He left his family church, where he'd been a pastor, and reinvented himself as B. Slade, now a favorite in the LGBT music scene. By staying out of the studio for a while, she convinced States Records to allow him to record with her group. The three-time Grammy winner was hospitalized Thursday at Brotman Medical Center with . Mr. Cleveland was born Dec. 5, 1931, and grew up on the South Side of Chicago. Unable to afford a piano, he crafted one out of odds and end and taught himself how to play. He strained his vocal cords as a teenager while part of a local gospel group; this was said to contribute to the distinctive, gravelly voice which became a hallmark of his later in his career. Born Nov.. "This particular decision I find appalling, and I could not disagree with the president more on it," the Rev. Two years before he died from a respiratory disease, the singer battled with some health issues. King James Cleveland (1754? Cleveland died in 1991, reportedly from heart failure. "Ninety-nine and a half won't do," Rosetta sang, "you've got to make a hundred." 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. Sixteen of his albums went gold. By 1960, Cleveland, who had incorporated blues riffs in his work and what Anthony Heilbut described as "sheer funkiness" had become associated with a new tenor in gospel music. James Cleveland was married twice and has a daughter by his 2nd wife. I stayed for ten years, the only white girl in an otherwise all-Black church, trying and failing to be a saint. Relatives: Son of James Cleveland (1793-1881) and Elizabeth 'Betsey' (Parker) Cleveland (1796-1879); married, January 19, 1868, to Katherine M. 'Kate' Peters; third cousin twice removed of Ephraim Safford and Isaiah Kidder; fourth cousin once removed of Jonathan Usher, Chauncey Fitch Cleveland, Charles Stetson, James Safford, Luther Kidder and Isaiah Stetson (1812-1880). He is survived by a daughter, LaShone, three sisters and a brother. 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's condition became apparent before his death. In Los Angeles Cleveland attained even greater popularity working with keyboardist Billy Preston and the Angelic Choir of Nutley, New Jersey; his recording of Peace Be Still (in 1963), an obscure 18th century madrigal, sold hundreds of thousands of copies thanks to Clevelands comforting growl and emotional command, his popularity grew to great acclaim, causing him once again to return to the road, this time with the newly organized James Cleveland Singers, Odessa McCastle,Georgia White,and Eugene Bryant, along with Billy Preston. "James Cleveland Infected L.A. 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. The James C. Cleveland Papers are held by the Cleveland, Colby, Colgate Archives of Colby-Sawyer College in New London. hide caption. This was true even as HIV/AIDS began claiming the lives of numerous African-American men in black churches, especially gospel singers in the early 1990s. For the United States Representative, see. "The Number That No Man Could Number" by Anthony Heilbut, Harper's, February 2017. As long as they can sing, people look the other way.". Charlotte was born on January 27 1828, in Claremont, Sullivan, N. H.. When I joined the church I laid sex, drugs, and rock and roll down at the altar. He was known as King James and the Crown Prince of Gospel. Long denied the accusations and the cases were settled out of court. The sexual behavior of some male pastors, many of them also gospel singers, also has stoked rumors or led to scandal. Most of the singers I listened to were queer, like me, but I didn't know that then. Martin, who led the first mixed-gender gospel group, went on to sell Cleveland's songs through her publishing house. Cleveland, OH 44108-1436 "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. The deceased equally concerned himself with teaching music, composing, and playing the piano. In an interview last year with the Los Angeles Times, Cleveland said he got started in the music industry by watching Mahalia Jackson and others perform. William Cleveland served as king from 1791 to 1797, when he was killed by Caulker. I'd never spent time in church, and in any case I'd never heard of one like this. Sundays at Pilgrim Baptist, Cleveland watched Roberta Martin play piano. His succession as king, when the elder Cleveland died, was contested by Stephen Caulker. He was born September 26, 1950 in Sturgis, Michigan son of the late LeRoy and Ida June (Laughlin) Cleveland. Awarded on August 12, 1981 at 6742 Hollywood Blvd. 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. By reputation, Cleveland could arrive in any town and assemble a 300-voice choir in three days. James W. Sims, 1833-1891. 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. Left with a gravelly tone and a limited range, Cleveland compensated by focusing on composition, arrangement, and piano. JENNIFER BOWLES February 9, 1991. Some say the arrangement is not only hypocritical, but exploitative. Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin by David Ritz, Little, Brown & Company, 2014. The Gospel Sound: Good News in Hard Times (25th Anniversary Edition) by Anthony Heilbut, Limelight, 1997. 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. James Edward Cleveland", "The official website for Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California", "Man Seeks Share of the Rev. [12][13], Following Cleveland's death in February 1991, a number of controversies arose surrounding his estate, which at the time was estimated to be worth between $4 and $6 million. [2] His father had been working as a trader for the Royal African Company. After being called into ministry, he later founded the Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California. In the 1950's, Cleveland relocated to Detroit, served as organist at C.L. A few days before that, Lashone celebrated her dad on Father's Day. He forbids LGBT people from participating in the choir or any other church ministries. James L. [4], When Cleveland returned to Sierra Leone, the young man was initiated into the Poro society of men in the Banana Islands. "The Old Prejudices" by Anthony Heilbut, Harper's, March 2017. Following the 1991 death of the Rev. Thank you for subscribing! In 2006, the National Black Justice Coalition held its first Black Church Summit in Atlanta, at which the Rev. LOS ANGELES (AP) _ The Rev. [1], James Cleveland was born to William Clevland, an Anglo-Scot, and Ndamba, a Kissi woman, on the Banana Islands off Sierra Leone. December 7, 1881 in Elkhorn, Brown, Illinois he married Clarissa E. Jaques. they had the . 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. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Father of Clifton and Rick Cleveland. He was a well-respected Gospel musician, performer, producer, pioneering composer, choral director and founder of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc. (GMWA). They had 4 children: Emma Douglas Cleveland and 3 other children. 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. Before bodyguards asked her to leave, Ervin read a statement she said was signed by her daughter. The news broke nationally with a March 1992 Jet magazine story headlined, "James Cleveland Infected L.A. Setting his mind to matters of faith, Dorsey incorporated elements of blues and jazz in a new form he called "gospel," something altogether new. Also the mixed-race descendant of an English trader and African mother, Caulker and his family established a powerful political dynasty in Sierra Leone, becoming involved in mainland affairs.[1]. Her drinking was getting out of. The turmoil and genealogical complications were evident Tuesday in the West Hollywood hotel meeting room where Cleveland held the news conference. This rendition earned him a Grammy nomination when it was released in 1975 as his first recording with the Charles Fold Singers of Cincinnati, Ohio. Her marriage to Ted White was falling apart. "Blacks, Gays, and the Church: A Complex Relationship" by Corey Dade, NPR, March 22, 2012. Courtesy of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ His sister was actress Patience Cleveland. 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. I stayed for ten years, the only white girl in an otherwise all-Black church, trying and failing to be a saint. Cleveland, OH 44108-1436 Previous Addresses. Those who serve, you want their lifestyles to uphold the standards of the church. I'd never spent time in church, and in any case I'd never heard of one like this. Cleveland, 34, also challenged the validity of a trust agreement authorized by James Clevelands longtime business manager shortly before his death from congestive heart failure. James married Charlotte Jane Cleveland (born Bingham) on month day 1851, at age 29 at marriage place, District of Columbia. It began in 1968 and soon amassed hundreds of artists. Even now, talk of Cleveland's death is often met with stony silence within the gospel community. E. Patrick Johnson, who is openly gay, says modern gospel music is largely defined by the artistry of black gay men. Obituary James Arthur Cleveland, age 67 of Sturgis, Michigan passed away Tuesday morning May 8, 2018 at his home. hide caption. Before these albums were recorded, no other gospel artist had recorded using this type of live format. The change in his voice led him to focus on his skills as a pianist and later as a composer and arranger. At the church, being queer was only one of my problems. Dennis Wiley of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ in Maryland is a prominent advocate of gay marriage. We all bought his records as children. Cleveland was born Dec. 5, 1931, and grew up on the South Side of Chicago. I took encouragement from gospel music. From the 70s until 1990 Rev. In the early 1970's, when three Black religious leaders rumored to be gay were murdered in Los Angeles, Cleveland hired bodyguards. This album earned Walker her first gold record. [3][self-published source] William Clevland sent his son James to school in Liverpool, England. Cleveland died in 1991, reportedly from heart failure. 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. Another memorable gospel rendition was of Barry Manilow's "I Write the Songs," which he recorded on his 1977 Grammy-winning album, Live at Carnegie Hall. James Cleveland Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018 The Reverend Dr. James Edward Cleveland (December 5, 1931 - February 9, 1991) was a gospel singer, musician, and composer. She stood next to a window and had her braided hair packed in a bun. Dennis W. Wiley, pastor of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ. Besides Cleveland, the group counted among its membership several gospel luminaries including Shirley Caesar, known as the First Lady of Gospel; Cassietta George, who co-wrote some of the group's best hits; Delores Washington; Josephine Howard, mother to R&B artist Miki Howard; Inez Andrews, whose song "Mary, Don't You Weep" became a staple in the industry; Dorothy Norwood, known as Gospel's Greatest Storyteller; James Heron; Loleatta Holloway, who became a legendary dance recording artist in the late 1970s; and several others. Cleveland is interred at the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. After the trio disbanded, an associate of the group, Roberta Martin, hired him as a composer and arranger. 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 was the first gospel musician to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He spent time at Mahalia Jackson's beauty shop and listened to her hum while she fixed hair. Required fields are marked *. 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