[8][9][10][11] and meanwhile neither of the aforementioned controversial issues is widely wished to be brought up for discussion within the gospel music community. After being nominated numerous times in previous years, James won his first Grammy Award with the Southern California Community Choir in 1975, for his 1974 album, In the Ghetto. James Cleveland's Estate", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, A biography of James Cleveland at jcchorus.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Cleveland&oldid=1129285480, 20th-century African-American male singers, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from September 2019, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Wikipedia articles incorporating the Cite Grove template, Wikipedia articles incorporating the Cite Grove template without a link parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Singer, musician, composer, arranger, recording artist, performer, music minister, This page was last edited on 24 December 2022, at 14:06. She shared several throwback snaps of herself and the deceased, then backed it up with a heart-melting caption. 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. Cleveland moved to Los Angeles to become Minister of Music at Grace Memorial Church of God in Christ, where he attained even greater popularity working with keyboardist Billy Preston and the Angelic Choir of Nutley, New Jersey. Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)as Soundtrack, Your email address will not be published. "Inside the church, a lot of the music was created by gay men along with the preachers, we were the people who kept the church going. Reports have it that he is survived by a daughter, a brother, and three sisters. The change in his voice led him to focus on his skills as a pianist and later as a composer and arranger. The change in his voice led Cleveland to focus on his skills as a pianist, and later as a composer and arranger. Son of Thomas Russell Cleveland and Mabel Francis (Lind) Cleveland. So his community peen was working.He had.Shaun and had those 2 wives.Then he went left 2 little boys ewwwwww . But Garner said Thomas, who started more than 25 years ago as Clevelands church secretary, acted properly and in accordance with James Clevelands wishes. Lashone's update always has one or two comments that refer to the incredibly skilled artist. Dennis W. Wiley, pastor of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ. It began in 1968 and soon amassed hundreds of artists. He said Tuesday that he had changed his name to Cleveland as a teen-ager. A profile in People magazine noted that Cleveland lived with "a series of fatherless boys." Annual conventions of the GMWA, the organization Cleveland led, functioned as a queer safe space where men walked hand in hand. I Was Born This Way: A Gay Preacher's Journey Through Gospel by Carl Bean, Simon & Schuster, 2010. James Cleveland, 'King of Gospel', "The Legacy of Tuskegee: AIDS and African-Americans", "Cemetery and grave marker information for the Rev. After the trio disbanded, an associate of the group, Roberta Martin, hired him as a composer and arranger. Acknowledgment of Cleveland's gay life and death from AIDS was a noisy affront to a system of secrecy. Their marriage coincides with my favorite music from her. By 1835 the family was in Sabine, Texas. I do believe a certain hypocrisy is there. Cleveland is the first gospel artist to receive a star on Hollywoods Walk of Fame. Advertisement Reports have it that he is survived by a daughter, a brother, and three sisters. I was still with the church when Cleveland died, but I was beginning to see my way out. Cleveland's condition became apparent before his death. James Edward Cleveland", "The official website for Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California", "Man Seeks Share of the Rev. This claim was opposed by Lashone's mother who maintained that Andre was among the numerous needy children that James decided to shelter. 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. However, news of Andre Cleveland, who claimed to be his adopted son, rocked the tabloids after the death of the singer. 1965). Cleveland's condition became apparent before his death. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. [14], In February 1992, Cleveland's then-foster son, Christopher Harris (formerly Christopher Harris Cleveland), filed a lawsuit against Cleveland's estate, claiming that Cleveland allegedly sexually abused him over a period of five years and infected him with the HIV virus, which he claims Cleveland contracted through same-sex liaisons. James Cleveland was born to William Clevland, an Anglo-Scot, and Ndamba, a Kissi woman, on the Banana Islands off Sierra Leone. Cleveland's record label folded after the distributor closed. With fewer than a dozen members, no sign to mark it, no painted windows, no cross. Andre Cleveland and his attorney said the business manager, Annette May Thomas, authorized the creation of a trust and named herself trustee Feb. 8, the night before Clevelands death. Some male pastors themselves have been entangled in scandals involving alleged affairs with men. Sixteen of his albums went gold. Sweet Sensation, Two Hearts, Never Knew Love Like This Before, even her late 70s stuff. "Ninety-nine and a half won't do," Rosetta sang, "you've got to make a hundred." Cleveland had worked with Miss Franklin, Quincy Jones and Edwin Hawkins. Through the Poro, he recruited an army with which to attack his rival Charles Caulker, whom he killed and decapitated.[5]. "I've seen people refuse to divorce themselves from their church in spite of the ignorance that spews from the pulpit. The Apostolic Tabernacle Mass Choir performs in Oakland, Calif., in 2010. "The Old Prejudices" by Anthony Heilbut, Harper's, March 2017. James was not only a gospel singer whose voice impacted the industry and his listeners, but he was also a preacher of the word. ", Cleveland's outing after death revealed a paradox. Queerness was apparent for those with eyes to see, but kept quiet enough that it could be ignored. That prospect has sparked disputes among church members, some of whom dont want to move. Acknowledgment of Cleveland's gay life and death from AIDS was a noisy affront to a system of secrecy. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Dennis Wiley of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ in Maryland is a prominent advocate of gay marriage. Within a year of his death, two men filed suit against Cleveland's estate. By 1960, Cleveland was well known for his work with choirs, incorporating bits of blues, jazz, and soul, then re-arranging it, much like Dorsey had done with spirituals. Updated: June 20, 2015 Biography ID: 100733093 Jump to: Biography Memories Family Tree Followers By the time of his death the church membership was over 7,000. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Dorsey had played with Ma Rainey and had a hit record, "It's Tight Like That." Some say the arrangement is not only hypocritical, but exploitative. Born Nov.. [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. Youth With HIV, $9 Mil Lawsuit Claims. He was a well-respected Gospel musician, performer, producer, pioneering composer, choral director and founder of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc. (GMWA). mutually agreed that I become his common-law son, bearing his name, he said. Al Sharpton became the highest-profile pastor to denounced homophobia and call for greater inclusion of LGBT people. Cleveland was born in the right place--Chicago--at the right time--1931. 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.". The three-time Grammy winner was hospitalized Thursday at Brotman Medical Center with respiratory problems and died of heart failure, said his manager, Annette Thomas. "We believe homosexuality is a sin. [1], Born in Chicago, he began singing as a boy soprano at Pilgrim Baptist Church, where Thomas A. Dorsey was minister of music and Roberta Martin was pianist for the choir. Cleveland capitalized on his success by founding his own choir, the Southern California Community Choir. Before these albums were recorded, no other gospel artist had recorded using this type of live format. Sundays at Pilgrim Baptist, Cleveland watched Roberta Martin play piano. "Man Seeks Share of the Rev. The last song rendition he presented was Whitney Houston's "Didn't We Almost Have It All," known as "Aren't You Glad You Know the Lord," which Cleveland recorded in 1989 with the Northern and Southern California Choirs of the GMWA on the album Breathe on Me, featuring Daryl Coley and current Savoy Records executive producer Milton Biggham. When it was time for Aretha to make a gospel record, she called on Cleveland and his choir. Franklin's New Bethel Baptist Church, lived on and off with the Franklins, and taught nine-year-old Aretha her first piano chords. hide caption. Son of James E Williams and Ora Ethel McIntire. James Cleveland, Cleveland, James. This style has been mimmicked over and over again to this day. [14][15], In October 1991, music producer Andre M. Cleveland (then-aged 34) filed suit against James Cleveland's estate, claiming to be Cleveland's adopted son. JENNIFER BOWLES February 9, 1991. It said, I was never apprised by my father that I had a brother biologically, by adoption, or acknowledged in any fashion.. James Cleveland, Cleveland, James. Andre mentioned being born fatherless but insisted that the Reverend adopted him and became his role model. Lawrence Roberts. Later, he moved into the home of the Rev. However, a news source proved that a partial copy of a trust document assigned about $10,000 to Andre, while Lashone was left with $100,000. The Gospel Music Workshop in Detroit is referred to as one of his greatest works. 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. I stayed for ten years, the only white girl in an otherwise all-Black church, trying and failing to be a saint. Cleveland died in 1991, reportedly from heart failure. The Gospel Sound: Good News in Hard Times (25th Anniversary Edition) by Anthony Heilbut, Limelight, 1997. His funeral was held at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, lasted four hours, was attended by over 4,000 people, and included at least two clothing changes for the deceased. In November 1954, Albertina Walker provided him the opportunity to do his very first recording. Then in 1963 he recorded his critically acclaimed Gospel Million Seller album Peace Be Still. Throughout his recording career, Cleveland started a trend and was famously known for taking some of the greatest pop, R&B, and soul songs and transforming them into gospel anthems. Cleveland married and had a son William, named after his father. 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. Gospel music superstar and megachurch pastor Donnie McClurkin shocked the non-gospel world years ago by revealing in a 2001 book that God "delivered" him from a gay "lifestyle" that he said was a result of being sexually abused as a boy. In the last two years, Cleveland suffered various health problems. The case was settled with undisclosed terms. When I do, I celebrate their queer existence, and mine. After a divorce, Marjorie was married to Stephen Michael Doyle on June 3, 1976, in Pasquotank Co., North Carolina, but their married ended in divorce as well. I'd never spent time in church, and in any case I'd never heard of one like this. The deceased equally concerned himself with teaching music, composing, and playing the piano. Living the Dream: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. From Jump Street: The Story of Black Music, Varnette's World: A Study of a Young Artist. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember James O. Cleveland Jr. His funeral was held at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, lasted four hours, was attended by over 4,000 people, and included at least two clothing changes for the deceased. "And the Choir Sings On" by Rhonda Graham, Wilmington News Journal, October 23, 1994. 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. James Cleveland signed with Savoy Recordsin 1962 and recorded albums with The Angelic Choir, of Nutley, New Jersey under the direction of Rev. When he was just starting out, James Cleveland played with them. Before his death, he gained the respect of great artists like Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, and Edwin Hawkins, whom he worked with. I prayed earnestly to "get right." [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! It all happens under an unspoken "don't ask, don't tell" custom that allows gay people to be active in the church, though closeted, and churches to reap the benefits of their membership. Marjorie was married to James Cleveland Suit on July 29, 1958, and they had three children. [9][10][11][16][17] According to Heilbut (2012), Cleveland was widely recognized as gay in the gospel circuit. "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. was james cleveland married The Bay Area in the 1970s had arguably the most visible presence of LGBT members in black churches, just as the broader gay rights movement had gained momentum in the region. In the early 1970's, when three Black religious leaders rumored to be gay were murdered in Los Angeles, Cleveland hired bodyguards. ", Wooden, the pastor in North Carolina, agrees that the presence of gays and lesbians in choirs or other church ministries reveals the "duplicity and, frankly, the hypocrisy of the black church. Rev. Only then did I feel I'd found home. Bernice King, a daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King (who supported gay marriage), led a march to protest same-sex marriage that started at the King family crypt. When I left the church, I tried to keep the best pieces, pieces that are as much punk as gospel: to keep an eye out for the least and the last, to not follow the crowd. McClurkin, who has said being gay is a choice, was criticized by the gay community for setting back the LGBT goal of gaining acceptance. . Earlier in 1990, he was rushed to a hospital in Washington, D.C., with severe respiratory problems. 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 need it in E-Flat, and Id go right out there and start playing.. Following the 1991 death of the Rev. James may be gone, but his fans do not seem to have forgotten him. He founded the workshop in 1968 as a small group of musicians and vocalists. In the late 1960's, Cleveland moved to Los Angeles, formed the Southern California Community Choir, opened his own church, Cornerstone Institutional Baptist, and established a national organization, the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA). Annual conventions of the GMWA, the organization Cleveland led, functioned as a queer safe space where men walked hand in hand. Daughter of Elias Smith Cleveland (1829 - 1915) and Harriet Ursula Sumner Cleveland (1840 - 1875). "Without lesbians and gay men," he said, "there could be no gospel music. Cleveland was born Dec. 5, 1931, and grew up on the South Side of Chicago. 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. "Revelations: A Gospel Singer Comes Out" by Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, February 8, 2010. The Gospel Sound: Good News in Hard Times (25th Anniversary Edition) by Anthony Heilbut, Limelight, 1997. Their 1972 collaboration, Amazing Grace, remains her best-selling album and recently became an acclaimed documentary. As a child, he attended Pilgrim Baptist Church, where Thomas Dorsey was minister of music. James Cleveland's Estate" by Berkley Hudson, Los Angeles Times, October 9, 1991. The three-time Grammy winner was hospitalized Thursday at Brotman Medical Center with respiratory problems and died of heart failure, said his manager, Annette Thomas. James Cleveland, revered by the music world as the king of gospel who taught a 9-year-old Aretha Franklin to sing gospel and inspired countless other artists, died Saturday. Cleveland, OH 44108-1436 He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1984. The Rev. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! 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