Known by such titles as "King James" and the "Crown Prince", he emerged as a giant of the post war Gospel music scene. With a vocal style similar to jazz great Louis Armstrong, He is credited for the architectural design of contemporary Gospel music with top Gospel choirs and for bridging the gap between traditional Gospel, Gospel Quartets and today’s Gospel music.

Born on December 5, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois he attended Roosevelt University. Rev. Cleveland first sang Gospel under the direction of Thomas Dorsey, father of Gospel music at the PilgrimBaptistChurch.

Inspired by the keyboard talents of Gospel singer Roberta Martin, he later began to study piano. In 1951, he joined the Gospelaires, a trio that cut several sides for the Apollo label. At the beginning of his career, he sang with such groups as the Caravans and the Gospelaires, among others. About 1959, he formed his first  group, the Gospel Chimes. With the Caravans, Cleveland arranged and performed two hits, "The Solid Rock" and an up tempo reworking of the song "Old Time Religion"

By the mid-1950’s, his original compositions had found their way into the repertoires of numerous Gospel groups, and he was performing with such artists as the Thorn Gospel Singers, Mahalia Jackson, the Gospel All Stars, and the Meditation Singers. In 1960 he formed the Cleveland Singers, featuring organist and accompanist Billy Preston, who would later become an R&B legend. The smash hit "The Love of God", with the Voices of Tabernacle of Detroit, won Clevelandnationwide fame within the Gospel community. Signing with the Savoylabel, Cleveland and keyboardist Billy Preston released a long list of classic albums, including Christ Is The Answer and Peace Be Still with the Angelic Choir of Nutley, New Jersey. Many feel that with the 1962 Peace Be Still album, Clevelandstarted the "traditional Black choir sound."

During the sixties, Cleveland became a minister, later founding the Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church in Los Angeles. He was the most prolific and one of the most gifted composers of his generation, and that earned him the title "Crown Prince of Gospel." His style was influential among many Gospel figures, particularly Aretha Franklin and Jessy Dixon.

In 1968 James Cleveland had a dream. He gathered a small circle of gifted writers, singers and instrumentalists in Philadelphiain hopes of nurturing young talent and furthering the development of the music he loved and devoted his life to.

Thirty one years later, that dream has flourished into a nationwide reality and has become one of the cornerstones of Gospel music, the Gospel Music Workshop of America. Today GMWA has nearly 30,000 members in 150 chapters across Americaand abroad. Each year they meet  at their annual convention in August and sing, learn and fellowship together.

The GMWA has been the training ground for a number of Gospel’s greatest talent’s and visionaries, including contemporary superstars Kirk Franklin and John P. Kee, and many others. It’s an organization whose sole purpose has always been to give Gospel musicians opportunities and settings where they can both teach and learn from each other, and to know that the fruits of their labor could one day reach literally around the world.

In 1972, he was reunited with former piano understudy Aretha Franklin, who featured Clevelandas a guest on the album Amazing Grace, the biggest selling Gospel album of all time. A recipient of the NAACP Image Award, Cleveland also acquired an honorary degree form TempleBaptistCollege.

Although the commercial trends of the 1980’s had caused a down turn in Cleveland’s career, he continued to perform the gutsy blues-based sound that brought him recognition from listeners throughout the world.

Rev. Cleveland died February 9, 1991in Los Angeles, California.

About GMWA

The Gospel Music Workshop of America is the largest International music convention of its kind.  Each year, thousands will assemble in a teaching, learning and performance-oriented environment. Founded in 1967 by the late Rev. James Cleveland, the Gospel Music Workshop of America has more than 185 chapters in the United States, United Kingdom, the Caribbean, Europeand Asia.

The Board of Directors makes and sets policy for the convention. The board is made up of persons with varying backgrounds and from various cities throughout the United States. The board selects a chair from within its membership who provides leadership and gives direction to the board of directors and the convention. This board meets each year in March and whenever called into special session by its Chair.

The Board of Directors creates standing Auxiliaries and Divisions, as it deems necessary to carry out the stated goals and objectives of the GMWA. The Auxiliaries function under the authority of the Board of Directors.

Membership qualifications in the Gospel Music Workshop of America are not restricted to race, color, gender,  nationality, challenging conditions or ethnic background. However, each must comply with the rules and regulations that govern the GMWA.

Local Chapters (from various cities and countries throughout the world) are the basic unit of organization of the GMWA. Locally the chapter offers to its membership and others of the city in which it is located, performance, academic and ministry opportunities. A Chapter Representative heads each local chapter that follows rules and regulations established by the Chapter Representatives Division of the parent body.

GMWA Membership
Active membership includes professional and amateur gospel vocalists, instrumentalists, composers, arrangers, directors and producers.

GMWA Organization
Founded in 1967 by the late Rev. James Cleveland, the Gospel Music Workshop of America is the largest artistic organization of its kind in the world with 75,000 members in more than 185 chapters in the United States, United Kingdom, the Caribbean, Europeand Asia.

GMWA Music
About 75 percent of the recordings on Billboard Magazine's gospel charts are written, arranged, produced and/or performed by GMWA members.

First GMWA Convention
The first GMWA convention was held in Detroitin 1968 at KingSolomonBaptistChurchwith 3,000 delegates attending.

Annual Convention
Each convention officially begins the weekend of the second Sunday in August and attracts 12,000 to 15,000 registrants. An additional 3,000 to 5,000 local gospel lovers attend workshop and musical services during the week.

GMWA Recordings
The convention's National Mass Choir is made up of 2,000 to 3,000 vocalists from chapters around the world and produces a new recording at each convention after only 16 hours of rehearsal. New recordings also are produced annually by the GMWA Women of Worship, Men of Promise and Youth Choir.

For more information visit the National GMWA website at http://www.gmwanational.org