Chisholm was born December 29, 1948 in Detroit Michigan, the second child of legendary gospel music innovator Dr. Mattie Moss-Clark and her husband Leo Henry Cullum, Sr. When Chisholm was young, her parents divorced and her mother married Elbert Clark (d. 2001). This union produced her four younger sisters, the group that would one day become The Clark Sisters. She attended Mumford High School in Detroit, Michigan, graduating in 1967. Influenced by their mother’s work, Chisholm and her sisters formed the gospel singing group The Clark Sisters in 1973. The group flourished and became known for their live performances and classic songs, including “Is My Living in Vain” and their biggest hit, “You Brought the Sunshine”.