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Grammy Award Winning Singer Talks About His Career
Aired February 19, 2004 - 14:49 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, ANCHOR: As singer Donnie McClurkin cuts loose, no television executive has to worry about that five-second delay.
He took home a Grammy at this year's awards ceremony. And it's not the first one on his mantelpiece.
His work on "Donnie McClurkin Again" won him Grammy gold for best contemporary gospel recording. He joins us now to talk about it.
What a pleasure to have you here.
DONNIE MCCLURKIN, GOSPEL SINGER: Thanks for letting me be here.
PHILLIPS: Are you relaxed now?
MCCLURKIN: I'm cool. I'm cool. I've had my sedative.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Which is a little prayer.
MCCLURKIN: That's true.
PHILLIPS: All right. Take me back: 11 years old, you met Andre Crouch. It changed your world.
MCCLURKIN: It changed my entire world. And I was in awe of Andre. He was my icon then. And he came to our church in Jamaica, Queens, and he laid his hands on me and prayed, "God, give him what you gave to me." And that's how all this really started.
PHILLIPS: That's amazing.
MCCLURKIN: It's a fantasy.
PHILLIPS: And a lot of response from him through the years?
MCCLURKIN: Yes. Yes. He is now like a friend, father, brother, everything. I can sit down and share and pick his brain. And to this day, he can still write a song and play the piano like nobody's business.
PHILLIPS: All right. So I'm reading some things that you have said over the years about your music, substance, the message cannot be compromised.
After the Janet Jackson flash dance, you know, we had to do all these interviews, right? And musicians said, we just got to do what we got to do. It's a hard business; economics are tough. But you don't seem to push it.
MCCLURKIN: No, there's no need to because your talent speaks for itself. And the gift that you have really opens up the doors for you.
So all those cheap tricks, you know, in order to get more publicity winds up backbiting, as it did. You know, it winds up backbiting. If you just use the gifts that you have and the excellence that have you at it, it will open up every door in the world for you.
PHILLIPS: So I'm curious. What do you think of this music, you know, talking about pimps and ho's and ballers (ph) and clubs. You just...
MCCLURKIN: I think -- how low can you get? Where is the good music? Where is the Norah Jones, the Beyonces? Where are the good singers with the good lyrical content?
That's a lost art that I hope that they're bringing back, because it's needed. It's -- You need the refreshing. You need the innocence that will give the children some hope.
Because you can't keep calling them ho's and whatnot and think that it's not going to affect a generation.
PHILLIPS: It is affecting the generation.
All right. Another story that's affected the generation, a beautiful ballad that will definitely give you goose bumps. You did it with Yolanda Adams.
MCCLURKIN: Yolanda Adams.
PHILLIPS: "The Prayer."
MCCLURKIN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: All right. Let's listen to a little bit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCLURKIN (singing): Sorrow will be ended. And every heart that's broken will be mended and...
YOLANDA ADAMS, GOSPEL SINGER (singing): Sorrow will be ended. And every heart that's broken will be mended and...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Wow. Tell me what inspired this. Tell me about the lyrics.
MCCLURKIN: The great David Foster. He wrote the song, and he brought the song to me. Josh Brolin (ph) had sung it already and Charlotte Church and a couple of others. Celine Dion sang it with Andre Bocelli in Italian.
And he wanted me -- he wanted us to do a gospelized version of it. And Yolanda Adams is the quintessential singer of all times. She is just the greatest. I love her.
And when we did it, it was hand in glove. It affected us, I think, more than it affected everyone else. And then it just, you know -- it just trickled down.
It was like -- what is it, kismet? Is that what they call it? I'm from New York. I have no idea.
PHILLIPS: New York.
MCCLURKIN: You know. But it was just absolutely made in heaven. And David Foster couldn't have written better song. And I'm just glad he allowed to us sing it.
PHILLIPS: So when you're sitting down, you're thinking about writing a song, of course, the higher being inspires you.
Is there a certain person you think about? Is there something you have to do to sort of get in that mindset?
MCCLURKIN: It's all about God. It's all about sitting down with God first, and then even pulling back from your past history, from the things that you've gone through.
Every one of the songs have a piece of me in it, a piece of my experience, good, bad, ugly, but it always -- the resolution of it is always God. That is what brings it to its foundation. You know, there is no other message, there's no other resolution for it other than the God -- you know, the God aspect of it.
PHILLIPS: The name of your church, Perfecting Faith Church in Long Island, that's where you're the pastor.
MCCLURKIN: Freeport, New York.
PHILLIPS: So if we go, we're going to perfect our faith? Are you saying we're all going to become better people?
MCCLURKIN: I'm trying to tell you. Beyonce has been there, Missy Elliot's been there, Kelly Preston, Michelle Williams, just -- Star Jones, they've been there.
We are into perfecting faith. And I'm getting the preacher in me right now. You're going to fall out in a few seconds.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Right now -- Can you see, I'm getting drawn in.
All right. Before we go just for a second, besides "The Prayer," think of a song that you just love that's dear to your heart. Just a line or two that you remember that you wrote. Can you think of it?
MCCLURKIN: Oh, yes.
PHILLIPS: You got it in your head.
MCCLURKIN: I've got it right here.
PHILLIPS: All right. As we move on, I want to you sing it to me.
MCCLURKIN (singing): What do you do when you've done all you can and seems like it's never enough? Oh, what do you say when your friends turn away, you're all alone?
What do you give when you've given your all and it seems like you can't make it through? Well, you just stand when there is nothing left to do. You just stand, watch the Lord see you through.
After you've done all you can you just stand.
PHILLIPS: See, you didn't get nervous. Donnie McClurkin.
MCCLURKIN: You got to travel with me.
PHILLIPS: Any time. I'll be your agent. Glad to meet you finally in person. Thank you.
MCCLURKIN: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: There's people clapping in the newsroom.
MCCLURKIN: I'll pay them later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 19, 2004 - 14:49 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, ANCHOR: As singer Donnie McClurkin cuts loose, no television executive has to worry about that five-second delay.
He took home a Grammy at this year's awards ceremony. And it's not the first one on his mantelpiece.
His work on "Donnie McClurkin Again" won him Grammy gold for best contemporary gospel recording. He joins us now to talk about it.
What a pleasure to have you here.
DONNIE MCCLURKIN, GOSPEL SINGER: Thanks for letting me be here.
PHILLIPS: Are you relaxed now?
MCCLURKIN: I'm cool. I'm cool. I've had my sedative.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Which is a little prayer.
MCCLURKIN: That's true.
PHILLIPS: All right. Take me back: 11 years old, you met Andre Crouch. It changed your world.
MCCLURKIN: It changed my entire world. And I was in awe of Andre. He was my icon then. And he came to our church in Jamaica, Queens, and he laid his hands on me and prayed, "God, give him what you gave to me." And that's how all this really started.
PHILLIPS: That's amazing.
MCCLURKIN: It's a fantasy.
PHILLIPS: And a lot of response from him through the years?
MCCLURKIN: Yes. Yes. He is now like a friend, father, brother, everything. I can sit down and share and pick his brain. And to this day, he can still write a song and play the piano like nobody's business.
PHILLIPS: All right. So I'm reading some things that you have said over the years about your music, substance, the message cannot be compromised.
After the Janet Jackson flash dance, you know, we had to do all these interviews, right? And musicians said, we just got to do what we got to do. It's a hard business; economics are tough. But you don't seem to push it.
MCCLURKIN: No, there's no need to because your talent speaks for itself. And the gift that you have really opens up the doors for you.
So all those cheap tricks, you know, in order to get more publicity winds up backbiting, as it did. You know, it winds up backbiting. If you just use the gifts that you have and the excellence that have you at it, it will open up every door in the world for you.
PHILLIPS: So I'm curious. What do you think of this music, you know, talking about pimps and ho's and ballers (ph) and clubs. You just...
MCCLURKIN: I think -- how low can you get? Where is the good music? Where is the Norah Jones, the Beyonces? Where are the good singers with the good lyrical content?
That's a lost art that I hope that they're bringing back, because it's needed. It's -- You need the refreshing. You need the innocence that will give the children some hope.
Because you can't keep calling them ho's and whatnot and think that it's not going to affect a generation.
PHILLIPS: It is affecting the generation.
All right. Another story that's affected the generation, a beautiful ballad that will definitely give you goose bumps. You did it with Yolanda Adams.
MCCLURKIN: Yolanda Adams.
PHILLIPS: "The Prayer."
MCCLURKIN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: All right. Let's listen to a little bit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCLURKIN (singing): Sorrow will be ended. And every heart that's broken will be mended and...
YOLANDA ADAMS, GOSPEL SINGER (singing): Sorrow will be ended. And every heart that's broken will be mended and...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Wow. Tell me what inspired this. Tell me about the lyrics.
MCCLURKIN: The great David Foster. He wrote the song, and he brought the song to me. Josh Brolin (ph) had sung it already and Charlotte Church and a couple of others. Celine Dion sang it with Andre Bocelli in Italian.
And he wanted me -- he wanted us to do a gospelized version of it. And Yolanda Adams is the quintessential singer of all times. She is just the greatest. I love her.
And when we did it, it was hand in glove. It affected us, I think, more than it affected everyone else. And then it just, you know -- it just trickled down.
It was like -- what is it, kismet? Is that what they call it? I'm from New York. I have no idea.
PHILLIPS: New York.
MCCLURKIN: You know. But it was just absolutely made in heaven. And David Foster couldn't have written better song. And I'm just glad he allowed to us sing it.
PHILLIPS: So when you're sitting down, you're thinking about writing a song, of course, the higher being inspires you.
Is there a certain person you think about? Is there something you have to do to sort of get in that mindset?
MCCLURKIN: It's all about God. It's all about sitting down with God first, and then even pulling back from your past history, from the things that you've gone through.
Every one of the songs have a piece of me in it, a piece of my experience, good, bad, ugly, but it always -- the resolution of it is always God. That is what brings it to its foundation. You know, there is no other message, there's no other resolution for it other than the God -- you know, the God aspect of it.
PHILLIPS: The name of your church, Perfecting Faith Church in Long Island, that's where you're the pastor.
MCCLURKIN: Freeport, New York.
PHILLIPS: So if we go, we're going to perfect our faith? Are you saying we're all going to become better people?
MCCLURKIN: I'm trying to tell you. Beyonce has been there, Missy Elliot's been there, Kelly Preston, Michelle Williams, just -- Star Jones, they've been there.
We are into perfecting faith. And I'm getting the preacher in me right now. You're going to fall out in a few seconds.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Right now -- Can you see, I'm getting drawn in.
All right. Before we go just for a second, besides "The Prayer," think of a song that you just love that's dear to your heart. Just a line or two that you remember that you wrote. Can you think of it?
MCCLURKIN: Oh, yes.
PHILLIPS: You got it in your head.
MCCLURKIN: I've got it right here.
PHILLIPS: All right. As we move on, I want to you sing it to me.
MCCLURKIN (singing): What do you do when you've done all you can and seems like it's never enough? Oh, what do you say when your friends turn away, you're all alone?
What do you give when you've given your all and it seems like you can't make it through? Well, you just stand when there is nothing left to do. You just stand, watch the Lord see you through.
After you've done all you can you just stand.
PHILLIPS: See, you didn't get nervous. Donnie McClurkin.
MCCLURKIN: You got to travel with me.
PHILLIPS: Any time. I'll be your agent. Glad to meet you finally in person. Thank you.
MCCLURKIN: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: There's people clapping in the newsroom.
MCCLURKIN: I'll pay them later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
