Donnie McClurkin: gospel music's hidden treasure

Jet, Jan 6, 2003 by Clarence Waldron

A native of Amityville, NY, McClurkin won major fame with his 1996 solo breakthrough album, Donnie McClurkin, which featured Stand and Speak To My Heart.

Despite his fame in the gospel world, Donnie comes across as just a regular person. In fact, talking to him is like talking to your brother or your new best friend.

He describes himself as "quiet and private on one hand, but candid and transparent on the other. A romantic, somebody who loves love." He also loves "The Little Rascals." "I like nostalgia--I am an old movie buff, old comedies, the whole nine yards, the Marx Brothers."

He also loves children and has an adopted daughter, Michelle, who is now 17 and attends college in London. The two often travel the world together, he says.

McClurkin has successfully battled leukemia. "It is not only in remission--I was healed a long time ago." He says his sister Olivia, who sings with him on tour, is being healed of cancer. "It is breast cancer, but it has gone much farther than that. It has spread to her spine. But God is healing her. She's in no pain, no nothing. We go from hurdle to hurdle, but we overcome every hurdle. And that's why we keep singing like we sing, that's why we can't sing any other form of music but gospel because we've seen Him work."

Reflecting on his successful career and ministry, he notes, "I want to make God proud of me. I want God to look at me and smile ... to trust me with exactly what He tells me to do. I want to be just like Him ... to have His heart for people. His compassion. I love people and want to minister Jesus to them. I couldn't care less about fame."

He adds, "I'm not going to take credit for what; God has done--I just give thanks. Any successes I've had, any of the people, He's put in my path. It's all been for His purposes. There are so many avenues through which we can serve Him. And wherever I am, as long as I know I'm in His purpose and plan, it will be light where He wants me to be."