BALTIMORE — Devon Fleming’s voice will conquer your heart.
He’s a Baltimore native who made it nationally on “The Voice.”
“Kids don’t always have to look up to athletes, but there are some singers out there that you have to look at, starting with me,” Fleming told WMAR-2 News.
This weekend, Fleming will headline the Pride Ceremony for Baltimore City, and it makes him proud.
“A few years ago, being black, being gay, being fat wasn’t popular, and now all those things make me who I am,” Fleming said. “I’m just as popular, just as relevant, as influential as my authentic self is, and that’s what I want to show people.”
Devon Fleming will headline Baltimore Pride
His smile will make you smile in a way that Devon Fleming is just showing his authentic self.
Fleming was raised in Baltimore, in the Park Heights community, but remains humble.
But his voice will cool you down.
“I’m a regular guy from Baltimore, Park Heights, who sings songs that have a stage,” Fleming said. “Nothing has really changed about me.”
Fleming was a semifinalist on “The Voice” in 2017 and now sings back up for one of the biggest female R&B singers in the country – Jennifer Hudson.
He goes on tour, singing in the background for Hudson.
“She became a mentor,” Fleming said. “Jennifer Hudson, Emmy, Oscar, Grammy Award winner at the time, and I’m all right, but I’m regular. These are regular people.”
“I went from mentee to mentor to friend relationship to now boss lady to employee, Devon, but friends nonetheless.”
Fleming grew up singing at the Bethel Temple Church of Christ in Baltimore on Rogers Avenue.
He started singing at the age of 3 and has not stopped till now.
“I grew up in a musical family,” Fleming said. “My mom is a singer. I grew up in church, so my foundation is good old-fashioned foot stumping, hand-clapping music.”
“I did a TV show on BET called Sunday Best, and over the years, I always thought I was going to be a gospel artist.”
Fleming found his musical calling in soul fusion.
Fleming said, “Soul would be me, just the natural gift I have, and fusion would be everything I picked up along the way, like jazz, R&B and everything else.”
While his music has evolved, his love for Baltimore remains unbroken.
“When I’m out, I’m pumping for my city, no matter where I am,” Fleming said. “I may be in LA, Dallas, you’ll know I come from Baltimore.”
So what are his favorite memories of Baltimore?
“Anything that includes chicken boxes, salt, pepper and hot sauce, crabs, seafood,” Fleming said. “Maybe honestly, performing here. It’s nice to perform at other venues but there’s nothing like finding love in your own city.”
Fleming said he has performed at the AFRAM festival, the MLK Parade, the M&T Bank Stadium.
When you listen to him, Fleming wants you to be inspired and that the kids are inspired.
Growing up, he had no one to look after. But now, he wants to be that instrument for others.
“We’re going to make the world a better place if we can, one song at a time,” Fleming said.