Ashley Cleveland (born February 2, 1957) is an American

singer/songwriter A singer-songwriter is a musician who writes, composes, and performs their own musical material, including lyrics and melodies. In the United States, the category is built on the folk-acoustic tradition, although this role has transmuted thr ...

best known as a background vocalist and

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

singer. Ashley Cleveland was born in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...

. She has been married to

Kenny Greenberg Kenneth S. "Kenny" Greenberg is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer, and session musician. He is known for bringing a rock-and-roll sensibility to Nashville recording sessions. Biography Greenberg was born in Cleveland, Ohio but attend ...

since April 27, 1991, and has three children.

Career

She sang "We're Gonna Win This One" in 1987 for the

Touchstone Pictures Touchstone Pictures, Inc. was an American film production label of Walt Disney Studios, founded and owned by The Walt Disney Company. Feature films released under the Touchstone label were produced and financed by Walt Disney Studios, and featu ...

film ''

Ernest Goes to Camp ''Ernest Goes to Camp'' is a 1987 American comedy film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. It is the second film to feature the character of Ernest P. Worrell and was shot at Montgomery Bell State Park. It was also the first "Ernes ...

''. Her career includes vocal contributions to more than 300 albums, including the

Dove Award A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Awards ...

winning albums ''Songs from the Loft'' (1994), ''

The Jesus Record The Jesus Record is the ninth and final album by American singer and songwriter Rich Mullins, released posthumously on July 21, 1998, ten months after his death. The first disc of the album, entitled "The Jesus Demos", consists of nine rough de ...

'' by Rich Mullins and

A Ragamuffin Band A Ragamuffin Band was a musical group founded by Rich Mullins in 1993, when he gathered friends from other bands to back him on his '' A Liturgy, A Legacy, & A Ragamuffin Band'' album. The band continued to record and tour with Mullins, and even ...

, 1998. As part of

John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including new wave, blues, and country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and has been awarded ...

's band, she has also made several widely seen television appearances including, ''

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show t ...

'', ''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...

'', ''

The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, ...

'' and ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

''.

Steve Winwood Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a keyboard player and vocalist prominent for his disti ...

contributed duet vocals and played the

Hammond B3 Hammond may refer to: People * Hammond Innes (1913–1998), English novelist * Hammond (surname) * Justice Hammond (disambiguation) Places Antarctica * Hammond Glacier, Antarctica Australia *Hammond, South Australia, a small settlement in South ...

organ for the song "

I Need Thee Every Hour Annie Hawks (May 28, 1836 - January 3, 1918) was an American poet and gospel hymnist who wrote a number of hymns with her pastor, Robert Lowry (hymn writer), Robert Lowry. She contributed to several popular Sunday school hymnbooks, and wrote the ...

" on Cleveland's 2005 album, ''Men and Angels Say''. She has contributed to the SongwritingWith:Soldiers workshops, and is credited as a co-writer on the song "Stronger Together" on the

Mary Gauthier Mary Veronica Gauthier ( ; born March 11, 1962) is a Grammy-nominated American folk singer-songwriter and author, whose songs have been covered by performers including Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kathy Mattea, Boy George and Jimmy Buffett. She ha ...

album ''

Rifles & Rosary Beads Mary Veronica Gauthier ( ; born March 11, 1962) is a Grammy-nominated American folk singer-songwriter and author, whose songs have been covered by performers including Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kathy Mattea, Boy George and Jimmy Buffett. She ...

''.

Bibliography

In 2013 she published her memoir, ''Little Black Sheep'', in hardcover, & eBook format.

Awards and recognition

As the Grammy Award's first female nominee in the Best Rock Gospel category, Ashley Cleveland won this award in 1996 for her album ''Lesson of Love'', in 1999 for ''You Are There'', and in 2008 for ''Before the Daylight's Shot''. She is the only artist to be nominated, and win, three times in this category. In 2010, ''God Don't Never Change'', was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Gospel Album category, bringing her total number of overall nominations to four (with three wins). ''Lesson of Love'' also won a 1996 Nashville Music Award ("Nammy") for Best Contemporary Christian Album. Cleveland was the only female vocalist to sing lead on a song ("Gimme Shelter") for the television special, ''Stone Country: A Tribute to the Rolling Stones'' on the defunct

The Nashville Network The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, game shows, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows. On September ...

(TNN).

Discography

Albums * ''Big Town''

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

(1991) * ''Bus Named Desire'' (

Reunion Reunion may refer to: * Class reunion * Family reunion Reunion, Réunion, Re-union, Reunions or The Reunion may also refer to: Places * Réunion, a French overseas department and island in the Indian Ocean * Reunion, Commerce City, Colorado, U ...

(1993) * ''

Lesson of Love A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. A lesson may be either on ...

'' Reunion (1995) * '' You Are There''

Warner Warner can refer to: People * Warner (writer) * Warner (given name) * Warner (surname) Fictional characters * Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs'' * Aaron Warner, a character in ''Shatter Me s ...

(1998) * ''Second Skin'' 204 Records (2002) * ''Men and Angels Say''

Rambler Rambler or Ramble may refer to: Places * Rambler, Wyoming * Rambler Channel (藍巴勒海峽), separates Tsing Yi Island and the mainland New Territories in Hong Kong * The Ramble and Lake, Central Park, an area within New York City's Centr ...

(2005) * ''Before the Daylight's Shot'' 204 Records (2006) * ''God Don't Never Change''

Koch Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had b ...

(2009). The album includes the songs: ** "

Denomination Blues "Denomination Blues" is a gospel blues song composed by Washington Phillips (18801954), and recorded by him (vocals and zither) in 1927. In 1938, Sister Rosetta Tharpe (191573) recorded a gospel version of the song under the title "That's All" ...

" ** "

God Don't Never Change "God Don't Never Change" is a gospel blues song recorded by Blind Willie Johnson in 1929. The song is sometimes titled "God Don't Ever Change". Lyrics The verses include allusions to: * Psalm 114:4 "The mountains skipped like rams, and the l ...

" * ''Beauty in the Curve'' (2012) * ''One More Song'' (2018)Cross Rhythms
Retrieved April 14, 2018 Appearances * ''

Strong Hand of Love ''Strong Hand of Love: A Tribute to Mark Heard'' is a compilation of songs by various artists in tribute to songwriter, Mark Heard. Recorded and released in 1994, after Heard's death in 1992. Proceeds benefit the Heard Family Fund. In 1994, wit ...

'', tribute to

Mark Heard John Mark Heard III (December 16, 1951 – August 16, 1992) was an American record producer, folk rock singer and songwriter from Macon, Georgia. Heard released sixteen albums, and produced or performed with many artists, including: Sam Phil ...

, 1994 * ''

Orphans of God ''Orphans of God'' is a 1996 two-CD compilation of songs performed by various artists in tribute to songwriter Mark Heard. Recorded and released after Heard's death in 1992, proceeds from the album benefit the Heard Family Fund. This album was li ...

'', tribute to

, 1996 * ''

'', Rich Mullins &

, 1998 * '' Mountain of God'',

Third Day Third Day was a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee (both of whom were the only constant members) and Billy Wilkins. Drummer David Carr was the ...

Wherever You Are, 2005 * '' Both Feet On the Ground'', Bellsburg Sessions Bellsburg (The Songs of Rich Mullins), 2022

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cleveland, Ashley 1957 births Living people Musicians from Knoxville, Tennessee Musicians from Nashville, Tennessee American women singer-songwriters Grammy Award winners American performers of Christian music Singer-songwriters from Tennessee 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers