She’s been called the Rose of Gospel for her jazzy runs and pretty vocal hiccups, but Dorinda Clark Cole is more comparable to a Wonder Woman. Aside from singing solo and with the Clark Sisters, Cole preaches at crusades, runs a music academy, does fashion modeling, hosts a syndicated radio show and stars in a cable television program.

The Detroit native first sang in public at the age of five. Her mother was Mattie Moss Clark, the legendary Church of God in Christ (COGIC) choir director. In the early `70s, Clark put all of her daughters (Dorinda, Jacky, Karen, Twinkie and Denise) together as the Clark Sisters when they were pre-teens and introduced them at various COGIC music events. Their debut LP Jesus Has a Lot to Give was released in 1973. Throughout the decade, Cole led the group on songs such as “Sanctify Me Lord” and “Overdose of the Holy Ghost.”

From 1980 to 1994, the Clark Sisters perfected their blend of churchy fervor, jazzy riffs and contemporary rhythms with broad radio hits such as “You Brought the Sunshine” and “Pray for the U.S.A.” During this period, Cole led Clarks hits such as “Is My Living in Vain?,” “My Redeemer Liveth,” the club-friendly “I Won’t Let Go Until You Bless My Soul” and “It’s Gonna Be Alright.” After 1994, the Clark Sisters ceased to record on a regular basis, although they periodically performed together in concerts. During that time, Cole stepped up her preaching engagements and concentrated on running the Mattie Moss Clark Conservatory of Music.

In 2002, Cole finally stepped center stage as a soloist and released her self-titled debut CD for Gospocentric Records. The Top 5 album featured radio smashes such as “I’m Coming Out” and “I’m Still Here.” The project’s success gave Cole a platform to talk about her suicide attempt. “I had an experience that made me feel very disillusioned, very betrayed… I felt like God had left me, and I came very close to attempting suicide. My pain was that severe…. I share this story because I want people to understand that we all go through situations we can’t handle—only God can help us… He stopped me before death took me. His grace pulled me back, and I want people to know that you don’t have to let your problems take you out. God is greater than those problems.”

Cole’s 2005 sophomore CD The Rose of Gospel featured the praise and worship number “Great is the Lord” and the up-tempo “So Many Times.” In 2007, the Clark Sisters reunited for the Grammy-winning CD Live: One Last Time that featured the big hits “Blessed & Highly Favored” and “Livin.” The sisters followed the success with performances on the Grammy Awards, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The View.

In recent years, Cole has served as a spokes model for the Donna Vinci fashion house and sported the apparel in their print ads. She’s also the host of the syndicated radio program Servin Up Soul with Dorinda Clark Cole and stars in the musical TV series Dorinda that airs on the Total Christian Television (TCT) network. Her latest CD Take it Back features the Top Ten quartet-styled title song.