James Cleveland was born in Chicago. At the age of eight, he was a soloist in Thomas A. Dorsey’s Junior Gospel Choir. He was called the “Crown Prince of Gospel”. He was a Gospel singer, a pianist, a composer, a choir master, and a producer.

He sang with groups (The Gospelaires, etc.) and formed his own groups (The Gospel Chimes, etc.). He also sang with leading choirs, such as The Voices of Tabernacle (of Detroit) and the Angelic Choir (of Nutley, New Jersey)..

During the 1960s, he became a minister in Los Angeles, California. In 1968, he founded the Gospel Music Workshop of America.

He was prolific. Here are some of his songs “The Love Of God”, “Peace Be Still”, “Plenty Good Room”, “Get Right Church”, “Lord Do It”, “I Walk With God”, “Oh To Be Kept By Jesus”, “Christ Is Coming Back Again”