Leslie Jordan, actor, writer, singer, and social media star who won an Emmy for his role as Beverly Leslie on the television series “Will & Grace,” died Monday morning (Oct 24) at the age of 67.
According to reports from law enforcement, Jordan’s BMW was involved in a single car collision in Los Angeles, crashing into the side of a building. Jordan died at the scene.
While the cause of death is undetermined at this time, authorities believe it is possible that Jordan suffered a medical emergency that resulted in the crash.
Just hours before his death, Jordan posted a video of himself singing the 1893 hymn “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder” on Instagram beside songwriter Danny Myrick. The Sunday morning video has received over 34,000 comments.
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Jordan, who was openly gay, released a country and gospel album titled “Company’s Comin’” in 2017. The album featured him singing classic gospel hymns alongside Chris Stapleton, Eddie Vedder, Brandi Carlile, TJ Osborne, Tanya Tucker, Ashley McBryde, Charlie Worsham, Danny Myrick, Travis Howard, Morgane, and Katie Pruitt.
The album also included the song “Where the Soul Never Dies,” which he sang alongside Dolly Parton. Jordan more than likely heard the classic hymn growing up in Tennessee Southern Baptist churches.
“When I’m trying to be dramatic, I’ll say, ‘Well, I walked away from the church,’” Jordan told Esquire in 2021. “I never walked away. Everything we did, everything, was surrounding the church. Sunday morning, Sunday evenings—and it was a good childhood.”
“I think the problem started when I realized I was gay. I just had nothing to do with the church anymore. So what’s interesting to me is to be 66 years old and have absolutely no ax to grind,” Jordan said. “I’m not quite sure how. I wish I had some wonderful stories of how I learned acceptance just over the years. I don’t know.”
Jordan told the publication, “I didn’t want to be queer, but I didn’t have a choice in it.”
During an interview with Grammy Award winner Shania Twain in 2021, Jordan shared, “I grew up in the church, but I walked away, because the whole gay thing came around. I firmly believe that God made me this way. I’m not a mistake.”
“This is not my cross to bear. It’s part of what I am and I want to celebrate that, but when you grow up and you’re just so scared,” Jordan added, sharing that he never walked away from the church. Instead, he said, “I just quit going.”
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