Rev. James L. Moore - [1956-2000]
Born in the gospel "hotbed" of Detroit, Michigan, Rev. James L. Moore gave an inking of what was to come when at the ripe old age of seven he gave his first performance.
Many people can be credited with helping him up the Gospel music ladder, but two in particular were there in the beginning- Elma Hendricks and Mattie Moss Clark. He credits Ms. Hendricks with directing him into the Church of God in Christ where musically and spiritually he began to flourish. She also introduced him to Mattie Moss Clark - one of gospel music's matriarchs - who helped him up the first few rungs of the ladder. In addition to the aforementioned, Rev. Moore acknowledges the profound influence of Rev. James Cleveland, Rev. Richard White and Frank Williams.
Rev. Moore's professional break came in 1974 at the James Cleveland Gospel Music Workshop of America held in Chicago, Illinois. It was here that he received the Thurston Frazier Scholarship Award. That same year he recorded his first album, "I Thank You Master" with Savoy Records which garnered moderate success. After three more recordings, "I'll Be Praying For You" on Luminar-Light Records; "God Can Do Anything" on Secret Records; and "Something Old, Something New" on Sound of Gospel Records, Rev. Moore returned to Malaco/Savoy to record "Rev. James Moore Live". This album reached the top ten of Billboard and Cashbox Magazine's top forty Spiritual charts. Selections such as "Bread of Heaven" and "He Was There All The Time" garnered him a Stellar Award in 1989 for Best Solo Performance-Male Vocalist, Traditional. This same album received a nomination from the GMWA Excellence Awards.
His guest appearance on the Mississippi Mass Choir's debut album certainly contributed to the phenomenal success it achieved - forty-eight weeks at number one, four Stellar Awards, three GMWA Excellence Awards, three Dove Nominations, and one Soul Train Award nomination.
It's been said that turnabout is fair play. With the Mississippi Mass Choir's reciprocating appearance on his album, "Live with the Mississippi Mass Choir", turnabout turned in to great-play; as in air-play. Songs like "Joy", "We Worship Christ the Lord", and "God Will Take Care Of You" certified this project as a classic.
In March of 1991 Billboard Magazine confirmed that the album had achieved the #1 position in the country. This project also garnered Rev. Moore a Dove nomination and a Stellar Award for Best Gospel video.
The "Live In Detroit" project, recorded in his hometown, reached the #3 position on Billboard Magazine's Top 40 Gospel chart. It featured such classics as " I Stood on the Banks of Jordan" and "Old Rugged Cross".
Rev. Moore's 4th project, "I Will Trust in the Lord" reached the #4 postion on Billboard's Top 40 and received a Grammy nomination.
His fifth release, "Live at Jackson State University with the Mississippi Mass Choir", continues the tradition. Highly anticipated, it debuted on Billboard's Top 40 at #14, and is laden with hits such as "One More Time", "Lift Him Up", "Victory Shall Be Mine", and the Frank Williams penned "If Jesus Can't Fix It". another classic release from gospel's top male vocalist.
In 1994, shortly after recording his last hit album, Live At Jackson State University, then 38-year old Moore went to the doctor with a nosebleed and was initially diagnosed with the flu. But he soon found out that his kidneys had stopped functioning, leaving toxins in his blood stream that took his eyesight and force him into dialysis three times a week.
After his illness took hold, he moved to Jackson, Mississippi, to be close to his work at Malaco. But in 1997, he moved back to the home of his adulthood, Memphis, Tennessee. Rev. Moore's faith and ministry were only strengthened by the hardships he faced. In the spring of 1997, he starred in the New York cast of Why Good Girls Like Bad Boyz and became the crowd favorite in the hit gospel musical. He also starred in the show's national tour, in the fall 1997 and spring 1998.
Rev. James Moore passed away on June 7th, 2000 at Methodist Central Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
