Intro by: Gail Nobles
Photo credit: Lovelystatue901 - Own work
Usage: Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Hello, I’m Gail Nobles and you’re listening to a show about the gospel greats. Today’s topic is Rev. James Cleveland.

Rev. James Cleveland believed that gospel music should be low keyed. He didn’t believe in rock gospel. James Cleveland believed gospel music expressed love for Christ and that it was more about the message. In rock gospel, to him, the music is more important than the message.

Some gospel singers think more about survival like The Mighty Clouds of Joy. They believed that gospel music should be up-beat.

I remember James Cleveland being played a lot on the radio in the 80’s & the Mighty Clouds of Joy too. I began to gradually notice a change in gospel music altogether. There was more than choir, piano, and organ. There were more instruments added. The gospel singers had more of a studio sound than of a live sound. They began to sound more modern than old fashioned.

James Cleveland was not only a gospel singer, but a musician, arranger, composer, and choir leader. Cleveland incorporated traditional black gospel, soul, pop, and jazz in arrangements for mass choirs. On top of that, it seemed he was successful with his belief in doing gospel music the old fashioned way. When some gospel singers couldn’t make it his way.

Like the Mighty Clouds of Joy. They did things different. They needed hit records, & they were a quartet kind of group. They had a hit record titled “Mighty High”. If you listen to the song, you can definitely hear the difference between them & James Cleveland.

James Cleveland had no intention of crossing over into rock gospel. James Cleveland had sung songs like “Lord Do It, You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened, Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus, Where Is Your Faith In God, & Peace Be Still. When I think of him, I think of when I first heard him sing, “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired”.

Throughout his career, Cleveland appeared on hundreds of recordings and earned 4 Grammy Awards. He was first gospel musician to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was inducted into the Gospel Musical Hall of Fame in 1984. Cleveland is regarded by many to be one of the greatest gospel singers that ever lived. He was known as the King of Gospel music.