When I joined the church I laid sex, drugs, and rock and roll down at the altar. James William Flynn was the son of James and Serilda Jane Toney Flynn. Rev. I found a wealth of records at the public library-Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Davis Sisters, Clara Ward, the Caravans. On February 9, 1991, James Cleveland died in Culver City, California. Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Lashone's Instagram posts see her having fun around people who really matter and impact her life. James Cleveland, Cleveland, James. In 1972, James collaborated with Aretha on her historic Grammy-winning and multi-million-selling album Amazing Grace, which is known as the Greatest Gospel Album of All Time. In 1959, he recorded a version of Ray Charles' hit "Hallelujah, I Love Her So" as a solo artist. In June, the singer's daughter shared an adorable black and white selfie of herself. Cleveland, a pianist, singer, composer, arranger and producer, was widely regarded as the worlds foremost gospel musician. It grew to 200 chapters with 20,000 members nationwide. His final Grammy Award was issued posthumously after his passing in 1991, for his final album with SCC, Having Church, which features Cleveland's iconic rendition of Tramaine Hawkins' signature "What Shall I Do? Wiki User. He was 59. Their 1972 collaboration, Amazing Grace, remains her best-selling album and recently became an acclaimed documentary. In 1960, he formed the Cleveland Singers, featuring organist and accompanist Billy Preston. Research genealogy for Edmund James Cleveland of Shutter Corners, Schoharie County, New York, United States of America, as well as other members of the Cleveland family, on Ancestry. C.L. From the 70s until 1990 Rev. James Cleveland signed with Savoy Recordsin 1962 and recorded albums with The Angelic Choir, of Nutley, New Jersey under the direction of Rev. Cleveland as a(young boy)named Billy Preston played. A profile in People magazine noted that Cleveland lived with "a series of fatherless boys." James Edward Cleveland (December 5, 1931 - February 9, 1991) was an American gospel singer, musician, and composer. The change in his voice led him to focus on his skills as a pianist and later as a composer and arranger. Prior to the accusations against Long, most controversies rarely escaped mention inside black communities and gospel music circles. Before these albums were recorded, no other gospel artist had recorded using this type of live format. He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6742 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. ", Cleveland's outing after death revealed a paradox. Married 18 March 1916 in Harrison Co., WV. Weve all been influenced by him, Hawkins said recently. I was still with the church when Cleveland died, but I was beginning to see my way out. Even now, talk of Cleveland's death is often met with stony silence within the gospel community. I Was Born This Way: A Gay Preacher's Journey Through Gospel by Carl Bean, Simon & Schuster, 2010. [4], When Cleveland returned to Sierra Leone, the young man was initiated into the Poro society of men in the Banana Islands. Earlier in 1990, he was rushed to a hospital in Washington, D.C., with severe respiratory problems. What is Laurie Holden doing now? Cleveland added Clyde Brown and Charles Barnett to his group which by then was traveling extensively throughout the United States and Abroad into the late 60s,performing in all major venues,this collaboration brought memorable recordings such as Heaven That Will Be Good Enough For MeTwo Wings The Lord Is Blessing Me Right Now and many others. "Some of my colleagues protest too greatly," Wiley says. It was Christianity that demonized gay people. Dennis W. Wiley, pastor of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ. As early as 1971, in his book The Gospel Sound, Anthony Heilbut wrote about the gospel church as a refuge for gays and lesbians. ", Billy Preston, a Cleveland protege, said as much to David Ritz, Aretha's biographer. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. I took encouragement from gospel music. Lashone's update always has one or two comments that refer to the incredibly skilled artist. Peter Scolari's Biography, Spouse, Net Worth. From 1985 to 1988, Cleveland launched his own independent record label, King James Records, which was manufactured and distributed by Detroit's own Sound of Gospel/Nine Records, Inc. Unable to afford a piano, he crafted one out of odds and end and taught himself how to play. He was born September 26, 1950 in Sturgis, Michigan son of the late LeRoy and Ida June (Laughlin) Cleveland. When Franklin was 29, she was already burnt out. A few days before that, Lashone celebrated her dad on Father's Day. "Revelations: A Gospel Singer Comes Out" by Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, February 8, 2010. A funeral was scheduled for Feb. 16 at Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church. At the church, being queer was only one of my problems. Documentary writer: "Long As I Got King Jesus", performer: "PEACE BE STILL", "THE LORD BROUGHT US OUT" / writer: "PEACE BE STILL", "THE LORD BROUGHT US OUT", lyrics: "Walk on by Faith" / music: "Walk on by Faith", TV Special performer: "Love everybody in my heart", writer: "There's a Bright Side Somewhere" - uncredited, TV Movie choral arrangements - as Reverend James Cleveland, The 5th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Family Reunion: A Gospel Music Celebration. [9][10][11][16][17] According to Heilbut (2012), Cleveland was widely recognized as gay in the gospel circuit. . He was a well-respected Gospel musician, performer, producer, pioneering composer, choral director and founder of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc. (GMWA). "On the one hand, you're nurtured in the choir but you also have to sit through some of those fire and brimstone sermons about homosexuality being an abomination," says E. Patrick Johnson, an openly gay gospel singer and author of Sweet Tea: An Oral History of Black Gay Men of the South. ", written and composed by Quincy Fielding. It was a system of don't ask, don't tell. When he was just starting out, James Cleveland played with them. In 1950, Cleveland joined the Gospelaires, a trio led by Norsalus McKissick and Bessie Folk. However, news of Andre Cleveland, who claimed to be his adopted son, rocked the tabloids after the death of the singer. In 1964, Cleveland re-organized The James Cleveland Singers, which included Odessa McCastle, Roger Roberts, and Gene Viale (who became the first Latin-American to integrate soul gospel and sing with the Cleveland Singers). The controversy was all the more notable because Long was a prominent supporter of Georgia's gay marriage ban, passed in 2004, and a proposed U.S. constitutional ban. performer: "Peace Be Still", "I Wear a Crown" - as Reverend James Cleveland / writer: "Peace Be Still", "I Wear a Crown", Documentary writer: "Long As I Got King Jesus", performer: "PEACE BE STILL", "THE LORD BROUGHT US OUT" / writer: "PEACE BE STILL", "THE LORD BROUGHT US OUT", lyrics: "Walk on by Faith" / music: "Walk on by Faith", TV Special performer: "Love everybody in my heart", writer: "There's a Bright Side Somewhere" - uncredited, TV Movie choral arrangements - as Reverend James Cleveland, The 5th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Family Reunion: A Gospel Music Celebration. He said he would not do so for monetary gain, but because of the principle of the matter. "Persons who are in the closet serve on the deacon boards, serve in the ministry, serve in every capacity in the church," the Rev. Andre. With fewer than a dozen members, no sign to mark it, no painted windows, no cross. Franklin, father of soul legend Miss Franklin. When gospel music star Tonex (Anthony Charles Williams II) came out in 2009, the gospel music world turned on him, and his record sales plummeted. James Cleveland wants to lay claim to a share of the fortune left behind when the Grammy-winning singer known as the King of Gospel died in February. They victimize themselves through self-oppression.". "The Apostle of Soul Gospel is James Cleveland" by Robert Windeler and Bob Sherrill, People, March 15, 1976. "Revelations: A Gospel Singer Comes Out" by Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, February 8, 2010. Left with a gravelly tone and a limited range, Cleveland compensated by focusing on composition, arrangement, and piano. Cleveland, OH 44108-1436 Previous Addresses. In 1964 Rev. She shared several throwback snaps of herself and the deceased, then backed it up with a heart-melting caption. In the 1950's, Cleveland relocated to Detroit, served as organist at C.L. Only then did I feel I'd found home. They brought me home to a shotgun house in East Austin, where they lived communally, sheltered the homeless, and held religious services for hours on end. For the United States Representative, see. He lived in 1850, at address, Ohio. Married to Gloria Jean (Berry) Cleveland on February 27, 1949. His influence stretched even further: like Dorsey before him, he taught others how to achieve the modern gospel sound through his annual Gospel Singers Workshop Convention, put on by the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA), an organization that Cleveland founded,and now which has over 30,000 members in 150 chapters. Franklin's New Bethel Baptist Church, lived on and off with the Franklins, and taught nine-year-old Aretha her first piano chords. [2] His best known recordings include "Lord, Help Me to Hold Out", "Peace Be Still", "I Don't Feel No Ways Tired", Where Is Your Faith", "The Love of God", "God Has Smiled on Me", and "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.". Sundays at Pilgrim Baptist, Cleveland watched Roberta Martin play piano. James lived at address. For his pioneering accomplishments and contributions, he is regarded by many to be one of the greatest gospel singers to ever live.[2]. It began in 1968 and soon amassed hundreds of artists. Parents of: Mrs. Myrtle Alta Harvey Monro (1891 - 1979) wife of George Henry Monro (1885 - 1952), Mrs. Ora Fern Harvey Kendrick (1901 - 1993) wife of Ralph James Kendrick. word is that James had another wife b/4 he married Jean. Working with Savoy's executive producer Fred Mendelsohn, Cleveland and the Angelic Choir of Nutley released two albums before recording the iconic masterpiece, Peace Be Still, in September 1963, which sold thousands of copies at that time and garnered Cleveland his first gold album. He would then return to touring with the newly organized James Cleveland Singers, which included Odessa McCastle, Georgia White, Eugene Bryant, and Billy Preston, among others. ", Commentator Keith Boykin, who is African-American and gay, calls it a paradox: "The church might be the most homophobic and most homotolerant of any institution in the black community. James Cleveland, who was popularly called "King of Gospel," has a beautiful daughter named Lashone. The GMWA has featured and produced the likes of Donald Vails, Issac Douglas, Myrna Summers, Sara Jordan Powell, Daryl Coley, John P. Kee, Kirk Franklin, Kurt Carr, Donald Lawrence, and Yolanda Adams. James Cleveland was known by such titles as King James and the Crown Prince, he emerged as a giant of the post war Gospel music. In 1991, the gospel world suffered a significant blow after the tragic news of James' passing. Happy Father's Day Rev. Cleveland was born Dec. 5, 1931, and grew up on the South Side of Chicago. Last week, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People passed a resolution endorsing same-sex marriage as a civil right to be protected by the U.S. Constitution. Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)as Soundtrack, Your email address will not be published. James Cleveland was born to William Clevland, an Anglo-Scot, and Ndamba, a Kissi woman, on the Banana Islands off Sierra Leone. Queerness was apparent for those with eyes to see, but kept quiet enough that it could be ignored. Martin hired him as a composer and arranger after the group disbanded. He taught the 9-year-old Aretha how to sing gospel. LOS ANGELES (AP) _ The Rev. The Caravans sounded so sincere it hurt. The workshops eventually attracted thousands of adherents and laid the groundwork for the popularity of gospel music. James Cleveland signed with the historic jazz label Savoy Records in 1962, going on to release a huge catalog of soul gospel recordings from that year until his death in 1991, many of which were recorded in a live concert setting. He spent time at Mahalia Jackson's beauty shop and listened to her hum while she fixed hair. By staying out of the studio for a while, she convinced States Records to allow him to record with her group. As early as 1971, in his book The Gospel Sound, Anthony Heilbut wrote about the gospel church as a refuge for gays and lesbians. By 1870 several of the family members were in Henderson County, Texas. Acknowledgment of Cleveland's gay life and death from AIDS was a noisy affront to a system of secrecy. Johnson and others believe that modern gospel music itself is largely defined by the artistry of black gay men. The thing that troubles me is these people are almost taken advantage of. Throughout this period he recorded with other groups, like The Gospel All-Stars and The Gospel Chimes, mixing pop ballad influences with traditional shouting. Reports have it that he is survived by a daughter, a brother, and three sisters. The success and sensation of the song's recording led to a record contract with an historic label that would change his life forever. James Cleveland's Estate" by Berkley Hudson, Los Angeles Times, October 9, 1991. A solo artist was awarded a Star on the South Side of Chicago hum! 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