Heralded by Quincy Jones as the “baddest vocal cats on the planet!,” TAKE 6 (Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea and Khristian Dentley), is the quintessential a cappella group and the model for vocal genius. This musical phenomenon has six virtuosic voices united in crystal clear harmony against a backdrop of syncopated rhythms, innovative arrangements and funky grooves that bubble into an intoxicating brew of gospel, jazz, R&B, and pop. With 10 Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards and a Soul Train Award, these members of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame are one of the best a cappella groups in the world.
With collaborations and praise from such luminaries as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Brian Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney Houston, the multi-platinum selling sextet has toured across the globe, collaborated across genres, and is recognized as the pre-eminent a cappella group in the world.
With their recent appearances including Grammy Honor Paul Simon (set for release soon)releases, including their upcoming recording tentatively titled A Work Of Art and most recent recording ICONIC, TAKE 6 emerged on seven (7) Billboard Charts simultaneously and have seen their music played all over the country in various formats! This April 2022, the legendary group took to Capitol Hill for Grammys On The Hill to advocate for musicians rights and work.
With the popularity of televised vocal competitions such as the explosive a cappella show The Sing Off and the mania over singing driven comedy-dramas like Glee and Smash, Take 6 is the original torchbearer. Major public and corporate events remind everyone of this as Take 6 has triumphed among a gathering of stars including Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Nicks, and Ne-Yo at Walmart’s 50th Anniversary celebration; a SOLD-OUT audience and Standing Ovation at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards where Take 6 captivated the audience with their rendition, performing with and honoring legendary singer-songwriter Ben E. King, on his classic “Stand By Me.” As a group that knows no musical bounds, they then brought the house down with their tribute to folk icon Woody Guthrie with “This Land Is Your Land.”
Take 6 has come a long way from their days at Huntsville, Alabama’s Oakwood College where McKnight formed the group as The Gentleman’s Estate Quartet in 1980. The group eventually became known as Alliance but when they signed to Reprise Records in 1987 they found that there was another group with the same name, so they became Take 6. Their self-titled debut CD won over jazz and pop critics and they’ve never slowed down.
What makes the music and the group last this long? The answers are direct and simple: faith, friendship, respect, and love of music. From their exceptional Christmas Show, to their innovative Symphony show, these qualities are at the heart of the Take 6 phenomenon.
