Kurt Carr

Kurt Carr
The Kurt Carr Singers perform for President George W. Bush and guests on June 17, 2008 in the East Room of the White House
Background information
Born	(1964-10-12) October 12, 1964 (age 52) Hartford, Connecticut
Genres	Gospel, praise & worship
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Verity Gospel Music Group
Associated acts	James Cleveland, Anastacia, Nakitta Foxx

Kurt Carr (born 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 Carr was born in the mid-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 Clay Johnson. He became an active member in his church's music department. At the age of 17, Carr realized that he was being called to do something even higher with his life. After high school, he 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.

Carr was piano accompanist for Andrae Crouch's music ministry for one year. Carr was subsequently hired to be musical director and pianist for Rev. James Cleveland’s ministry and was employed there for seven years, until Cleveland's death. 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, including Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Yolanda Adams and Kirk Franklin. In 1987 while in Los Angeles, Carr formed a six-member gospel vocal ensemble called The Kurt Carr Singers in which Anastacia sung in their background choir on their album No One Else.