Davon Fleming has gone from soulfully belting his way to TV stardom to working for the city, though this isn’t any odd job.
The mayor’s office has hired Fleming, a 25-year-old Park Heights native, for a $65,000 consulting gig, according to today’s agenda for the Board of Estimates. Fleming will be paid $45 an hour over the next 12 months to “develop the operation of a program for City youth that focuses on the performing arts and community enrichment,” the agenda says.
He started his new gig last Wednesday, and the Board of Estimates approved the contract today, The Brew reports.
Mayor Catherine Pugh has championed Fleming as a Baltimore prize since his time on “The Voice,” pushing her Twitter followers to keep his deep run alive as he made his way to–and ultimately fell short of–the final round of NBC’s seasonal televised singing competition. After he was voted off, Pugh organized a “surprise homecoming rally” for Fleming at BWI Airport on Dec. 20, 2017. Eight days later, he sang at a city-sponsored candlelight vigil for 2017 homicide victims at the War Memorial.
Perhaps most notably, Pugh’s administration also tapped Fleming to be the master of ceremonies for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade that she at first quietly cancelled and later revived under public pressure. A Jan. 4 release from the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts says Fleming will serve as the grand marshal of the parade, which starts at noon on Monday at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Eutaw Street.
Those unfamiliar with Fleming’s work should hear some of his crooning on NBC from the last several months. Some of his best covers included his audition performance of Amy Winehouse’s “Me and Mr. Jones,” his Baltimore-dedicated rendition of Beyonce’s “Love on Top” and his battle-round duet of Whitney Houston’s “I’m Your Baby Tonight.”
Wow $65k!!- I had no idea that Mr. Fleming also had extensive experience developing and implementing performing arts programs for inner City youth. He truly is a jack of all trades! Can’t wait to see how this turns out
Wh did Mayor Pugh hire Fleming? What experience or characteristics does he have?
Some of his best covers included his audition performance of Amy Winehouse’s “Me and Mr. Jones,”…..nope, that would be Billy Paul.
Hi Fluffernutter, Amy Winehouse released “Me and Mr. Jones” in 2006. The song has entirely different lyrics, but certainly plays with the structure of Billy Paul’s original. Here are a couple links if you want to compare.