Kim Burrell Biography

The American gospel singer Kim Burrell was born in Houston, Texas.  Kim’s foray into the world of gospel music was a bit of a surprise, considering that she suffered from recurrent bouts of pneumonia as a child. Despite this, she began singing while still a toddler in her father’s church choir, and by the mid 1990’s, she’d entered the recording studio to begin work on her first studio album.

Try Me Again was released in 1995, but its independent nature and limited distribution did not bring Kim Burrell the instant success she’d hoped for, but instead a slowly building following began to grow. Within a few years, Kim’s reputation and her talents led her to Tommy Boy Gospel, which signed her and released what has become known as her breakthrough album, Everlasting Life. The album rose to the top ten position on the gospel charts and today, decades later, is considered a gospel classic.

Since that time, Kim Burrell has released the additional albums Live in Concert (2001), No Ways Tired (2009), and The Love Album (2011.) The Love Album brought Burrell two Stellar Awards (for Female Vocalist of the Year and Contemporary Female of the Year), and a Dove Award for Urban Recorded Song of the Year, for the single “Sweeter.” The album was enormously successful, surpassing the success of Burrell’s Everlasting Life, and rising to the number five spot on the gospel charts. The album also become the second most frequently downloaded gospel album on iTunes.

Kim Burrell is cited as an inspiration by some of today’s most successful pop artists, including Faith Evans, Beyonce Knowles, and Jessica Simpson. Frequently referred to as “this generation’s Ella Fitzgerald,” Burrell does continue to perform and record, albeit infrequently. In 2010, she founded and began serving as Senior Eldress to the Love & Liberty Fellowship Pentecostal Overcoming Holy Church. Nevertheless, she continues to balance her occasional performances with her commitments to the church, and in 2004 she even appeared on the single “3-Way Phone Call,” recorded with R. Kelly and Kelly Price.

The American gospel singer Kim Burrell was born in Houston, Texas.  Kim’s foray into the world of gospel music was a bit of a surprise, considering that she suffered from recurrent bouts of pneumonia as a child. Despite this, she began singing while still a toddler in her father’s church choir, and by the mid 1990’s, she’d entered the recording studio to begin work on her first studio album.

Try Me Again was released in 1995, but its independent nature and limited distribution did not bring Kim Burrell the instant success she’d hoped for, but instead a slowly building following began to grow. Within a few years, Kim’s reputation and her talents led her to Tommy Boy Gospel, which signed her and released what has become known as her breakthrough album, Everlasting Life. The album rose to the top ten position on the gospel charts and today, decades later, is considered a gospel classic.

Since that time, Kim Burrell has released the additional albums Live in Concert (2001), No Ways Tired (2009), and The Love Album (2011.) The Love Album brought Burrell two Stellar Awards (for Female Vocalist of the Year and Contemporary Female of the Year), and a Dove Award for Urban Recorded Song of the Year, for the single “Sweeter.” The album was enormously successful, surpassing the success of Burrell’s Everlasting Life, and rising to the number five spot on the gospel charts. The album also become the second most frequently downloaded gospel album on iTunes.

Kim Burrell is cited as an inspiration by some of today’s most successful pop artists, including Faith Evans, Beyonce Knowles, and Jessica Simpson. Frequently referred to as “this generation’s Ella Fitzgerald,” Burrell does continue to perform and record, albeit infrequently. In 2010, she founded and began serving as Senior Eldress to the Love & Liberty Fellowship Pentecostal Overcoming Holy Church. Nevertheless, she continues to balance her occasional performances with her commitments to the church, and in 2004 she even appeared on the single “3-Way Phone Call,” recorded with R. Kelly and Kelly Price.