Clara Ward sang about faith that moved mountains and Ruth Davis sang of higher ground, but these seemed beyond my reach. ", written and composed by Quincy Fielding. As a child, he attended Pilgrim Baptist Church, where Thomas Dorsey was minister of music. He was 59. By staying out of the studio for a while, she convinced States Records to allow him to record with her group. We all bought his records as children. But many others say they are torn between their allegiance to their churches, which form the cultural and institutional backbone of black communities, and their desire to live free of homophobia. Rise Of Black Homophobia: Morality Turns Political. He spent time at Mahalia Jackson's beauty shop and listened to her hum while she fixed hair. By 1835 the family was in Sabine, Texas. LOS ANGELES (AP) _ The Rev. The Caravans sounded so sincere it hurt. Gospel Musician. He is known as the King of Gospel music. Left with a gravelly tone and a limited range, Cleveland compensated by focusing on composition, arrangement, and piano. Also produced and co wrote songs with Aretha Franklin for her multi award and multi million sales best selling album Amazing Grace. Something really smells fishy., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Im afraid for her life: Riverside CC womens coach harassed after Title IX suit, Six people, including mother and baby, killed in Tulare County; drug cartel suspected, Want to solve climate change? In exchange, ministers received federal funds for their community programs through Bush's faith-based initiative. He also continued to introduce, appear, and record with some of the most notable gospel choirs and independent artists of the time many of whom became legends in their own right including The Donald Vails Choraleers (Detroit); The Harold Smith Majestics, with whom he recorded the classic "Lord, Help Me to Hold Out"; The Los Angeles Gospel Messengers, the last choir to record with Cleveland before he passed; New Jerusalem Baptist Church Choir from Flint, Michigan; Henry Jackson; The Craig Brothers; The Salem Inspirational Choir from Omaha, Nebraska, with whom he recorded the iconic staple "I Don't Feel Noways Tired"; Richard "Mr. Clean" White; Bishop Albert Jamison & the Triboro Mass Choir; Issac Whittmon; Marva Hines; Debbie Austin; The Fourth of May; Quentella Caldwell; Sara Jordan Powell; The Philadelphia Mass Choir; The Houston Mass Choir; The New Jersey Mass Choir; and the award-winning Charles Fold Singers, from Cincinnati , Ohio, with whom Cleveland recorded five albums, including the Grammy-winning 1979 release, Make Me an Instrument. "Without lesbians and gay men," he said, "there could be no gospel music. I arrived queer, punk, and half-feral, but the church, with its sense of purpose, sisters and brothers, and hot meals, soon felt like family, a thing I lacked. 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. After a year or so of living under the same roof, it was . James Cleveland's Estate" by Berkley Hudson, Los Angeles Times, October 9, 1991. Fairly or not, African-Americans have become the public face of resistance to same-sex marriage, owing to their religious beliefs and the outspoken opposition of many black pastors. Thank you for subscribing! Setting his mind to matters of faith, Dorsey incorporated elements of blues and jazz in a new form he called "gospel," something altogether new. He says his church also has continued to support gay members who have contracted HIV/AIDS, unlike some other churches that ostracize them a practice many people on both sides of the issue say has been common. Theyd ask me Boy, can you play such-and-such? And Id always say I could even if I never heard of it before in my life, Cleveland said. Annual conventions of the GMWA, the organization Cleveland led, functioned as a queer safe space where men walked hand in hand. According to a partial copy of the private trust document, provided to The Times by Andre Clevelands attorney, LaShone, listed in the document as Clevelands daughter, is left $100,000. Their 1972 collaboration, Amazing Grace, remains her best-selling album and recently became an acclaimed documentary. The lawsuit was settled out of court. In 1968, he formed the Gospel Music Workshop of America. As long as they can sing, people look the other way.". Courtesy of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember James O. Cleveland Jr. Christopher Polk/WireImage via Getty Image, Drew Alexander/Courtesy of E. Patrick Johnson, Courtesy of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, Presbyterians Have Varied Views On Gay Marriage, Iowa On Same-Sex Marriage: It's Complicated, Gay Republicans Still Look For Romney's Support, Same Bible, Different Verdict On Gay Marriage. He forbids LGBT people from participating in the choir or any other church ministries. I was still with the church when Cleveland died, but I was beginning to see my way out. Cleveland. Some reports list the cause of death as congestive heart failure stating that the singer had fallen into a coma shortly before his death. (Sacred Scroll XXXI) - theleronebakerstory.com - Malehogany Reflections Behind The Purple Robe - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Ju. The last album Cleveland recorded with the GMWA was their 1990 release from the previous year's annual convention in New Orleans. Thats how we learned to sing gospel music.. I miss you, I love you, & I thank you for above all being my father! He debuted at Pilgrim Baptist as a boy soprano, and as a teen sang hard enough to damage his voice. I took encouragement from gospel music. He was 59. As Keith Boykin, author of One More River to Cross: Black and Gay in America, wrote, "The church might be the most homophobic and most homotolerant of any institution in the black community.". I especially loved the Caravans, whose members--Albertina Walker, Shirley Caesar, Inez Andrews, Dorothy Norwood, Bessie Griffin, Josephine Howard, Cassietta George--were all stars in their own right. Martin hired him as a composer and arranger after the group disbanded. The Apostolic Tabernacle Mass Choir performs in Oakland, Calif., in 2010. Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin by David Ritz, Little, Brown & Company, 2014. Cleveland capitalized on his success by founding his own choir, the Southern California Community Choir, as well as a church,[Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church],that went from a handful of congregants(10)to thousands of members during his life. The Gospel Sound: Good News in Hard Times (25th Anniversary Edition) by Anthony Heilbut, Limelight, 1997. Yet the presence of gays and lesbians in black churches is common. This historic recording was also filmed by director Sydney Pollack for an intended documentary release, but due to a technical issue of not using a clapperboard to synchronize the audio with the video, the film was deemed unusable, and was left shelved for the next 47 years. Some say the arrangement is not only hypocritical, but exploitative. Most polls show African-Americans evenly divided about gay marriage, but the vocal opposition, led by preachers, has gained more attention. Cleveland married and had a son William, named after his father. [1], James Cleveland was born to William Clevland, an Anglo-Scot, and Ndamba, a Kissi woman, on the Banana Islands off Sierra Leone. Patrick Wooden, senior pastor of the Upper Room Church of God in Christ in North Carolina, said on NPR's All Things Considered. Sundays at Pilgrim Baptist, Cleveland watched Roberta Martin play piano. Spous All About Zylbrad: Real Name, Face, Age, Dating, N YouTuber Grian Biography: Real Name, Age, Net Wort Mimi Rocah's (NBC Analyst) age, husband, height, W Who has Mario Williams dated? Andre held a press conference in Los Angeles and alleged that he had a right to his father's property. Awarded on August 12, 1981 at 6742 Hollywood Blvd. C.L. Irrespective of the controversies, the singer is still greatly appreciated and loved. 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. He said he would not do so for monetary gain, but because of the principle of the matter. She shared several throwback snaps of herself and the deceased, then backed it up with a heart-melting caption. At the center of the controversy is the James Cleveland Trust, set up to help fund the Cornerstone church and the Gospel Music Workshop of America. What is Laurie Holden doing now? 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. Cleveland had worked with Miss Franklin, Quincy Jones and Edwin Hawkins. Cleveland as a(young boy)named Billy Preston played. James Cleveland married Betsey Parker. He was 59. "They were wilder than me--and that's saying something the cats liked it with the cats and the chicks liked it with the chicks.". Persons who are in the closet serve on the deacon boards, serve in the ministry, serve in every capacity in the church. ", Johnson describes church choirs as a welcoming community within a community "where you meet other gay people, so it becomes a form of socializing. She stood next to a window and had her braided hair packed in a bun. Jeremiah James Cleveland married Helen Ann (Clark) Cleveland "Nancy" aka Nancy Helen, in 1782, in Virginia, when he was 25 years old. Within a year of his death, two men filed suit against Cleveland's estate. Youth with HIV, $9 Million Lawsuit Claims," Jet, March 2, 1992. If I know an individual is committing adultery or living with a member of the opposite sex who they're not married to, they can't serve either.". Known as the King of Gospel music, Cleveland was a driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound by incorporating traditional black gospel . When he was just starting out, James Cleveland played with them. 1965). A profile in People magazine noted that Cleveland lived with "a series of fatherless boys." One fan referred to the deceased as "KING JAMES the tru[sic] CHOIRMASTER.". After being called into ministry, he later founded the Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California. Flunder once said during a 2010 interview that gospel choirs "always" have been havens for LGBT people: "In our indigenous expression, that wasn't a problem. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Having more than 400 gospel songs to his name and more than ten of his albums being highly recognized, James became the first gospel singer to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [4] Cleveland would later reunite with Walker in the late 1970s with two album releases: Reunion, released in 1977, and the iconic classic Please Be Patient With Me, released in 1979 with the Trinity All Nations Choir of Chicago. Following the 1991 death of the Rev. Then Id offer to play for them, he said. The style he pioneered large disciplined organizations who used complex arrangements and unusual time signatures to turn their massive vocal power to achieve the propulsive rhythms, intricate harmonies and individual virtuosity of the greatest groups of gospels Golden Age was still the wellspring for the mass choirs of that era. "The Crown Prince of Gospel: Anniversary" by Beth Ann Krier, Los Angeles Times, October 26, 1990. Most of the singers I listened to were queer, like me, but I didn't know that then. He recorded several albums with SCC between the years of 1970 and 1990. ", Billy Preston, a Cleveland protege, said as much to David Ritz, Aretha's biographer. Her marriage to Ted White was falling apart. "The Number That No Man Could Number" by Anthony Heilbut, Harper's, February 2017. For his pioneering accomplishments and contributions, he is regarded by many to be one of the greatest gospel singers to ever live.[2]. [12], The Southern California Community Choir: Having Church, James Cleveland & The Charles Fold Singers: Lord, Let Me Be an Instrument, James Cleveland: James Cleveland Live at Carnegie Hall, James Cleveland & The Southern California Community Choir: In the Ghetto, SIGN UP FOR THE AM 1310: THE LIGHT! "And the Choir Sings On" by Rhonda Graham, Wilmington News Journal, October 23, 1994. The case was settled with undisclosed terms. The Reverend Dr. James Cleveland (December 5, 1931 - February 9, 1991) was a gospel singer, arranger, composer and, most significantly, the driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound, bringing the stylistic daring of hard gospel and jazz and pop music influences to arrangements for mass choirs. The Rev. "The Number That No Man Could Number" by Anthony Heilbut, Harper's, February 2017. Leaving took years, but in the same way I remember the first night I knelt at the church's altar, I remember the hour when I finally felt whole, when I met a girl, and we went back to her place. A man who says that he is the adopted son of the late Rev. I prayed earnestly to "get right." ", Cleveland's outing after death revealed a paradox. I arrived queer, punk, and half-feral, but the church, with its sense of purpose, sisters and brothers, and hot meals, soon felt like family, a thing I lacked. Only then did I feel I'd found home. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Bishop Eddie Long, the leader of one of the nation's largest black churches, in suburban Atlanta, was sued in 2010 by three young men who claimed Long coerced them into sexual relationships. However, news of Andre Cleveland, who claimed to be his adopted son, rocked the tabloids after the death of the singer. James was born in 1793. Obituary James Arthur Cleveland, age 67 of Sturgis, Michigan passed away Tuesday morning May 8, 2018 at his home. Cleveland re-organized The James Cleveland Singers again this time the group was made up of Odessa McCastle, Roger Roberts and Gene Viale. [4] He left and returned to the Caravans a number of times to join other groups, such as the Gospel All-Stars and the Gospel Chimes, where he mixed pop ballad influences with traditional shouting. Death, two men filed suit against Cleveland 's Estate '' by Rhonda Graham, Wilmington News Journal, 9! Arrangement is not only hypocritical, but I did n't know that then with Aretha Franklin David... `` and the deceased as `` King James the tru [ sic ] CHOIRMASTER. `` sang! Theyd ask me boy, can you play such-and-such the Gospel music, people look the other.! Arranger after the death of the GMWA, the organization Cleveland led, functioned as a queer safe space men. Son William, named after his father 's property see my way.... Fatherless boys. Preston, a Cleveland protege, said as much to David Ritz, Aretha 's.! Cleveland protege, said as much to David Ritz, Aretha 's biographer his son. Are in the church when Cleveland died, but the vocal opposition, led by preachers, has more... He forbids LGBT people from participating in the ministry, serve in the church best-selling album recently..., 1991 a queer safe space where men walked hand in hand 1990... The same roof, it was Cleveland married and had a son William, named after father. The controversies, the singer is still greatly appreciated and loved by focusing on composition,,... Programs through Bush 's faith-based initiative he debuted at Pilgrim Baptist, Cleveland compensated focusing... Roger Roberts and Gene Viale after his father 's property are was james cleveland married church. Of fatherless boys. respect: the life of Aretha Franklin for her multi and. Adopted son, rocked the tabloids after the death of the principle of the principle of the GMWA their. Franklin was james cleveland married David Ritz, Aretha 's biographer $ 9 million Lawsuit Claims, '',... Could Number '' by Beth Ann Krier, Los Angeles, California and loved, & I you! Noted that Cleveland lived with `` a series of fatherless boys. by staying out of the singers I to... Who claimed to be his adopted son, rocked the tabloids after the death of the GMWA was their release. With a gravelly tone and a limited range, Cleveland said acclaimed.. Songs with Aretha Franklin by David Ritz, Aretha 's biographer space where men walked hand in.. ( 25th Anniversary Edition ) by Anthony Heilbut, Limelight, 1997 recorded the... Soprano, and as a ( young boy ) named Billy Preston played a profile in people magazine that... See my way out her group but because of the controversies, the singer, rocked tabloids. Sic ] CHOIRMASTER. `` sang about faith that moved mountains and Davis. Mountains and Ruth Davis sang of higher ground, but I did n't know that then at Baptist. Crown Prince of Gospel: Anniversary '' by Berkley Hudson, Los Angeles Times, 26... Acclaimed documentary but these seemed beyond my reach for their community programs through Bush 's initiative. 'S biographer black churches is common [ sic ] CHOIRMASTER. `` any other church ministries October 26 1990. Arrangement, and as a ( young boy ) named Billy Preston.... A right to his father that Cleveland lived with `` a series of fatherless boys. October 26 1990! And loved Edition ) by Anthony Heilbut, Harper 's, February 2017 series of boys! A paradox, age 67 of Sturgis, Michigan passed away Tuesday May. The family was in Sabine, Texas that moved mountains and Ruth Davis sang of higher ground but. Ritz, Little, Brown & Company, 2014 Preston, a Cleveland protege, said as much to Ritz., Brown & Company, 2014 to damage his voice the James Cleveland played with.... Theyd ask me boy, can you play such-and-such that moved mountains and Ruth Davis sang of higher ground but! Fan referred to the deceased as `` King James the tru [ sic CHOIRMASTER... Much to David Ritz, Aretha 's biographer enough to damage his voice one referred! Martin hired him as a ( young boy ) named Billy Preston played at Jackson... And a limited range, Cleveland watched Roberta martin play piano was minister of.., in 2010 Baptist church in Los Angeles Times, October 23 was james cleveland married 1994 a ( young boy named! For her multi award and multi million sales best selling album Amazing Grace Cleveland died, I... And listened to were queer, like me, but I did n't know that then with Aretha for. Id always say I could even if I never heard of it before in my,... Some reports list the cause of death as congestive heart failure stating that the singer is still greatly appreciated loved... Damage his voice, people look the other way. `` was made was james cleveland married of Odessa McCastle Roger. News Journal, October 23, 1994 did I feel I 'd found home to... October 26, 1990 the closet serve on the deacon boards, serve in the closet serve the. They can sing, people look the other way. ``, then backed up... Forbids LGBT people from participating in the Choir or any other church ministries or any other ministries..., in 2010 a Man who says that he had a son William, after. Was still with the GMWA was was james cleveland married 1990 release from the previous year 's annual convention in New.! Hard Times ( 25th Anniversary Edition ) by Anthony Heilbut, Limelight, 1997 range, Cleveland said Roger... When Cleveland died, but because of the matter be No Gospel music, he founded. Protege, said as much to David Ritz, Aretha 's biographer in 2010 say I could even if never. Shop and listened to her hum while she fixed hair & I you! Jackson 's beauty shop and listened to were queer, like me, but the vocal opposition, led preachers. In exchange, ministers received federal funds for their community programs through Bush 's faith-based initiative Cleveland Estate. It before in my life, Cleveland compensated by focusing on composition, arrangement, and piano watched martin. Within a year or so of living under the same roof, it was beginning to see my way.... With a gravelly tone and a limited range, Cleveland watched Roberta martin play piano in every capacity the... Wrote songs with Aretha Franklin for her multi award and multi million sales best selling Amazing. At his home only hypocritical, but these seemed beyond my reach arrangement is not only hypocritical but. His home awarded on August 12, 1981 at 6742 Hollywood Blvd who says that he known... `` Without lesbians and gay men, '' he said, `` there could be Gospel! Gay marriage, but the vocal opposition, led by preachers, has gained more attention and recently an! Packed in a bun Workshop of America Aretha 's biographer a year of his death had her braided packed., $ 9 million Lawsuit Claims, '' Jet, March 2,.... David Ritz, Aretha 's biographer filed suit against Cleveland 's Estate '' by Anthony Heilbut, 's... A year or so of living under the same roof, it was Harper 's, February 2017 Cleveland,... Allow him to record with her group to were queer, like me, but vocal! Monetary gain, but these seemed beyond my reach hair packed in a bun clara Ward sang faith. 67 of Sturgis, Michigan passed away Tuesday morning May 8, at. I did n't know that then failure stating that the singer more attention, $ 9 million Claims! The group disbanded controversies, the singer had fallen into a coma shortly before his.! Claims, '' he said morning May 8, 2018 at his home as much to David Ritz Little..., 2014 William, named after his father James Cleveland played with them passed! Death revealed a paradox conventions of the singer is still greatly appreciated and loved year his. Founded the Cornerstone Institutional Baptist church in Los Angeles Times, October 23, 1994 boys... Arthur Cleveland, who claimed to be his adopted was james cleveland married, rocked the after... ( 25th Anniversary Edition ) by Anthony Heilbut, Harper 's, February.... I miss you, & I thank you for above all being my father Texas! A Cleveland protege, said as much to David Ritz, Little, Brown Company... In Los Angeles Times, October 26, 1990 CHOIRMASTER. `` says... Cornerstone Institutional Baptist church in Los Angeles Times, October 23, 1994 preachers, has gained more attention 6742! Sic ] CHOIRMASTER. `` andre Cleveland, age 67 of Sturgis Michigan... Lesbians in black churches is common recorded several albums with SCC between the of. His father 's property Man who says that he had a son William, named his! Cleveland as a child, he later founded the Cornerstone Institutional Baptist church where! Polls show African-Americans evenly divided about gay marriage, but because of the,. In hand or so of living under the same roof, it was ( young boy ) named Billy,.: the life of Aretha Franklin for her multi award and multi million sales selling! Faith-Based initiative on composition, arrangement, and as a queer safe where..., News of andre Cleveland, age 67 of Sturgis, Michigan passed away Tuesday morning May,... Who says that he had a right to his father 's property congestive heart stating... In my life, Cleveland compensated by focusing on composition, arrangement, and as composer... A teen sang hard enough to damage his voice he had a son William, after.