Few lives in American medicine speak as powerfully to the necessity of representation and resilience as that of Dr. Cleveland “Cleve” Francis Jr. An ABC Emeritus Member, cardiologist, recording artist, and health equity advocate, Dr. Francis has spent more than five decades navigating and dismantling systemic racial barriers in two of America’s most culturally rigid institutions: medicine and country music.
Born in Jennings, Louisiana, Dr. Francis grew up in a strictly segregated community where the local healthcare infrastructure largely ignored Black residents, and underfunded Black schools relied on hand-me-down textbooks. In this environment, the concept of a Black physician was invisible to him. It wasn’t until he left his hometown and saw a Black doctor for the very first time at a student health center that the trajectory of his life shifted. That single moment of representation ignited a realization: medicine was a door that could be opened.
Yet, the path was far from a straight line. Despite being an excellent student at Southern University, Dr. Francis faced the harsh reality of institutional bias, receiving rejections from all 12 medical schools he applied to. Refusing to let a detour define his destiny, he pivoted, enrolling at William & Mary to earn a master’s degree in biology to strengthen his credentials.
While at William & Mary, his lifelong love for music found a home. He began performing a unique blend of folk, blues, and gospel that he aptly termed “soulfolk”—a reflective, acoustic style meant to make people sit, listen, and contemplate the turbulent civil rights era. His soulfolk music became an extension of his voice, eventually leading to a privately pressed 1969 album, Follow Me.
After successfully proving himself and earning his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia (now known as the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine), Dr. Francis faced yet another systemic wall: established white medical practices and local hospitals refused to hire him. Undeterred, he took matters into his own hands and founded Mount Vernon Cardiology Associates. It grew into one of the largest practices in Northern Virginia, intentionally built as a vibrant, multicultural practice that reflected and respected the diverse community it served. He also broke barriers as the first Black cardiologist in the Inova Health System. Dr. Francis sold his cardiology practice to Inova Health System in 2015 and retired from seeing patients in 2021.
His “soulfolk” roots later blossomed into a legendary country music career. Signed to Liberty Records (Capitol Records Nashville) in 1991, he charted four times on Billboard Hot Country Songs and played the Grand Ole Opry. When institutional radio programmers blocked his airplay due to his race, he fought back by founding the Black Country Music Association (BCMA) to pave the way for future generations before returning full-time to his healing ministry in cardiology.
Decades later, history is catching up to his legacy. His early soulfolk recordings were recently re-released to critical acclaim, his country music artifacts sit in the Smithsonian (at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.), and he is a recipient of both the Rosedale Collective’s inaugural Hazelhurst Award and the Black Opry Icon Award.
Now, Dr. Francis is sharing his full journey of detours, racial navigation, and triumph. Co-published by the Country Music Foundation Press and the University of Illinois Press, his highly anticipated memoir, Do My Heart Good: My Odyssey Through Country Music, Medicine, and History, releases this fall on October 6, 2026.
ABC is incredibly proud to honor Dr. Francis. To support our esteemed colleague and secure your copy of this monumental story, you can pre-order the book now through Barnes & Noble.
