Kurt Carr (born on October 12, 1964) is an American gospel music composer and performer. While living in the city of Hartford, Connecticut he served as Minister of Music at The First Baptist Church of Hartford located at the time on Greenfield Street. Kurt credits Archbishop LeRoy Bailey as a positive influence in starting his professional gospel career, as Archbishop Bailey enabled Carr to perform his own music during church services.

Biography/Early years:

Kurt Carr was born in the early 1960s in Hartford, Connecticut, where he grew up in a family who believed in Jesus, but was not deeply involved in church. At the age of 13, Kurt found himself being increasingly drawn to the church. In his early teen years, he performed as an actor and dancer at the Hartford Stage Company in a Broadway musical called "On the Town," which was directed by the late Clay Johnson. He became an active member in his church's music department. At the age of 17, he realized that he was being called to do something even higher with his life. After high school, Kurt entered into the music program at the University of Connecticut, where he studied classical music and earned a Fine Arts degree. Carr is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

Music Career:

Kurt was Andrae Crouch's piano accompanist for Crouch’s music ministry for one year. After playing there for a year, Rev. James Cleveland hired Carr to be musical director and pianist for Rev. Cleveland’s ministry. He was employed there for seven years until Rev. Cleveland died. Eventually, Carr became director of the West Los Angeles Church of God in Christ Choir, where he had the opportunity to work with both Gospel and Secular musical artists, such as Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Yolanda Adams, and Kirk Franklin. In 1989 while in Los Angeles, Carr formed a six member vocal ensemble Gospel singers group, called The Kurt Carr Singers. The group has grown to seven members and now includes sopranos Yvette Williams, Nakitta Clegg-Foxx, and Michelle Prather, altos Timiney Figueroa-Caton, Vonnie Lopez, and Nikki Potts, and tenors Troy Bright and Brandon Winbush.

Carr’s music is an interesting blend of traditional Gospel composition and vocals, elements of R&B, jazz, soul, blues, and the distinct modern harmonies and singing styles found in Urban Contemporary Gospel. The Kurt Carr Singers under Kurt Carr’s direction and musical influence have created six albums. Kurt Carr has won four Stellar awards.

Discography:

1991: Together

1994: Serious About It

1997: No One Else

2000: Awesome Wonder

2005: One Church

2008: Just the Beginning

From: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Carr

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