In I Was Born This Way, Carl Bean, former Motown recording artist, noted AIDS activist, and founder of the Unity Fellowship of Christ Church in Los Angeles, shares his extraordinary personal journey from Baltimore foster homes to the stage of the Apollo Theater and beyond.
Preaching an all-embracing progressive theology, he is an outspoken practitioner of brotherly love, a dynamic preacher, and a social activist. The Unity Fellowship message is grace: "God is love, and God is for everyone"; "God is gay, God is straight, God is black, God is white." I Was Born This Way is the rare personal history of one of black gospel’s biggest stars and a frank, powerful, and warmhearted testament to how one man found his calling.
I can remember back in the roarin' 70's in clubs when this song was played the crowd would go wild and sing along. It became the gay National Anthem. The book is a page turner and is a great reminder of times gone by. It's also informative in that he drops names and enlightens us about how things worked behind the scenes of the music industry - particularly Motown.
