Cleveland, James 1932(?)–1991

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James Cleveland 1932(?)–1991

Gospel vocalist, minister, composer

Maintained Unswerving Allegiance to Gospel

A prolific composer of pieces that remain gospel standards, a distinctive vocal performer, and a tireless teacher and organizer of huge gospel conventions, James Cleveland spent a lifetime “at the forefront of America’s gospel music experience,” in the words of his Billboard magazine obituary in 1991. Cleveland paved the way for modern gospel music by incorporating blues and jazz influences, and directly shaping the careers of soul superstars Aretha Franklin and Billy Preston. He was a towering figure, a man considered by many as the “King of Gospel Music” and the “Crown Prince of Gospel.”

James Cleveland was born in Chicago, perhaps on December 5, 1932 (his birthday has also been given as December 23, and his birth year as 1931, but the date proposed here accords with that given by gospel music authority Horace Boyer in the New Grove Dictionary of American Music). His earliest musical experiences occurred when his grandmother took him to Chicago’s Pilgrim Baptist Church, where the renowned choir director and composer Thomas B. Dorsey was responsible for the music. Dorsey was greatly impressed with the young man’s vocal talent and asked him to sing a solo. Cleveland rapidly broadened his musical abilities. He told Gospel Sound author Tony Heilbut that although his parents could not afford a piano, “I used to practice each night right there on the windowsill. I took those wedges and crevices and made me black and white keys.”

Wrote Three Songs A Week

Influenced by gospel songstresses Mahalia Jackson (whose home was located on Cleveland’s paper route) and Roberta Martin, Cleveland began performing and composing regularly while still in his teens. As his voice changed, he strained to hit high notes and caused some damage to his vocal cords. As a result, his singing voice took on a rough and raspy quality that became his trademark in later years. Martin, who was active in the gospel music publishing field, began paying Cleveland to write songs for her and he developed into an extremely prolific songwriter. Between 1956 and 1960, he wrote approximately three songs per week.

In 1953 Cleveland joined a gospel group called the Caravans as pianist, arranger, and occasional singer.

At a Glance…

Born December 5, 1932 (some sources give the birthday December 23 and the year 1931) in Chicago; son of Ben Cleveland (a WPA worker); children: LaShone; died of heart failure, February 9, 1991. Religion: Baptist.

Career: Minister and gospel singer, songwriter, and pianist; sang with the Thorn Gospel Crusaders and many other groups, 1940s and 1950s; formed own group, the Gospel Chimes, 1959; co-director of music, New Bethel Baptist Church, Detroit, 1960; signed to Savoy label, c. 1961; released over 100 albums; founded James Cleveland Singers, 1963; organized Gospel Music Workshop of America, 1968; founded Southern California Community Choir, 1969; founder and pastor, Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church, Los Angeles, 1970.

Awards: Sixteen gold records; Grammy award for Amazing Grace, 1972; Image Award from National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1976.

With Cleveland on vocals, the group had some success with two recordings, “The Solid Rock” and “Old Time Religion.” Seeking to put into action his own creative vision, Cleveland left the Caravans in 1959 and formed his own group, the Gospel Chimes. Over the next several years, Cleveland achieved a series of creative breakthroughs. He moved to Detroit in 1960 to take a position as music director at the famed New Bethel Baptist Church where the Reverend C. L. Franklin, father of soul vocalist Aretha Franklin, was pastor. In 1972, he collaborated with Aretha on the Grammy-winning multimillion-selling LP Amazing Grace.

Signed to Savoy Records

While recording with various Detroit choirs, Cleveland attracted the attention of New York-based Savoy Records and was signed to the label early in the 1960s. He went on to record more than 100 albums for Savoy, sixteen of which were gold albums. One breakthrough recording was Savoy’s 1963 release Peace Be Still. On the title track of the record, which paired Cleveland with the Angelic Choir of Nutley, New Jersey, Cleveland crystallized his choral work and hit on a powerful formula that he would follow many times throughout the rest of his career. In the words of Horace Boyer, writing in the New Grove Dictionary of American Music, “Cleveland half croons, half preaches the verse, shifting to a musical sermon at the refrain; towards the end of the songs the choir repeats a motif over which Cleveland extemporizes a number of variations.” Peace Be Still remained on the gospel music charts for fifteen years.

Cleveland moved to Los Angeles in 1963, serving as pastor of the New Greater Harvest Baptist Church. In 1970 he opened his own church, the Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church. Cornerstone would eventually grow into one of the city’s largest congregations. Cleveland always insisted that his work as a preacher was integral to his career, remarking to a Billboard interviewer that gospel was “an art form, true enough; but it represents an idea, a thought, a trend.”

After a brief hiatus, Cleveland soon redoubled his musical efforts. He formed several successful new groups, including the James Cleveland Singers and the Southern California Community Choir. In 1968, Cleveland founded the Gospel Music Workshop of America. The purpose of the workshop was to bring together singers from all over the country in order to perpetuate the art of gospel music. The workshops eventually attracted thousands of adherents and laid the groundwork for the popularity of gospel music.

Maintained Unswerving Allegiance to Gospel

By the 1970s and 1980s, Cleveland had become a gospel music legend. Disc jockeys, impressed by the sheer power of Cleveland’s voice, played his music and several of his records became minor pop hits. However, unlike talented gospel artists like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin who crossed over to pop careers, Cleveland maintained an unswerving allegiance to gospel. His imaginative arrangements are credited with introducing jazz and pop rhythms to gospel and paved the way for gospel-pop fusion artists such as Edwin Hawkins and Andrae Crouch.

Cleveland suffered severe respiratory problems in his later years and died of heart failure on February 9, 1991, in Los Angeles. Aretha Franklin memorialized Cleveland in the New York Times with these words: “Anyone who heard him, you were touched by him. He was a motivator, and innovator. He leaves the greatest legacy.”