Celebrated cardiologist and barrier-breaking musician Dr. Cleveland “Cleve” Francis Jr. M.A. ’69 will welcome William & Mary’s new students to campus on Aug. 28 as part of the university’s Opening Convocation ceremony.
Held in the Wren Yard, the event coincides with the first day of undergraduate classes and serves as the official kickoff to the academic year. This year’s ceremony, which begins at 7:15 p.m., will also usher in the final semester of the Year of the Arts celebration.
An acclaimed Nashville artist who recorded his first album while in graduate school at William & Mary, Francis is a fitting speaker for the ceremony. In the spirit of the university’s ampersand, he found success in two seemingly disparate fields while also looking for opportunities to embody the university’s values of service and belonging. He has won multiple awards, including several for his efforts to recognize and support Black professionals in both music and medicine. He was featured on the cover of the W&M Alumni Magazine in 2023.
“Cleve Francis’ career is classic William & Mary. Since before his time as a graduate student, he has pursued two loves: music & medicine,” said W&M President Katherine A. Rowe. “Country, blues, folk and cardiology: His story suits our Year of the Arts. And he has much to teach our students about pursuing excellence with grit and flair.”
Born in Louisiana, Francis received a bachelor’s degree from Southern University in 1967 before pursuing a master’s degree in biology at William & Mary. While at the university, a faculty mentor encouraged him to pursue his unique “soul-folk” music and even raised funds for Francis to record the album “Follow Me” in 1969.
While playing music on the side, Francis went on to pursue his medical doctorate at the Medical College of Virginia, now the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, and established a cardiology practice – Mount Vernon Cardiology Associates – in Northern Virginia.
In the early 1990s, Francis decided to pause his medical practice to pursue a music career, and he landed a recording contract in 1991 with Liberty Records (now Capitol Records Nashville). He received national media attention as a trailblazing Black country artist, and his video for the song “Lovelight” won MusicRow Magazine’s Independent Video of the Year award. He performed in venues across the country, including the famous Grand Ole Opry. After facing obstacles to getting his music played on country radio stations and a lack of industry support, he eventually returned to practicing medicine. Based on his experience, he formed the Black Country Music Association in 1995 to help spotlight and advocate for other Black country artists.
Francis sold his cardiology practice to Inova Health System in 2015 and retired from seeing patients in 2021. He remains a diversity advisor for Inova Heart and Vascular Institute and founded its “Dream Big Initiative,” which seeks to inspire underserved elementary and high school students to pursue careers in health care. Francis also received the Pioneer Award from the Inova Schar Heart and Vascular Institute for his lifetime of service to the Northern Virginia community.
In recent years, his influence on country music has received renewed attention. He was featured in an exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and one of his albums – “Walkin’” – is on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington, D.C. He received the Rosedale Collective’s first Hazelhurst Award and a Black Opry Icon Award, and in 2022, an anthology of his 1969 recordings was released by Forager Records under the title “Beyond the Willow Tree.”
His autobiography, “Beyond the Weeping Willow: A Heart’s Journey Through Music, Medicine, and History,” is scheduled to be published by the Country Music Hall of Fame and the University of Illinois Press in spring 2025.
Erin Jay, Senior Associate Director of University News