From overcoming an abusive childhood to becoming an ordained pastor and world-renowned gospel singer, Donnie McClurkin’s hard-fought story is truly amazing. The passionate contemporary gospel singer has had five of his seven albums make the Billboard charts, and has even received Grammy awards for two of his albums, Donnie McClurkin Again and Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs.

McClurkin’s saga starts a long way from stardom, however. Raised in a home loaded with drug abuse and domestic violence, McClurkin was saved from the tornado of cruelty by his aunt, a background singer for soul musician Andrae Crouch. McClurkin’s idol Crouch perhaps inspired him to get into music, and he played piano and sang with his church’s youth choir growing up. He had also formed two bands following his adolescence, the McClurkin Singers and the New York Restoration Choir. After a bout with leukemia in 1989 and a job as an associate minister at Marvin Winans’ Perfecting Church, McClurkin finally released a self-titled LP with Warner Alliance in 1996.

Since then, McClurkin’s musical success has been phenomenal. He got a running start with his self-titled 1996 album, which peaked at number four on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums, and his next album, Live in London and More…, reached number one on the charts, as did his 2004 album Donnie McClurkin Again, and also 2005’s Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs. McClurkin’s exceptional baritone and inspiring songs of devotion, praise and worship have given him the notoriety and rewarding success he deserves for keeping faith during tough times. McClurkin has also performed on a long list of impressive television programs, including Good Morning America, CBS Saturday Early Show, The View, BET Awards, Essence Awards, Extra! TV Guide Channel, and more, proving his widespread fame as one of gospel’s greatest.