With adulation received from the likes of Whitney Houston, Beyonce, The Clark Sisters, Kirk Franklin, and some of the biggest names in music over the years, Kim Burrell was easily one of Gospel music’s most revered voices.
via: Vibe
During a visit to Tamron Hall Thursday, Burrell, 50, addressed the 2016 sermon wherein she made comments about the “perverted homosexual spirit,” taking Adams to task for calling her out publicly and inadvertently adding fuel to the fire of those wishing to “cancel” the vocalist.
“I was disappointed, because we’ve all shared the same stage, back rooms, and green rooms, and some of their public display in conversation is somewhat opposite of what it is behind stage,” Burrell said. “I would’ve much preferred, especially dealing with gospel, Yolanda Adams, we’re both from Houston, Texas, to pick up the cell phone and say, ‘Hey, I have a career to save, and I can’t agree with your stance right now, I need to say something different to my public.’ I would’ve preferred that.”
Burrell also believes she wasn’t given a fair chance to explain her perspective, adding “No one has ever interviewed me about what it is I’m offended by and why should it matter. A reaction from a community that says, ‘we’re extreme on love,’ didn’t respond in love, in thinking that I was being deliberate to hurt.”
Standing on the idea that she was only being honest, she added: “Truth hurts. I was standing there preaching what I know is the truth. I have to stand on the truth, no matter what. I can be criticized for it, I can be so-called ‘canceled’ for it.”
After a clip from the sermon crossed Ellen DeGeneres’ path, the daytime TV host spoke out against Burrell, deeming the speech “not nice” and canceling Burrell’s scheduled talk show appearance.
“I didn’t feel that was good of me to have her on the show to give her a platform after she was saying things about me,” DeGeneres said on her show at the time. “There’s no room for any kind of prejudice in 2017, and moving on. There’s no room.”
She then continued on with Pharrell Williams’ interview, who collaborated with Burrell on the soundtrack for the 2016 film Hidden Figures.
Burrell also lost her radio show at the time due to the sermon.
According to the Houston pastor, she did find support in Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx, who she claims came to her defense by reaching out to DeGeneres on her behalf.
“No one has reported that my friend Jamie Foxx felt the need to call Ellen and say, ‘You got this one wrong. She has been more to our community than what the world is willing to see, and we don’t think that the extreme of canceling her from a show was a proper response compared to what she’s done for our community.’”
Representatives for Adams did not immediately respond to VIBE’s request for comment.
Watch Kim Burrell speak on Adams below.
