Kierra Sheard-Kelly, born Kierra Valencia Sheard on June 20, 1987, in Detroit, Michigan, is an acclaimed American gospel singer, evangelist, actress, and fashion designer. She is the daughter of gospel legend Karen Clark Sheard of The Clark Sisters and Bishop J. Drew Sheard, the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), and the granddaughter of renowned gospel choral director Mattie Moss Clark.
Kierra began her professional music career at the age of 9, featuring on her mother’s debut solo album, Finally Karen. She released her debut solo album, I Owe You, in 2004, which included the hit single “You Don’t Know,” inspired by her mother’s near-death experience in 2001. Her subsequent albums, such as This Is Me (2006), Bold Right Life (2008), Free (2011), Graceland (2014), Kierra (2020), and All Yours (2023), have solidified her status in the gospel music industry.
Beyond music, Kierra is a licensed evangelist in the COGIC denomination and has portrayed her mother in the Lifetime biopic The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel. She is also the founder of Eleven60, a fashion line catering to professional curvy women, launched in 2015.
On a personal note, Kierra married Jordan Kelly on December 12, 2020. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Khloé-Drew Valencia Kelly, in November 2023.
