Her name is JoJo. (Yes Like The
Guild JoJo s Kool)
In the
outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts JoJo grew up in a home
filled with song.
Her mother, a church soloist and trained musical theater
performer, would practice hymns and arias alike while a
young JoJo watched, listened and learned.
She imitated her mother's incredible range as well as the
sounds that breezed through the family's home stereo:
Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and
Etta James.
"When I was two years old, I would sing nursery
rhymes.
I would do riffs on them and make them jazzy," JoJo
remembers.
It was at this early age that she taught herself to
interpret the pop and blues tunes she heard with her own
distinctive and unique style.
Eager to perform in venues other than her living room,
JoJo searched for her first big break.
She found it in a small newspaper clipping that
advertised an audition for CBS-TV's Kids Say the Darndest
Things On The Road In Boston.
Her soul and passion left the producers speechless and
she was immediately given a spot to perform. Once JoJo
hit the stage, Bill Cosby, the show's host, asked her to
sing a little something for the people-packed Faneuil
Hall.
JoJo belted out a show-stopping rendition of Aretha
Franklin's "Respect" which earned her an
overwhelming response from the audience.
(As well as from Bill Cosby, himself.)
A phone call from The Oprah Winfrey show followed soon
after, inviting the young girl to appear on the show.
"When it came to performing, I just had no fear,"
says JoJo.
All at once things began to happen. Calls from talk show
producers and music festival organizers began to pour in.
JoJo did them all, singing at places as diverse as a
Boston Celtics basketball game and the Republican
National Convention. But it was at McDonald's 2001
Gospelfest (at Town Hall in New York City) where JoJo
brought down the house with one single song. On a bill
with music greats such as Melba Moore, JoJo let loose her
pipes on "I Believe in You and Me," Whitney
Houston's smash hit from The Preacher's Wife. "The
place went crazy!" JoJo exclaims. "They gave me
a standing ovation, and when I walked off stage, Cissy
Houston, Whitney's mother, said to me 'You did a great
job out there.'" Such a glowing endorsement was
simply priceless to the young singer.
While appearing on the TV show, America's Most Talented
Kids, JoJo was noticed by a man in the audience who
introduced her to Vincent Herbert, famed producer and
owner of Da Family Entertainment.
JoJo was signed to Da Family and offered two major
recording contracts before finding her perfect match with
Barry Hankerson and his label Blackground Records, home
to Toni Braxton, Timbaland & Magoo, and the late
Aaliyah.
After being signed to Blackground, JoJo spent the next
four months recording tracks for her self-titled debut in
New York, Miami and Los Angeles, working closely with
famed producers such as Soulshock & Karlin (Whitney
Houston, Craig David), Vincent Herbert (Destiny's Child,
Toni Braxton), Mike City (Brandy), Brian Morgan (SWV),
The Underdogs (Tyrese, Ruben Studdard), and writer Static
(Aaliyah, Ginuwine).
"It was a great experience working with them in the
studio.
Everyone had such an incredible vibe, and that comes
through in the songs," JoJo enthuses.
The album showcases JoJo's talent, not only as a singer,
but as a songwriter as well.
She penned three tracks for JoJo, including: "Keep
On Keepin' On", "Yes or No", and "Sunshine".
Her favorite cut, "Keep On Keepin' On" is
especially close to her heart.
"It was really hard when I was younger.
We were the lowest income people in our town," she
explains.
"My mom and I lived in a rundown one-bedroom
apartment and we lived off very little money. I wrote
"Keep On Keepin' On" because I knew I wasn't
the only one going through hard times," she says.
The final product is an album infused with assured,
confident vocals and lyrics that speak way beyond JoJo's
tender years. The ballads are deep and soul-filled, and
the up-tempo tracks are bumping and make you want to
dance.
Her music strikes the perfect balance between attitude
and innocence-which is exactly what JoJo is all about.
You Can
See One Of Her Music Video's At The Top of This Page.
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