Soul Inspiration: Singer Kim Burrell
Kim Burrell is a truly amazing Gospel singer whose music transcends genres. Her widespread influence resounds throughout the music industry, even outside of the gospel arena. According to a biography online:
“Burrell was featured in a half-hour MTV special “From The Church To The Charts” in conjunction with the gospel themed motion picture Fighting Temptations. Among those who count Burrell as an influence are such contemporaries as Jessica Simpson, Beyoncé Knowles, Faith Evans, Mariah Carey and more.There are many instances of established artists who laud Burrell:
- Chaka Khan deemed Kim Burrell “one of the most interesting voices I’ve heard in a long while.”
- After expressing an interest in gospel music, pop singer Nelly Furtado purchased Burrell’s Everlasting Life on recommendation from Destiny’s Child’s Michelle Williams.
- In a recent interview on XM Satellite Radio, Harry Connick, Jr. said of Burrell, “if she’s not the greatest musical mind I’ve ever been around, she’s certainly up at the top of the list.” Burrell appears on Connick, Jr.’s most recent album
I saw an interview with Kim Burrell on TBN a few months ago. (Her interview is three-fourths of the way into the video.) In the interview she talks about totally and uncompromisingly devoting her talent to God.
One of the things she said that inspired me was that God could have used anyone to minister His word to the world and that if she didn’t keep her heart close to God He would find someone else to do the job. She said candidly that it was His grace and anointing that made her successful today. The message I got from this is that it is not about us or how great our gifts are, but about bring glory to God, what God can do through us and why He gave us our gifts.
I read something similar on Tyler Perry’s website some time ago. In a message he wrote this March he said:
“Sometimes I feel so unworthy because God could have chosen anyone to do what He’s doing for me, but to know that He trusts me with it is a huge blessing. And to see that the people in the Bible that God used were flawed and ordinary people, except for Jesus–we all know that He was perfect. To see that and learn it helped me to become so much stronger
Watch the interviews below with Kim Burrell to get a closer glimpse at her beautiful spirit and touched by her captivating voice.
