James Fortune
{{Short description|American musician, songwriter, and producer}}
{{About||the member of the Georgia House of Representatives|James R. Fortune Jr.}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
|name = James Fortune
|birth_name =
|birth_date =
|occupation = Songwriter, record producer, singer, radio host
|background = solo_singer
|genre = Urban contemporary gospel
|years_active = 2004–present
|label = {{hlist|FIYA World|Light|eOne|Black Smoke Worldwide}}
|associated_acts = FIYA
|website = {{URL|http://jamesfortunemusic.com/}}
}}
James Fortune is a gospel music recording artist, songwriter and producer. He is also a radio personality on 1190 AM WLIB.
Music career
James Fortune & FIYA's highly debut CD, You Survived, was released in September 2004. He was honored at the 19th annual ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards for his hit single "You Survived" off the same album.{{cite web|title=ASCAP Nominations|url=http://www.ascap.com/press/2006/062606_rhythmsoul.html|access-date=March 7, 2014|archive-date=December 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218102135/https://www.ascap.com/press/2006/062606_rhythmsoul.html|url-status=dead}} "You Survived" also peaked as the No. 2 most played Gospel song in the country and has remained in the Top seven for three years.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} The radio single, "God Can" features Micah Stampley and Zacardi Cortez.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} Fortune received a 2006 ASCAP Writers Award for "You Survived".{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} FIYA has been nominated four years in a row for the Texas Gospel Youth & Young Adult Choir of the year.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}
Fortune and F.I.Y.A.'s second project on Black Smoke Music World Wide, The Transformation, was released January 22, 2008.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} The first single, "I Trust You", charted at No. 1 on Gospel radio for 25 weeks{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} and No. 30 on Urban AC charts{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} and No. 1 at WLIB in New York City.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}
In 2012, Fortune was nominated for two Grammy awards for Best Gospel Album of the Year and Best Gospel Song of Year, and topped Billboard's "Best of 2012 Gospel Songs/Artists List".{{cite magazine|title=Billboard Gospel Albums Charts| magazine=Billboard |url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/304099/james-fortune/chart?f=323}}{{cite web|url=https://ugospel.com/james-fortune-1-on-billboard-magazines-best-of-2012-gospel-songsartists-year-end-list/|title=James Fortune Tops Billboard Magazine's "Best of 2012 Gospel Songs/Artists Year-End" List -|first=Mike|last=Jones|date=December 19, 2012|accessdate=December 17, 2018}}
In 2014, Fortune released his first live album, Live Through It. The album was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia in front of an audience of 5,000 people."[http://theundergroundsite.com/album-review-live-through-it-by-james-fortune-fiya/ Album review: ‘Live Through It’ by James Fortune, FIYA]." The Underground. Retrieved February 25, 2014. On a BET episode of Lift Every Voice, host, CoCo Brother interviewed Fortune and discussed "I Trust You".{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}
On March 3, 2023, Fortune released "Trusting God", a collaboration with singer Monica.{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/6JxQ4CIIRe9IVcnLFIhbzO?si=8CZcnKyfQRGvE46jmKdZyw|title=Trusting God (single)|website=Spotify|date=March 3, 2023|access-date=March 17, 2023}}
Radio career
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=December 2018}}
In 2013, James Fortune became the evening host on 1190 AM WLIB, which was acquired by Emmis Communications in February 2014. He is on-air Mondays through Fridays from 7 pm to 9 pm.
Legal troubles
In 2003 James Fortune pleaded guilty to felony injury to a child and received six years deferred adjudication.{{cite web|url=http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/18878108/popular-gospel-singer-taken-to-court |title=Popular gospel singer taken to court |author=Damali Keith |date=June 26, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205181331/http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/18878108/popular-gospel-singer-taken-to-court |archivedate=December 5, 2014 }} According to a civil lawsuit, Fortune burned his stepson leaving the boy disfigured with severe burns over nearly 50% of the child's body.{{cite web|url=http://thegrio.com/2012/06/28/gospel-singer-james-fortune-sued-for-alleged-child-abuse/|title=Gospel singer James Fortune sued for alleged child abuse|work=theGrio|date=June 28, 2012 }} In October 2014, Fortune was arrested in Fort Bend County, Texas after a heated dispute with his wife, Cheryl Fortune, and was charged with aggravated assault of a family member. Fortune was later released on $20,000 bail.{{Cite web |url=http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/26888681/grammy-award-winning-gospel-singersongwriter-james-frotune-arrested |title=Grammy Nominated Gospel Singer/Songwriter James Fortune Arrested - FOX 26 News | MyFoxHouston |access-date=November 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204195507/http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/26888681/grammy-award-winning-gospel-singersongwriter-james-frotune-arrested |archive-date=December 4, 2014 |url-status=dead }}
Discography
- You Survived (2004)
- The Transformation (2007)
- Encore (2010)
- I Believe: Live (2010)
- Identity (2012)
- Grace Gift (2012)
- Live Through It (2014)
- Dear Future Me (2017)
- Dream Again (2019)
- Dream Again (Live from Rock City) (2020)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=68141129 Fortune's Myspace site]
- [http://www.gospelflava.com/reviews/jamesfortune.html Review of "You Survived" album]
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Category:American gospel singers
Category:California State University, Northridge alumni
Category:Kempner High School alumni