’t hear anything,’” Carr confesses. “And then as I pray and seek God, He gives me ideas. I definitely know that it’s a gift from Him. I’m so appreciative that He’s chosen me to share it with the world.”