Archbishop Carl Bean (1944-2021), spiritual leader, HIV activism pioneer, and the voice behind the 1977 version of “I Was Born This Way,” joins host Johnnie Ray Kornegay III for a rare, deeply personal conversation recorded in January 2021. This show features excerpts from the discussion between the two. This conversation is being shared in honor of National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NFHAAD).

From a Baltimore childhood steeped in “high-church” music and NAACP youth organizing to the artistic whirlwind of 1960s New York, Bean traces the path that shaped his voice and his calling. He shares how gospel great Alex Bradford opened doors, how the creative circle around Vinnette Carroll widened his world, and how hearing Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” pushed him to move to Los Angeles and step beyond Gospel and speak more boldly to the times through music.

Bean reflects on forming the band Universal Love, landing his record deal with ABC Records, and ultimately recording “I Was Born This Way” at Motown, bringing in The Sweet Inspirations and insisting the song premiere at Jewel’s Catch One. He then opens up about the birth of Unity Fellowship and the pastoral work that called him to hospitals and families during the height of the AIDS crisis, and the personal toll it took.

If you care about Black music, queer history, public health, or the power of one voice to move a people, this conversation will stay with you.

Note: This episode includes discussion of AIDS-related loss and grief.

Chapter Markers

00:00 Intro Theme

00:50 Disclaimer About Project and Request from Archbishop Carl Bean

03:28 Archbishop Carl Bean's Early Life and Career Beginnings

07:55 Joining the Bradford Singers and Professional Growth

15:20 Cultural and Creative Influences in New York

19:16 Transition to Solo Career and Personal Reflections

25:04 MidRoll

25:54 Formation of the band Universal Love

30:09 Getting His Record Deal with ABC Records and "All We Need Is Love"

Archbishop Carl Bean on Faith, Music, and HIV Activism