BALTIMORE — Davon Fleming’s voice will warm your heart.
He’s a Baltimore native who made it nationally on “The Voice.”
“Kids don’t have to always look up to athletes, but there’s some singers out there that you’ll need to look up to, starting with me,” Fleming told WMAR-2 News.
This weekend, Fleming will headline the Pride Celebration for Baltimore City, and that makes him, proud.
“A few years ago, it wasn’t popular to be Black, to be gay, to be fat, and now all of those things are what make me who I am,” Fleming said. “I’m just as popular, just as relevant, just as influential being my authentic self and that’s what I want to show people.”
Davon Fleming to headline Baltimore Pride
His smile will make you smile, in a way that Davon Fleming is just showing his authentic self.
Fleming was raised in Baltimore, in the Park Heights community, but he remains humble.
But his voice will give you the chills.
“I’m just a regular guy from Baltimore, Park Heights, who just so happens to sing who has a platform,” Fleming said. “Nothing has really changed about me.”
Fleming was a semifinalist on “The Voice” in 2017 and now he sings back up for one of the biggest female R&B singers in the country – Jennifer Hudson.
He goes on tour, singing vocals in the background for Hudson.
“She ended up being a mentor,” Fleming said. “The Jennifer Hudson, Emmy, Oscar, Grammy Award winner at the time, and I’m just like OK, but I’m regular these are regular people.”
“I went from being mentee to mentor to friend relationship to now boss lady to employee, Davon, but still friends of course.”
Fleming grew up singing at Baltimore’s Bethel Temple Church of Christ on Rogers Avenue.
He started singing at 3 years old and hasn’t stopped.
“I grew up in a musical family,” Fleming said. “My mom is a singer. I grew up in the church, so my foundation is that good old fashioned foot stomping, hand clapping music.”
“I did a TV show on BET called Sunday’s Best, and for years, I always thought I was gonna be a Gospel artist.”
Fleming found his musical calling in soul fusion.
“The soul would be me, just the natural gift that I have, and the fusion would be everything that I picked up along the way, like Jazz, R&B and everything else,” Fleming said.
While his music has evolved, his love of Baltimore is unwavering.
“When I’m out, I’m pumping for my city, no matter where I’m at,” Fleming said. “I can be in LA, Dallas, you’re gonna know I come from Baltimore.”
So what are his favorite memories of Baltimore?
“Anything that involves a chicken box, salt, pepper and hot sauce, crabs, seafood,” Fleming said. “Probably honestly, performing here. Performing other places is good but there’s nothing like getting the love in your own city.”
Fleming said he has performed at the AFRAM festival, MLK Parade, M&T Bank Stadium.
When you hear him, Fleming wants you to be moved and children to be inspired.
Growing up, he didn’t have someone to look up. But now, he wants to be that instrument for others.
“We’re gonna make the world a better place if we can, one song at a time,” Fleming said.
