Southern california community choir biography of donald
Donald Crockett is professor and chair of the composition department and director of Thornton Edge at the USC Thornton School of Music.
Meet the man behind the L.A. Mass Choir, Mr. Donald Taylor.!
Dr. James Cleveland (December 5, 1931 – February 9, 1991) was a gospel singer, arranger, composer and, most significantly, the driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound, bringing the stylistic daring of hard gospel and jazz and pop music influences to arrangements for mass choirs.
He is known as the King of Gospel music.[1]
Biography
Early life and career
Born in Chicago, he began singing as a boy soprano at Pilgrim Baptist Church, where Thomas A. Dorsey was minister of music and Roberta Martin was pianist for the choir.
James Cleveland, The Southern California Community Choir ·He strained his vocal cords as a teenager while part of a local gospel group, leaving the distinctive gravelly voice that was his hallmark in his later years. The change in his voice led him to focus on his skills as a pianist and later as a composer and arranger.
For his pioneering accomplishments and contributions, he is regarded by many to be one of the greatest gospel singers to ever live.[2]
