by Stephen Thomas ErlewineAs a member of the Clark Sisters, Karen Clark-Sheard was part of one of the most popular contempoary gospel groups of the '80s and '90s. She began singing with the group at the age of seven and she stayed with them for years, until she started a solo career in 1997. She was inspired to strike out on her own by producer/songwriter Stanley Brown. He had heard her sing "Don't Give Up" on the Island Inspirational All-Stars with Kirk Franklin, Donald Lawrence and Hezekiah Walker and suggested she work as a solo artist. With the blessing of her sisters, Karen Clark-Sheard decided to make a solo record for Island Inspirational Records and the result was Finally Karen...Live!, which was released in the fall of 1997. The album was produced by Donald Lawrence, James Moss and Stanley Brown and featured large portions recorded live in Detroit with the Tri-City Singers.