Clarissa Smith
was born in Chicago, Illinois to Alice and Ollie Jones. She learned to play the piano at an early age and gained a love for music, both singing and playing the piano and organ. Clarissa was the third born of four children. Her eldest sister, Ruth, also known as Dinah Washington, was the leader of the pack and her inspiration. This was a musical family and everyone had their respective instruments and sang together as a group. Her mother, Alice Jones , saw to it that everyone had music lessons and were involved in Christian music in the church.
Upon graduation from high school, Clarissa attended Roosevelt University and majored in Music. While attending Roosevelt she married Eugene Smith and to this union three children were born. She received her bachelor’s degree in music and entered the field of education as a high school music teacher. She directed choirs and taught general music in the Chicago public school system. She later became a high school Guidance counselor for a period of twelve years. She retired from the school system and continued her service of organist and choir director in her local church. She has been involved in Christian music all her life.
Clarissa’s passion for gospel music led her to embark on a career as a recording artist of gospel music. In November, 2004 she recorded her first cd. She and her husband founded HeavenSent Records, inc. and her second cd was released in September, 2005 entitled “God Has Got Your Back.”
Harvey Scales and Johnny Mills did the engineering and vocal arrangements on her current cd. The background singers who assisted were her two daughters, Kristin Smith and Damita Cox, along with Cynthia Sartin-Hunter and Edna Fitzpatrick. Daniel Wearring, a former music student, did some of the musical and vocal arrangements. The photography work was done by Lenardo Brown
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