Kierra released three chart-topping and award-winning CDs at EMI Gospel. Her first album, I Owe You, was released in 2004, when she was 16 years old. It debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart. Her first single from that album, “You Don't Know,” charted at #1 and was Billboard's 2004 R&B Gospel Single of the Year. The album received a Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Award nomination for Urban Album of the Year, and “You Don’t Know” won a GMA Dove Award for Best Recorded Urban Song. The CD also won the Soul Train Award that year for Best Gospel Album, and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Gospel Album.

 

Her second CD, This is Me, was released in 2006, and debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart. The CD won a GMA Dove Award for Best Recorded Urban Gospel Album and Kierra won a Stellar Award for Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year. Kierra received her first GRAMMY® nomination at age 19, when “Why Me,” the single from This Is Me, was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Song. In 2008, Kierra released her third CD, Bold Right Life, which debuted at #3 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart. Kierra received her second GRAMMY® nomination when the CD was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album in 2009. Kierra was also nominated for four Stellar Awards for that CD: Female Vocalist of the Year, Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year, Contemporary CD of the Year and Artist of the Year. In addition to the three albums, Kierra released two compilation CDs while at EMI: Just Until..., a collection of remixes (2005), and KiKi’s Mixtape, an EP of her greatest hits (2009).

“EMI gave me a great opportunity and they did an awesome job because they put me on the map,” says Kierra. “I will never forget the individuals who worked with me, who were patient with me. They treated me like family.”

 

FREE is Kierra’s fourth album, and first CD released on Karew Records. At 26 years old, Kierra has become one of gospel’s most powerful female vocalists, and her maturity and musical skills are on display more prominently than ever before on this CD. FREE was produced and written by Kierra and her brother, producer J Drew Sheard II (JDS), and features an intro by gospel super producer, Donald Lawrence. Kierra exudes both humility and confidence over her new project. “I love every bit of this CD because I had more creative control,” she says. “It’s also interesting to see how God is using this business to bring my brother and me even closer together. He pulled so much out of me that no other producer has done, and that’s what makes it so much more exciting.”

 

Recorded live in Chicago, with select songs recorded in the studio, FREE is an exploration of musical sounds and styles that creatively express the heart and soul of the next generation of the Clark Family gospel music dynasty. “I’ve always wanted to do a live recording because there’s just a totally different energy that I get from it,” says Kierra. “I am a worshipper, and, surprisingly, I never recorded any worship songs on my previous CD projects. But on this album, you’ll hear my praise and worship songs, as well as other great sounds. And they’re all easy, fun songs to learn. They’ll make you praise God and jump around, skip around and do a cartwheel.”

 

Kierra digs down into her soul to minister songs that deliver and heal on FREE—from inspiring praise ballads, such as the Chris Tomlin re-make “Indescribable” and the tearful “Desire,” to the rock tinged “War” and swagged out “People,” featuring S.O.M. Other highlights include the fired up “Victory,” featuring James Fortune, and hip hop inspired “Believers Evolved” and “Back 2 Earth.” This outstanding album has something every soul can benefit from, whether they are at a block party, in church, at the club or in their cars.

The cds' first single, “Mighty,” written by Kierra, is an upbeat, high praise worship song, which has been creating a huge buzz at radio. “‘Mighty’ was originally a studio track,” she says. “But when you hear the way we did it—it has a more throw-your-hands-up kind of vibe...like let’s rock, let’s go.”

Other songs that have a special meaning to Kierra include the mid-tempo and praise-team-ready, “You Are,” which was inspired by Jonathan Nelson and Donnie McClurkin. Then there’s “‘Free,’ which is very personal,” says Kierra. “It comes from a time when my mind was racing—just going crazy. I would think thoughts that I never had before...talk about the mind being a battlefield. But thank God I was prayerful. If you’re not careful, the enemy will use your mind as a vehicle to your heart. If you’re not freeing your mind, it really makes it hard to accomplish goals or be in the will of God or live a life that is stress free.”

 

Kierra is also excited about the fact that FREE features the BRL Choir from Bold Right Life, the youth organization that she created five years ago to inspire young people to live for Christ and to care about their communities. She started the group in Detroit, where she holds an annual conference at her father’s church. Attendance at the conference has nearly doubled, growing from 800 to more than 1,500 young people who attend each year, and the organization has expanded to include chapters in many states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Illinois to name a few. Bold Right Life, which shares the name of Kierra’s third album, provides encouragement and opportunities for young people to do outreach and ministry at places such as group homes and juvenile centers, and to put on benefit concerts for people and organizations in need of support.

 

It was important to Kierra that she and her brother completed this album on their own, without their parents’ assistance or influence. “We wanted this to be a surprise to our parents,” says Kierra. “To see how good they felt about what came about made my heart smile. They appreciate the sound that God has given me and my brother, and they say they can see our growth.” Kierra hopes that others who hear this CD will also see her growth and maturity. “My hope for this CD is that it rebrands me as an artist and that people are not just associating me with ‘little KiKi,’ or ‘little Kierra,’ who is out here just because mommy pushed me to do something. I want them to understand that she’s poured into me and she’s instilled ministry into me.”

 

A self-proclaimed “daddy’s girl,” Kierra also has always had a very special relationship with her mother. From the first moment they were on stage together, with Karen Clark Sheard both leading her daughter through the song and marveling at her performance, Karen has guided and supported Kierra. She helped to navigate her through high school and college, as Kierra was trying to balance

 

school and a burgeoning career. “My mom is a huge influence on me and my career,” says Kierra. “She is the complete package. I can honestly say that I would not be here singing without her support. Both of my parents have really taught me what it means to be a disciple, which is to do ministry and spread the Gospel and to meet the needs of the people. I want people to see from my records & ministry that I’m a servant of the kingdom, and I want it to bless and change lives.”

 

Kierra graduated from Wayne State University in May 2011, where she majored in English, with a minor in psychology. Her father was adamant about his children getting a college education. Although he has always been extremely supportive of their music careers, and has helped nurture their musical gifts, he wanted them to also gain knowledge and skills in areas outside of the music business. While at Wayne State, Kierra developed an interest in clinical psychology, and she hopes to pursue a master’s degree in that subject area.

 

With her parents’ guidance, Kierra has a life that extends beyond her music ministry. A budding actress, she has been featured in the films Preacher’s Kid, and Blessed and Cursed. Kierra’s most recent family project is The Sheards, a new docu-drama series on the BET Networks that profiles her mega-popular Detroit based gospel super star family. The hour long episodes are primarily told through the eyes of Kierra and J. Drew. The series follows them as they navigate family, friends, and faith in a secular world. The hugely successful first season followed Kierra as she sought to find balance between her professional ambition to find more mainstream success, and her loyalty to her brother, who she’s collaborated with on all her previous albums. Kierra also struggles with juggling her new found independence with her strong family bonds, losing weight and love interests. The Sheards debuted April 2013 to historic numbers & aired weekly on Sundays at 8 p.m., ET on BET.

 

The Sheards just wrapped production for it's 2nd season set to air 2014!

 

Kierra continues promoting her current CD at venues across the country, an effort that has included a tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Early 2013, she was featured as the only female on the very popular United As One Tour with James Fortune, VaShawn Mitchell, and Zacardi Cortez.

 

Kierra just finished studio work for her new cd: Graceland, set to release July 22nd; Sure to be another smash, as she collabs with the incredible talents of: Diane Warren, Harmony Samuels, & JDS II to name a few. 'Trumpets Blow'(released specifically in accordance with The Sheards Show season 1) was released May 2013 & debuted #1 on itunes within hours of it's release. Kierras' new cd recorded for & by Karew Records will be distributed via the newly formed Motown Gospel.

Creating a new standard in gospel, Kierra Sheard is raising the bar for her family’s label & setting a pace for the rest to follow.