Jaylen Hunter, Actor

My guest today was young actor Master Jaylen Hunter, from Memphis.

Jaylen made his professional debut in Disneys' The Lion King. He portrayed "Young Simba". He also portrayed "Young Marlon" in MJ: The Musical.

WDIA's Stan Bell is having a blast with this interview

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Memphis, bloring and bread, walking the walk and talking and talk.
It's the Stan Bell Morning Show, weekday mornings from six
to ten am on the Heart and Soul of Memphis,
ten seventy wd IA.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
All right, everybody there, we are. Hey here, we are
straight up down to rock by the minute, coming up
on a minute, pass the hour. Good morning. Let me
say happy forth to July to everybody within the side
of my voice. Independence Day, and we're having a good
time where I'm located in the big m town. Man,
I'm so glad that you all are listening. I don't

(00:32):
know what to do. Wow, So my friends, before I
bring in my spells to Guess's kind of her getting
jailing out the green room. I know he used to that,
but I got him out of He was eating, eating
the berries and the strawberries and the stuff in the
green room that he's used to doing when he's on
touring Broadway and all stuff. I said, hey, come on
out of that.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Man.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
I got to show the dowe. He said, no, just
treat more grapes, mister Bell, please, And he got some
of the juices that we have, and now I think
he's ready to run. Read of the road. I know,
I guess they love the green room, mano. They love
woo fruits and berries and you know, some neutra grain
bars and all that stuff. And you know, look, let

(01:13):
me do this one more reminder, one more reminder to
save the day man. As soon as I mentioned that,
my lines lit up like Times Square on Wall Street
in New York. Actually, because I can tell you, guys
are kind of fiending if you will for a celebration
of sorts. And we hear you so one more time

(01:37):
the WGIA Anniversary Celebration concert. It's going to be Friday,
November twenty one, twenty twenty five, seven pm. Stay tuned
for more details in the studio. Who let me be

(01:57):
ready put a mic on this, young man. You prefer
the lava little handheld or the boom mic Jayleen the
one you all right, step up a little closer to
the microphone. We'll get you.

Speaker 4 (02:09):
Good morning sir, Good morning, Good morning man.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
We're glad to have you in here. Man, you're in him.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
Now.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
Let me apologize on the first on the front and
the forgetting you up so early in the morning. This
is not too early for you, but you had to
get up at least by maybe seven to get to shake, bacon,
wake and motivate, percolated. But you ain't mad man at
nine o'clock in the morning, if it's time, man, let
me you know, I'm gonna say this as I do
to all of my I guess two most important words,

(02:35):
thank you, most important word we least important word I.
So from now so the end of this interview that
we're conducting, it's going to be the Jalen Hunter Show
featuring standing Bill and your mama. Let me get a
micae Omama, how you doing this?

Speaker 4 (02:55):
Jones?

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Get you up to this microphone. Real good, you're not
new this, Get on up. I'm doing fine. You all right,
I'm good. That's good. That's good. You sounded good. Y'all
in here looking vibrant and stuff going. And Jayn like
Jayden came through the door and say, I said, hold
you getting in the character already. Man. It's a plump,
pleasing pleasure to have you at w D I A man,

(03:17):
how does it feel just being in all of this.

Speaker 4 (03:19):
It's good to be here.

Speaker 5 (03:20):
You know, this is like my first time doing something
like this, so you know, it's it's very nice for
a first experience.

Speaker 4 (03:27):
Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Man, Well you're looking good over there, scrapping young brother
and you you made you articulate. Well, your voice is good,
no doubt. You're in the outstanding accomplished actor. I guess
I can use that word uh in Layman's terms. You're
multi talented. Talk to us WD, I listeners about this
journey man of you acting and wanted to be you know,

(03:49):
I guess almost in a big time man. But you
could sing, you can dance, you can write. Talk to
us about that. How does that start?

Speaker 4 (03:58):
Man?

Speaker 5 (04:00):
I started when I was the age of seven. I
went to Young Actors Gil and my director Ms Christie.
She really brought something out of me that I never
thought was there. I always knew I was a dancer,
but I never knew I was really a singer or
an actor. So when I did junior plays with them,
it just kind of came out of me.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
You know.

Speaker 5 (04:18):
I had to get out of my comfort zone and
I just progressed and progressed to better roles with YIG.

Speaker 4 (04:24):
Then I did Young Symba with YG, the junior.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
Version this Young Actors Gil. Right, when you said, Miss Christie,
you talking about doctor Christy Chandler.

Speaker 4 (04:33):
Yes, Miss nasty channel ms Christie. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
Continue.

Speaker 5 (04:36):
She cast me as young Symba in the junior play,
and when we performed at the Cannon Center, everybody was
like telling my mom, so, oh, you should submit him
for Broadway.

Speaker 4 (04:47):
Submit him for Broadway. He's very good, he's very talented.

Speaker 5 (04:50):
And at the time, I was nine years old and
I submitted for Broadway. But it was during COVID, so
the process was like kind of slow, and it took
a while for them to reach back. But not too
long after they reached back and they called me back
and we had like just then two audition videos for

(05:11):
a Lion King on Broadway, and then I had the
final callback.

Speaker 4 (05:17):
I forgot the date, but I had the final call back.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
It was in O nine was a year, right, It
was oh for the COVID. Okay, So let me let
me go back. So about two thousand and seven you
were what the young actress guil Yes. And then about
two years after that and you what applied for Broadway?
How is that what?

Speaker 3 (05:38):
You?

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Yes? Okay? And then so it was a long process
and people were telling you about you need to Broadway.
You applied to all this kind stuff. Mama, do you
remember that process? But you part of that talked us
about how you felt and how much push did you
have to you know you have to do to get
them to go ahead and get it done.

Speaker 6 (05:54):
So Jalen, I don't have to push very hard. Jalen
is always like motivated to do things. He actually came
to me and said he wanted to go to young
actors get after he south and performed, So I didn't
have to push him much.

Speaker 7 (06:07):
The only thing I did was submit him.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
So submit and say, look, go for it right there
behind them all every step of the way. H w
I listeners. I mentioned earlier. Jaalen made his professional debut
with Disney's The Lion King, and I'm gonna tell you something, man,
you captivated folk. Uh So, so when you got that call, man,
you got you know, and you mentioned the final call
all that you got to finally got the final call?

(06:30):
And was that from New York itself, well locally or
to damned somebody.

Speaker 4 (06:34):
From New York ittil Wow company.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
Yes, sir, so you were at home they email you
or they called mama first?

Speaker 4 (06:40):
How I was?

Speaker 5 (06:41):
I actually auditioned that day at two o'clock and three
hours later at.

Speaker 4 (06:45):
Five, that's when they called my mom on the on
her phone and.

Speaker 2 (06:49):
The auditioned in person over zoom Okay, you're right right
over zoom yep. And how how many hours later they
called back? Three hours. You were just shaken.

Speaker 4 (07:00):
Yeah, it was.

Speaker 5 (07:00):
It was such It was such a surprise because callbacks
usually take like up to weeks, and we were just
so surprised and that they called that fast and everything
was My blood was rushing fast, like my nerves were
getting all tight, and yeah, it was.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
It was great. So you are from Memphis walkers through
the journey it was school, elementary, but kindergart whatever all
the way up to you know, because now you were fifteen, fifteen, fifteen, okay,
I'll give me some schools and that kind of thing.

Speaker 4 (07:29):
For kindergarten, I went to Riverwood Riverwood, yep.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
Yeah okay.

Speaker 5 (07:34):
And then for elementary first grade through fifth I went
to Idawa Elementary wowep. And my sixth and seventh my
sixth and seventh grade year, I went to Evangelical Christian School. Yes, okay,
but that was while I was on tour, so it
was kind of like virtual. I was really the only
virtual student at the time.

Speaker 2 (07:55):
And how tough was that man was that tedious, I mean,
was it? I mean you the balance, you know, you
were still kind of acting right, yeah, and you were
doing your school and homework and all this.

Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (08:06):
Well, think I'm thankful. I'm grateful for my tutor that
I had. Miss Lisa. She made the process so easy
and it was just like a breeze. It was like
I was acting in school. She took me through every
step of the way. And she's been doing it for
like ten plus years.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
I know you call it effection to Miss Lisa, you
know her last name, by chance, by chair. I know,
I kind of put you on the spot there, but
you get to call it on Miss Lisa. And the
reason I do that is because I want, you know,
folks to know who it really is. Yeah, I know
you you know, so if you think about it, maybe
doing the courser break, you let us know because I
want to give up propts, manse. She's done an excellent
job with you, and you know Mama has so I

(08:42):
didn't like to give folks they prompts. When you mentioned Idawa,
I think principal they'll missed the humphrey or something like that.
Mister humph Humphrey. Yeah, I'm going back now and so
you continue.

Speaker 5 (08:53):
Now you're going, well, now I'm going to Brian Christ
Christian School.

Speaker 2 (08:57):
Okay, come on, come on, say go, sing said mama.

Speaker 8 (09:02):
Sat.

Speaker 2 (09:04):
All right, we're gonna take a quick break. We're talking
to Master Jalen Lindon Hunter or is it lynn Don
Linden Hunter, multi talented actor, singer, songwriter, dancer from Memphis,
Tennessee spend in the past few years showcasing is an
incredible range. You got incredible range because you got to

(09:24):
hit that stop the love you saying, maybe you got
your what's your part of that part? I was Marlin,
but your background and you were dancing. We're gonna talk
about that when we go back. Okay, Now, I'm not
sure if we got the one thousand dollar nation wide
keyword on the holidays, but you know what, just in case,
let me throw it out there. I said, So this

(09:46):
is the fourth of July, so just in case we
are playing, I don't want anybody to miss out. So
it would be hey, p A Y. Just in case,
go ahead and into that now my w d i
a dot com. The one thousand dollar nation wide keyword
is p A Y. Hey, Yeah, I want you to
get that money man, Ain't I want you to get
that money man, just in case they're playing the contest

(10:08):
on today. Oh get that that's about? Oh you hear
that track Marlin, young mam.

Speaker 9 (10:22):
You hear that?

Speaker 2 (10:24):
But can't you feel what you know about the track?

Speaker 9 (10:26):
Right there?

Speaker 2 (10:26):
Did you gotta do it?

Speaker 9 (10:26):
There? With that?

Speaker 2 (10:27):
In MJ the musical m J Musical that was actually
the older men?

Speaker 5 (10:32):
So I played younger Marlin. I did abc stop the
Love you saved? I want you back young younger songs
like that, yep.

Speaker 2 (10:40):
But you're just can you feel it some way in there?

Speaker 1 (10:42):
Right?

Speaker 2 (10:43):
So it's it's two Marlins. Yes, you're the younger Marlin,
young Marlin, and the other guys is like when't when
they were doing this? What I'm playing this track to
the Victory Tour? So this just can you feel it?
It's from that, right? I bet you want to do
that scene too.

Speaker 5 (11:00):
But that was one of my favorite dances. No, yep
wow when they did that yep.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
Man. So guess what, as you get older, you might
get a chance to play that later, right, you know
how long the run is?

Speaker 9 (11:15):
Right?

Speaker 2 (11:17):
Let me pay this track down, man, That's that's good man.
I don't listen in case you just joined us. Stand
special people. Spotlight in the spotlight for sure, and they're
shining brightly all this fourth of July. Master, I call
them Master Jalen l to see that. That's the professional
right there. He designed Jay you see, and they guess
for out of graphics. Man, Thank you again for being here,

(11:39):
your mother said, right by your side. I like that.
And speaking of the Jackson's okay, MJ the musical, I
want you to walk us through. First of all, when
the big break, if you will hit with the Lion King, right,
this is Lion King, and your part in that was
Young Symbol, Yes, and what year.

Speaker 4 (11:58):
Twenty twenty one to twenty twenty three.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
So we were technically out of COVID, yes, technically you know.
And you had a two year run with that, so
twenty twenty one all the way to twenty three. It's
pretty much a Lion King. And you played Young List Symbol.
Give me a couple of lines from it. If you
remember some of them lines from Young Little Symbol, you
should be. I'm sure it's ingrained in your mind. Let's

(12:21):
my voice earlier, It's like, let me see helical scar
yuess what I'm gonna be King of Pride rock I
like that. That's it. Yeah, it's coming back to some
of the listeners.

Speaker 4 (12:37):
Yeah, it's giving back.

Speaker 2 (12:40):
You're coming back here, coming back to me. Man. That
sounds pretty good. Man. You got in the character a
little bit. Give me a little bit more, give me,
give me a little bit more. Young list symbol, Young
young symbol.

Speaker 4 (12:53):
See way to the back of my mind.

Speaker 2 (12:59):
Hold on, I thought you were looking at at I
phone for a minute. Off the dome, Off the dome.
They loves putting folk on the spot. I know it
will come to you now. Okay, let's fast forward. Let's
go to m J the musical Young to Marrow. You
got some lines in there? What's some of your lines? Off?

Speaker 4 (13:14):
I had one line the whole entire show.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
You're dancing straight, dancing the rest give it that line.

Speaker 4 (13:20):
Joseph, don't do it?

Speaker 2 (13:21):
Not me get Marlin No, look looking Mike, No, Joseph,
don't do it. Don't do it? Was what was your line?

Speaker 4 (13:28):
It was so simple. It's like you were like and
and it was it.

Speaker 1 (13:34):
That was it?

Speaker 4 (13:34):
The whole show?

Speaker 2 (13:35):
Wow, I think I amount of lines, So you actually
had to say that or you you sung it?

Speaker 5 (13:43):
I was playing around Michael making fun of the way
he was performing.

Speaker 2 (13:46):
Oh yeah, yeah, you go, And that was the precursor
to singing a B C.

Speaker 5 (13:53):
It was after we got done performing, like we were
all in the hotel room and we were tired playing around.

Speaker 2 (14:00):
So how was it? What was it like working with
the other four? I mean, you know Michael and Tito
and Jermaine, you know the characters in Jackie, I mean Joseph.

Speaker 4 (14:12):
Yeah, with the musical. So actually it was only two kids.

Speaker 5 (14:16):
It was Josiah Josiah Benson and Ethan Joseph and I
Josiah Benson, Ethan Joseph. They both played Little Michael, while
I was the only Marlin. So I did a show
every night while they alternated roles. But the rest Tito, Jermaine, Jackie.
They were all adults plus ensemble. So like Tito also

(14:39):
played Quincy and the musical. Yeah, Jermaine, he played a
background singer for the Dangerous Tour, and Jackie also.

Speaker 4 (14:51):
Played the background singer for the Dangerous Tour.

Speaker 5 (14:53):
So everybody in the musical at least it was like
only a few that didn't have two roles. So like
in the musical, you alternated between two rolls from a
present time like nineteen ninety nineteen nine, around nineteen ninety
back into like back when Michael was younger.

Speaker 4 (15:13):
So people alternated roles in that show.

Speaker 2 (15:16):
So they kept you moving. Yep. Backstage, must have been
something else wanted, changed the cloth and yeah, I'm young mom,
Who did I gotta changed back?

Speaker 4 (15:24):
Who I gotta get back in that scene?

Speaker 2 (15:26):
Make up all that?

Speaker 5 (15:27):
Yeah, we were off stage by then, so we're we're
in our dressing rooms while all that chast was.

Speaker 2 (15:31):
Going on on. Yes, she had done your pretty much.

Speaker 4 (15:33):
We had done our part.

Speaker 5 (15:34):
And then we went back into the end of the show.

Speaker 2 (15:38):
So we had MJ the musical in Memphis at the
Orpheum Theater. Right, we didn't get to see you deal
with no, sir, but you were on that tour, yep,
talk to us about that.

Speaker 5 (15:49):
So I I went to film the Michael movie, and uh,
that's when I departed from the tour and I went
to go film the Michael Jackson biopic that's coming out soon.

Speaker 2 (16:03):
Oh, because I know a lot of times the producers
of these shows and the musicals and stuff there, whenever
they try to make it a point to have the
hometown actor to be in their hometown, you know, and
so they can spotlight you or something like that. So
what But it just was a conflict, I guess because
you had already started doing the film's Michael, okay man,

(16:24):
so we can just imagine. But you were on it.
You were prior to not coming to Memphis. You were
doing a lot of other cities right as your loss.
Did you really want to I know you probably wanted
to come to Memphis. Oh yeah, and that you just
kind of see you do your thing, and you know,
our chest would be always puff puffed up and just
out man when we see one of our own yep
making it. But you had to do what you had to do. Yeah,

(16:45):
so I get now talk to us about this Michael film.
You know it's titled Michael. It is the movie. What
is that? When is that coming out?

Speaker 4 (16:53):
It's coming out soon.

Speaker 2 (16:56):
Five or early twenty six or what sometime twenty six? Okay,
you're probably not a liberal to say right now, I
saw Mama over there with the nuances going on, like well.

Speaker 5 (17:08):
To say that, Antoine few, right, So what's his role
in all this? He was the directory. He was very
cool to work with. He was a very cool guy.

Speaker 4 (17:20):
Really was.

Speaker 5 (17:21):
He was very direct, like he knows what he wanted.
He knowed he wanted to go on in the scenes,
so he told us.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
And yeah, wow, So we know his name from other
credits like what training day.

Speaker 5 (17:33):
Training days, Watualizer, Yep, Denzel Washington.

Speaker 2 (17:36):
He worked with him a lot. Wow, you get to
work with him. So are you through with your role?
Your part? Is it already in the can so to speak?
And it just ready to be So you're done? You already? Okay?
Can you tell us a little bit what to expect
Mama got that look again?

Speaker 5 (17:51):
Well, to expect me killing it killing That's right, that's
a good answer.

Speaker 2 (17:54):
You know that you will. Man. Wow, we're talking with
Jalen Hunter artist older there. I'm throwing that in there
because it's true with us this morning on WEDI the
Stand Special People Spotlight. Man, I'm gonna take another break,
come right back, and I'm gonna open up the phone
lines if you want to talk to young Master Jalen L.
Hunter or either maybe his mother in this process. Man,

(18:15):
You know I mentioned all the time Jayalen and to
missus Jones, right, Christelle. Some people are destined for success.
Most people are determined and that's you, you know, Jayalen,
you were determined to you tell your mama, look, I

(18:35):
want to ask him and to do this thing. I
think I got this one audition I see other people doing.
I want to do it too. I know I can
do it confidence. So you're one of the persons who
who were determined to succeed through your hard work ethic.
We're goal to five the phone lines, and I don't
want five three five nine three four two eight hundred
five zero three nine three for two or eight three
three five three five nine three for two. You want
to talk to our special guest in the studio this morning,

(18:57):
you're invited. That's okay in it, jayla al Let me
take the baby and we are back on this fourth
of July. H Jaylen, I wish you happy fourth of July.
I say have fourth to you. If I didn't, Happy
forth to you, Jason, Happy fourth to you too, man,
Thank you man. What's your plans? Man? You got anything?

Speaker 5 (19:11):
Y'all cooking out, appreciating, appreciating that we're here chilling now
with family.

Speaker 4 (19:17):
Thank you the Lord.

Speaker 2 (19:19):
Love it man. Yeah, it's good to be alive in it.
So so we're back. Mama. You good. What you got
for the four of you? Lay low, chill chill? Yeah, yeah,
you got some family in town or y'all just gonna
kind of just kind of take it to the house,
relaxed and that kind of How busy is your son's schedule?

(19:40):
I mean, hi, I mean is it like, are you
his manager so to speaker locally or you? How do
you keep up with all of this stuff?

Speaker 7 (19:47):
Yes? So I am his manager. He does.

Speaker 6 (19:49):
We do have another agent and manager that he's with now,
but it's right now it's kind of slow. He just
wrapped another project he can't talk about yet, but he's
coming out soon next year. Okay, So we're back and
forth to LA every week for the past two months,
but right now it's kind of slow.

Speaker 7 (20:06):
He's preparing to go back to schools.

Speaker 2 (20:08):
Good. I'm glad we're gonna make that connection. And thank
you for granting permission for him to come up. And
I know you can't do it for everybody, and I understand,
you know, some contractual stuff like that, but you know,
I just you know, they say, you know, nothing beats
a failure but a try ask and you shall say
not something like that. In addition to Jalen's impressive career.

(20:33):
I understand he's committed to giving You're committed to giving
back to the community. You actively participate in mentorship programs
for the young aspiring artists, and you share your experiences
and you inspire others to pursue their dreams. Talk to me,
Jalen about giving back, Man, and why it's so vitally
important to you.

Speaker 5 (20:52):
I feel like giving back is important to me because
I should give back to the community I came from,
you know, or even yg giving back to them because
Miss Christie is one of the reasons why where I
am now. And I feel like you should always stay
humble and never take anything for granted, and always put
yourself second before God, and you know, just always giving back.

Speaker 2 (21:15):
Yeah God number one, you next, family, next something that
Yeah that is and that's good man. And you work hard,
don't you.

Speaker 1 (21:23):
Yep?

Speaker 2 (21:23):
Man, I'm asking like they ask me something. When do
you sleep? It's a balance in it now as a team.

Speaker 4 (21:32):
You know, I stay up late at times, but you
know it's a balance when you know I need my rest.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
Of course, you're getting a doctor. You're looking pretty vibrant
over there.

Speaker 10 (21:40):
Doc.

Speaker 2 (21:40):
I appreciate you yes, sir, can we go to the
phone line? Gentlemen, It's okay, okay, let's go here. W
D good morning. You're live on the radio with Jayleen.
It's the Jalen Hunter Show feature in stand Bill. I'll
see you.

Speaker 11 (21:52):
Oh, good morning to you, miss Charlie. Great morning to you,
young Ball. Good morning, Good morning, says joining Simber. Mister Dayalen.
How are you doing today, sir?

Speaker 4 (22:03):
I'm doing good. How are you.

Speaker 8 (22:07):
Can hear me?

Speaker 2 (22:08):
I hear you?

Speaker 11 (22:09):
Okay, great, hey, mister Dayling. I have seen you perform,
I think at least three times outside of Tyler Perry
coming to Memphis. Lion King is south far one of
my favorite planes. I enjoyed seeing seeing and I remember
seeing your own stage performing, jumping around on stage with
U Nostalpho. I said, man, this kid has it. And

(22:32):
I didn't realize until then when they made this announcement
at the end of the show and they said that
you were from Memphis, and I said to myself, wive
the old Jays and say, Memphis has the connections to
the world. No, the world got a connection to mephips God.
I say, you're doing some great, great things that they
get a chance to be to Michael Jackson the musical.

(22:53):
I wish I had seen it, but I know that
you probably performed well. But mister Daylor, let me ask
you when you heard that the Lion King, Now, this
is a big, big promotion, this is a big deal.
And what went through your mind when that happened?

Speaker 5 (23:09):
At the age I was at the time, I was
eleven years old, so you know, being that young, I
was just jumping around all over the place. You know,
everybody else is crying, but it got had to had
to get to me for me to cry because I
was just so shocked, because you know, I thought it
was just like a you know, it was just such
a blessing.

Speaker 4 (23:31):
I was very excited, and so you know, yeah, I know, I.

Speaker 11 (23:38):
Know the cast members of The Lion King and everybody
did a great job. Even a guy who played Mastae
for your father, uh, did a great job. And I
think he's a Wayian, isn't he.

Speaker 4 (23:49):
Jeril, He's he's actually America some morn some more some more. Oa.

Speaker 11 (23:54):
I was reading the Bio or that, and I love
to read the Bible on people when I go to
that place. But I'm just saying that I'm gonna get
off the off the radio. You have a big promacy teaching.
You have your mother's there to GUIDs you'll hope your
fathers in your life. You have a big problem in
the future.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
Trust me.

Speaker 11 (24:12):
People are gonna mimic what you do because you are
just that great in my book, and I love theater
and you're one of the best young performers have seen
in a very long time. But the day continue the
great work, and we hope to see more of you,
not just on in the theaters, but not in the
performance part, but on the big screen as well.

Speaker 2 (24:33):
Yes, sir, all right, thank you, thank you man. Good
good words. Let's go take another phone call. W I
go on you the radio. It's the Jayala Hana Show.
You're on the air.

Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yes, good morning, Staying, Good morning to missus Jones, and
good morning today.

Speaker 4 (24:49):
Good morning, good morning, Jadam.

Speaker 10 (24:52):
I have three questions for you.

Speaker 8 (24:54):
Number one, where do.

Speaker 4 (24:55):
You attend high school? I go to Chris Christian School, Okay.

Speaker 3 (25:01):
And I want to know did you play Young Marlin
in uh Nashville's edition of m J Musical?

Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yes?

Speaker 10 (25:11):
I saw you, Yeah, yeah, I sawt in Memphis and
in Nashville.

Speaker 3 (25:23):
Good job, good job. And my third question, have you
ever performed as any of the plays that had a
lot our tend plays that had a little regularly So
I want to know do you have you played in
any of the performances that had a lott No, ma'am.

Speaker 10 (25:40):
No, man, Well, they got to tap you, they got
to tast it.

Speaker 2 (25:45):
I have to put the word out.

Speaker 12 (25:51):
To get your recruited.

Speaker 3 (25:54):
Okay, all right, Well, wish you the very best in
your future and.

Speaker 12 (26:00):
Hoping to see you do bigger, bigger things.

Speaker 3 (26:03):
I'm remember the name Jayen.

Speaker 2 (26:05):
Mana ma'am, thank you, all right, thank.

Speaker 3 (26:08):
You, enjoy yourself. Holiday, everybody, take.

Speaker 2 (26:13):
You back to the phone lines. We go, w D
I A. You're on the radio, go ahead, I'm saying.

Speaker 9 (26:18):
A standing man because he believes and deliver in great radio.
Never say.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
Yeah, what's on?

Speaker 12 (26:28):
Oh I look man, I'm I'm just amazed.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
I'm around a start this morning. I'm around. I'm around a.

Speaker 9 (26:36):
Star Jayalen and a superstar. His mother mother black mothers
especially always superstar.

Speaker 2 (26:44):
Thank you so much, you're welcome.

Speaker 9 (26:48):
I'm miss miss miss missus Jones.

Speaker 2 (26:50):
You've done some good work here, you really have. Thank you.
Oh you're welcome. My pleasure. I miss my mom every day. Brother.

Speaker 9 (27:02):
Let me ask you first this about what do you
like to do on your time off and what's your
favorite subject in school.

Speaker 4 (27:11):
I'm gonna start my favorite subject in school. I like,
I really like.

Speaker 5 (27:17):
I've As I've getten older, I really started to warm
up to science.

Speaker 4 (27:23):
And uh last year I took biology. It was a
little rough at first.

Speaker 5 (27:27):
Getting used to it coming from homeschool into a regular
in person school, but it was actually my favorite my
uh my teacher, Lewanda Sheef, doctor Sheef. She she made
the process in the learning like very fun. And my
favorite thing to do in my off time is I
love to play basketball.

Speaker 12 (27:48):
Oh you look, you answered the question.

Speaker 2 (27:50):
You thought.

Speaker 10 (27:51):
Look I was gonna as your favorite sport.

Speaker 4 (27:54):
Yeah, you like because of my dad.

Speaker 2 (27:57):
Oh ray, that's man.

Speaker 4 (28:00):
My dad was Jimmy snap hunted.

Speaker 9 (28:02):
Hold on wait a minute, stop stopping right wait wait
wait wait wait wait wait wait a minute.

Speaker 2 (28:08):
Jimmy step the greatest ever doing out of transmit high school.
White wait wait he even holding back David, open it up, man.

Speaker 9 (28:21):
I played. I played on the same court with him
over here in New Chicago, and I said, you know what,
this can't really what I thought basketball war.

Speaker 10 (28:35):
I went on the sideline and watched from there. O.

Speaker 9 (28:38):
Man, that brother could play, no doubt it had something.

Speaker 2 (28:42):
Wow, Jimmy Man, small world.

Speaker 12 (28:49):
Jersey?

Speaker 2 (28:50):
They do they retire the jersey? Snap? What what's what's
he doing?

Speaker 9 (28:54):
Now?

Speaker 7 (28:55):
He's working?

Speaker 2 (28:56):
Now he's working work. Oh man, I got mantein finally
good autograph.

Speaker 9 (29:00):
Yeah, well yeah, this is a b ball bee ball town,
no doubt about it. My last question is who are
your Do you have solo artists influence influences?

Speaker 12 (29:13):
Like it could be a male or.

Speaker 9 (29:15):
Female because I'm crazy about you.

Speaker 2 (29:17):
Probably don't know. You're probably too young to know.

Speaker 9 (29:20):
Who Billy Holliday is, but that's that's one of my
all time favorites. But who are your favorite artists solo performers?

Speaker 5 (29:27):
Did you have any my all time favorites? Like it's
just so crazy because sometimes I feel like to say
this to like people think that I'm saying this just
because I was around it as I got older. But
ever since, like the age of five, I've loved watching
Michael Jackson, Like Michael Jackson is my favorite performer of

(29:48):
all time, and to be around that environment, it's just
it's just like unbelievable at times, because like how much
I loved Michael Jackson and everything he did and the
way he performed and the way he cared about his music,
the way he gave back. It's just not only just
him as a performer, as him as a person. So

(30:11):
I really love Michael Jackson another performer performer, or another
artist Luther Vandross, Oh.

Speaker 2 (30:19):
Yeah, sure, I love luth and Greydalli Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Let me.

Speaker 10 (30:29):
I did have a quick story.

Speaker 9 (30:31):
I'm I'm a little bit older than your than your mom,
but I remember when I Want You Back came out
and Michael Jackson on the cartoons and.

Speaker 2 (30:41):
All of that.

Speaker 9 (30:41):
I'm gonna tell you something, and I was jealous of
him because all the young girls all that, and they
wasn't screaming for me, even though I was getting him
back here.

Speaker 12 (30:52):
But but in any case, let me just say.

Speaker 9 (30:54):
Man, whenever staying whenever, I here Want your Back coming
on the radio, the back of my hair stand up.
What an amazing song that is and an introduction, uh
then the Jackson five. I think your influences something man
and something to reach for. But one of the things

(31:17):
I would say to you if I could give you
any kind of advice is that I love birds, but
even bird.

Speaker 2 (31:24):
The time have to come down to earth.

Speaker 12 (31:26):
So stay grounded and good luck to you in your future.

Speaker 2 (31:29):
Advice.

Speaker 4 (31:30):
Shout out to Jasion Benson for putting me on the
Luther Vandross.

Speaker 2 (31:34):
Yeah, putting you up on it. Never too much, never
too much? Now, Yeah, I know you can sing two names,
you know, Luther Vanrews. Surely you can sing some of
his songs or one or two of them. All right,
WDI listens, we're talking to my very special guest stand
special people Spotlight, the one and only Jalen Lyndon Hunter,
multi talented singer, actor, songwriter, dancer, spent the past few

(31:58):
years showcasing and incredible range and versatility as an artist
out of Memphis, Tennessee. You heard him. He was ignited
during his time with the Young Actors Guilt right here
in Memphis, doctor Christie Chandler amazing, Yes she is, and
he owned. He honed his skills and developed the deep
love for performance. How am I doing so far? Jailen? Great?

(32:21):
How am I doing?

Speaker 11 (32:22):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (32:22):
That's what I'm talking about. That's Jalen right there. I'm
up against the break. We'll be right back to take
more phone calls and talk more about this amazing life
of Jalen Lindon Hunter. Don't move all right, we're back
and we're back. Happy forth, everybody independic day. Yeah, yeah,
two fifty years like goodness, right, So enjoy yourself on

(32:42):
the show this morning. In case you just tuned in,
we're talking to Jalen Hunter made his professional debut with
Disney's The Lion King, and he captivated the audiences as
Young Simba on the Broadway national tour. Then joined the
first national tour of MJ, a musical, played young Marlon

(33:04):
Jackson and served as an understudy for young Michael. Really, yes, sir,
you know for them to even think about you being
an understudy for Michael or to Michael Jackson and maybe
even one day to portray him, you got some talent

(33:27):
and you gotta have some dedication. Make an understudy for
young Michael Jackson. Talk to us about that? Does that
really mean? You know you if young young Michael gets sick,
you step in.

Speaker 1 (33:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (33:43):
So you gotta learn two parts.

Speaker 4 (33:45):
Yeah, I had to learn Marlon and Michael.

Speaker 5 (33:47):
So when the when it first started, but usually most
of the scientists they had too Michaels. They didn't really
have to worry about Josiah or E think it is
sick as much because for that'd be like a low percenting,
a low chance of them being sick at the same
time unless they're around each other or whatever. Because you
always at the end of the day, like you always

(34:08):
need both of us. You need to there because somebody
has to play Marlin. So I was an understudy for Michael,
but they were also an understudy for Marlin. So when
I debuted my first show in Seattle as Michael, one
of them played Marlin.

Speaker 2 (34:22):
Yep, your debut was in Seattle, Seattle, Washing Washington, and
you portrayed young Michael. Wow. And who did the young
Marlin in that case? Understudy for Bang?

Speaker 4 (34:38):
Yeah, his name's Bang Griffith.

Speaker 11 (34:40):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (34:40):
What was that like? Is that? Was that more difficult
being the young Michael than as compared to young Marlin?
It was more lines or less or different dance moves, more.

Speaker 4 (34:49):
Lines, more dance moves, more time on stage.

Speaker 5 (34:56):
It was difficult at the time because I think I
was a little mine, I was a little under the weather,
and that day was scheduled, so I couldn't really like
I could have bagged out, but I wasn't gonna do that.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
How much notice did they give you before they tell you,
by the way or jail you gonna be paid playing
young Michael May if it's like about months in advance
or is it like about two weeks week? Okay?

Speaker 3 (35:17):
Right?

Speaker 2 (35:18):
Cool? And so you have to get all that in
your head. Okay, Now I'm not young Marlin today on this. Yeah,
I'm young Michael.

Speaker 5 (35:24):
Yes, of course in rehearsal helps, right, But most of
their dance moves were similar for the most part, so
it wasn't too.

Speaker 2 (35:30):
Yeah, and you don't have a lot of lines, so
to speak, being young Michael in that because I know
you mentioned in Young Marlon you know you had that
one line or whatever. Yeah, that kind of thing. Yeah,
but it's mostly the dancing, right, yes, and then the
looks that you give Joseph if you looked like he
got his hand up at you. Yeah.

Speaker 9 (35:48):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (35:49):
And speaking of MJ the musical, don't y'all come out
kind of you kind kind of early on into it,
The younger Michael comes out kind of earlier, right before
even the older Michael. I think it is. Yeah, well,
y'all like on stage and the performing y'all.

Speaker 5 (36:02):
Actually, so it starts off where uh, it's during the
dance studio with the dangerous towards older Michael, and then
it flashed back, flashes back to younger Michael.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
That's when it kicks in. Yeah. Oh so after well,
I know Joseph to Devin plays plays the stage manager.
I'm calling his name is a real name, Devin, right, yes,
stage manager and then he's like Joseph, yes, so I
know when y'all come out, I'm on spot. If anybody
is not coming back, no, no, most folks saying I

(36:33):
was like, it was a that was a unique intro
when you kicked off. When it started, you know, everybody's
like warming up and stuff. I think it's kind of
remind me of Fame, Like you know, everybody stretching it.
I'm like, when a is it gonna start? But it
was like part of it. Yeah, but you went in
that one, right, it was, but you were getting set
to come out soon after that.

Speaker 5 (36:50):
So we came in and sat down and it's like
a like a it's like places, but y'all can see
us and we're just playing it out man.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
And now was that blew me away? Like I said
they livedly come on and stay and just talking, and
then just somebody might do a flip, somebody might stretch,
and then I'm like, what is seven thirty he's starting?
But that was part of it. And then when Devin
of course from Jackson, Tennessee native who doubles as Joseph
Jackson in The states Man, he said something like that, right,

(37:20):
and everybody kind of going get into character. Man, that
was bad, No pun intidy, that was bad. Man. It's amazing.
So not I'd like for you to talk to us about. Okay,
we've talked about Disney The Lion, Disney's The Lion King.
We've talked about you know that Broadway National Tour, talked
about MJ the musical you play Young Marlon Jackson and
understood it for young Michael. And now the bio pick

(37:44):
coming up lions Gate. That's a big name right there, sir,
you're gonna portray young Marlin in this one. Talk to
us about the biopic. I know Mama was saying, we
can't talk too much about it, but it's coming. You
said it's coming soon, so maybe twenty six, twenty seven
somewhere in there, are you doing the same thing? That

(38:04):
you did in MJ the Musical so to speak, or
the whole new lines, new parts, you got more time
on stage.

Speaker 5 (38:10):
What it's very diverse like in the film. I'm sorry, Yeah, yes,
it's very it's very diverse. So we're looking forward to that.
You know, all of Memphis and the great Miss South
gonna be tuned in to see you. Hear you, cheer
you on. You know, we're your biggest chilias. You know
that right in Memphis. I mean the odaw Old family.

Speaker 2 (38:32):
Uh, you know, the Riverwood family, the Bridecrest family, the
Wi family, your family. You know we're gonna be We're
gonna be at the movie, at the screen. We'll see
it on the screen, right mama, let me tell you
my car. Yeah, we'll be able to see it in
theaters everywhere.

Speaker 6 (38:46):
Everywhere, universal, overseas, China, everywhere.

Speaker 2 (38:50):
Yeah, mama, how you find the balance with all this?
You got to keep over to you. I was watching you.
You take your notes and you you you go back
and forth a little bit on the f then you
got this stuff in your head already. You know, these
dates off the dome. You know, how do you do?
How do you find a balance? I guess your mother.
First of all, mother do. Mothers can do amazing things.

Speaker 9 (39:10):
But how you do it?

Speaker 2 (39:11):
You got your own schedule.

Speaker 7 (39:13):
I have my own schedule. You sed at my own schedule.

Speaker 6 (39:16):
I'm working now the City of Memphis with the employee
summer program as well.

Speaker 7 (39:21):
So yeah, I'm trying to find balance with his schedule
in my schedule. But we make it work.

Speaker 2 (39:27):
Wow, So no doubt. Doctor Christy Chandler may be listening
from the Young Actors Gills. She's probably listening to No
downt I think I saw her out the Orange Mound
a Community Center when we came out for one of
the events there, uh, the inter Generational Boots on the
Ground event with Brian Harris, the youth director, and I
saw doctor Christian challenge. She had her young actress guilt

(39:48):
out there. Did you get a chance see hi Jalen? Yes, yeah,
they did their thing. Did you get a flashback when
he saw him doing that? They're doing that? What was
that song they're doing? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (39:57):
Shot making?

Speaker 2 (40:01):
Were you doing that stuff before you before you left
to do Broadway and all that? When you were because
you were a part of the UA.

Speaker 4 (40:08):
It was kind of different, you know. Miss Christy's really.
Miss Christie's really creative, so you know, she.

Speaker 5 (40:13):
Always finds something new every year to make just improve
their show and their talents and stuff to give everybody
a chance.

Speaker 4 (40:24):
And I was younger at the time, so I was
doing more like kitty stuff.

Speaker 2 (40:29):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah at that time. Yeah, because it's
twenty twenty five, you were with him like seven or eight,
twenty seventeen, seventeen, I'm sorry, yeah, seventeen, yeah, yeah, gotcha.
All right, I'm up against a break again, and I'm
gonna take a couple more calls where we go. If
you were calling and you kind of holding on, you
couldn't stay, come on, give me a call right back.
We're talking to Jalen Lyndon Hunter, one young man who

(40:52):
is poised to make a lasting impact on the entertainment industry.
When we come back, I'll tell you what. Let me
let me never put out tomorrow when you do, let
me take it, all right, missus Jones on the radio, Yeah,
you got in. You understand how you doing, mon sir?
You live on the radio? Man doing good? What's up?

Speaker 9 (41:09):
All right?

Speaker 11 (41:09):
All right?

Speaker 2 (41:10):
Good morning, good morning, Jayleen, and to your mother, Miss Jones.

Speaker 12 (41:15):
All right, I want to say, first of all, congratulations
to the both of you, Jayleen for your for your
talents and uh mom for your work. I know you
really be as a wid him. Also, Jayden for your
academics in school. I'm sure you're doing well in school.
I also want to say to you that when you
send your daddy name, I assure you you caught a

(41:36):
lot of ears. Jim Snap, Honah, Jimmy. Instead, he made
sure he said Snap.

Speaker 2 (41:44):
Everybody. Everybody new Snap.

Speaker 12 (41:48):
Myself myself, I had I had not seen snapped, not
one time, and all of a sudden, his name was
just ringing all around.

Speaker 2 (41:56):
Everybody want to.

Speaker 12 (41:56):
Go see Snap. And I'm sure he told you a
lot of stories.

Speaker 2 (42:00):
About his basketball career.

Speaker 12 (42:01):
You can believe most of them, but shut out the
gym each in every game, each and every game. Your
dad was a bad boy.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
He was a bad ball player.

Speaker 12 (42:11):
But anyway, I really wants to congratulate you all and
tell you when you called your dad.

Speaker 2 (42:14):
And name, you rung a lot of ears this morning.

Speaker 12 (42:16):
Then, Yes, congratulations to.

Speaker 2 (42:19):
You, Jaalen, Thank you, come man, thank you so much. Man.
You gotta smile out of them, that's for sure. Right,
let me take this last break wait, let me do
what more? Time up my chance to win one thousand dollars.
Just enter this nature wide keyword on our website. Grand.

Speaker 4 (42:33):
That's Grand.

Speaker 2 (42:35):
Enter it now, g Arah. You know I got two syllables,
jalen Grand g arrah a n D yeah, g r
a n D. Take Grand to my w D I
a dot com for your chance with one thousand dollars.
And I was kind of reluctant early on to give
the keyword because I'm like, I wonder I wanna forward
with July. But everybody ain't off. I fork working working

(43:00):
in this thing.

Speaker 3 (43:01):
All right.

Speaker 2 (43:03):
Speaking of off, let me see this lineup. The guy
coming up, Bev and Stormy will be out today in
terms of their shows. Show Me came in a little
earlier there and dropped them dog Gone News breaks off
and we ran nose but physically a bear. Johnson will
be out today as well as Stormy. Already there you go,

(43:27):
and we got the best songs in the world. You
can believe that. I want to get back to this
man named Jimmy Hannah Snap crack O, pop your daddy,
one of the greatest to ever do it. I'm so glad.
David mentioned that you know, moving talking about sports your

(43:47):
favorite sport, and you said science your favorite subject, so
to speak of You're growing too, like signs a lot much.
I'm more, much better. And when that sport thing came
up and you said, daddy was Jimmy Snap, Hanna, I
had to double take man as he Dad pat to
the ball. Uh man, A lot of ears perked up. Basketball.

(44:09):
You said, can you play? You do pretty good? I
could do. I can pretty Dad us to take you
to the gym and stuff. Dad used to what that
you play in the backyard or.

Speaker 4 (44:16):
How that works?

Speaker 5 (44:18):
When he coached the treasuring You know, I was always
around he tol he coached the girls team. So I
was always around the team and around in the games.
But yeah, uh man, what a nickname?

Speaker 2 (44:30):
You know what? They called him snap?

Speaker 5 (44:32):
Yeah, So they called him snap because when he was born.
He told me when he was born, he always did
his thing with his mouth and his hands. And my
great granddad, Papa, uh he he named him snap just
because his mouth.

Speaker 2 (44:47):
Oh yeah, mouth and his hands. Yeah you do. He
was hit a three or something, was born. Yeah, he came.

Speaker 4 (44:55):
Papa came up to the hospital and made a stap sound.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
Man that's the school right there, Mama, that's a school
you co signed with. That. Yes, that's why your baby
came out doing that, he said, Snap did that when
he came out. His name is associated with Jimmy haunterh
that nickname Snap. Now, for those of you who don't
know who you're talking about, Jimmy Snap Hannah got significant

(45:21):
basketball background. Played for the University of Memphis two din'ety
So he left Transford home of the Bears, became a Tiger,
University of well, Memphis State, University of memphiths. So when
when Sam went there, it was had we already changed
the name of the U of M? Or was it
was he a Meths State Tiger? He probably University of
Memphis THEAD Okay, and he's played for various professional leagues too, uh,

(45:44):
Mama or something. I know you had to be there
every step of the way.

Speaker 3 (45:47):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (45:47):
He played Weales. After he left U of M.

Speaker 7 (45:49):
He played at Life College.

Speaker 2 (45:53):
Okay, okay, what else? And then he do some development league.

Speaker 7 (45:58):
Yeah for the gear still his Gary Indiana.

Speaker 2 (46:04):
What about overseas? Yeah? Did you get that part too?
He played over there? And what about overseas in Spain
as well?

Speaker 6 (46:15):
In the ACB League and Jalen was born in Spain.
So we played in Granada for two years and that's where.

Speaker 7 (46:20):
Jalen was born.

Speaker 2 (46:22):
All right there, that's been your.

Speaker 7 (46:24):
In Italy as well. He played overseas.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
Yeah, man, you know we can't end the show without
paying homage. Jimmy Snap on the man one of the
grades to do it out of a treasure and I
believe I DJ's his prom at Treastman High School back
in the day. MSUs Anne Herron and principal. I remember
my name on the check Ann Herron, principal, then the

(46:49):
financial secretary on the next line. But your dad was there,
Jimmy Snap. Huh professional? So is he? I know you
to give back and out like when you said you
give back to Does he still have a nonprofit? I
know you had a nonprofit back in the day, like
hosting up. But he made this basketball camps free.

Speaker 7 (47:10):
It was Freeze now fourteen foundation.

Speaker 2 (47:12):
For Underprivileged Children. Man, it's awesome man. You can found
it on fall too far from the Tree, I see jam.
All right, we're gonna wrap it up. Man, this has
been great. I just want to want I wanted you
if you would please young Jalen Hunter to talk to
people in your age demo, Well, young folks who have
a dream and they need a little motivation. And you

(47:35):
you knew what it was that you wanted to become,
and you went for it. You said your audition, did
it on zoom, send it in, and then you did
you wait on another call back and made the final call.
But it all starts from the beginning. And you mentioned
doctor Christie Chandler's name affectionately. It was one of the
ones who was instrumental in your career. Go ahead, give
us some words of wisdom for these young folk who

(47:56):
are listening. They can do it too.

Speaker 4 (47:58):
Yes, I feel like.

Speaker 5 (48:01):
The reason I kept pushing was because I always used
to hear don't let anything stop you, keep going, keep pushing.
But you know, those words got kind of, you know, outdated.
So I feel like if I were to tell anybody
that was obviously the basics to follow your dream. And

(48:22):
it's all about support system and dedication even when it's
times where you don't feel like you can do it.
But if you always feel like you can't do it,
when are you ever going to be.

Speaker 4 (48:35):
Able to.

Speaker 2 (48:38):
So you're not not whining?

Speaker 5 (48:39):
Yeah, want It's like it's famous saying that I always
hear one day or day one. You know, are you
going to do it for one day or is this
your day one of being dedicated? So I feel like
it's all about what you want to do, no matter
what it is, sports, acting, songwriting, art, you know, all

(49:02):
of that, and I feel like it just takes dedication,
but in different ways, like everybody's different.

Speaker 4 (49:09):
You know, just have the right support system.

Speaker 5 (49:11):
If you know you're with the wrong crowd at score
or whatever and it's only holding you back while stay
with them no matter how hard it is.

Speaker 1 (49:18):
This is for you.

Speaker 4 (49:19):
This is how you're going to grow up. This is
this dictates your future.

Speaker 5 (49:24):
So I feel like, separate yourself from the bad and
try to do good because I feel like a lot
of kids in my generator try and getting steered in
the in the wrong way.

Speaker 4 (49:37):
But you know, if you know it's wrong, don't do it.
You have a dream, follow it.

Speaker 2 (49:44):
I like that, don't leave it, mam, and you'll take
on all of that. I know you concur you've been
right to every step of the way. I'm let me
take a phone call right quick, yep, Well wait a minute, yeah,
I know you've been there. You've been there every step
of the way, and uh who and now you can say, look,
you know you're always proud of your children, but you

(50:04):
you got to be super proud of young Jayalen. Let
me take another phone call right quickly, don't mind going
on the radio. Yeah, you're live, Good morning, fine.

Speaker 6 (50:17):
Talking to.

Speaker 8 (50:20):
I'm glad you. I got in. Wann't to let you
know that you got family there in your studio this morning.
I didn't know your family that morning, she guessed. But
that's my niece and nephew's cousins. The first cousin, Todd
and Tony Johnson.

Speaker 10 (50:37):
Ask them, do they remember them?

Speaker 2 (50:40):
Is this golden girl?

Speaker 8 (50:42):
Yes, sir, this golden girl. You got family in.

Speaker 2 (50:45):
The studio today?

Speaker 11 (50:46):
We all yes, yes, yes you do.

Speaker 8 (50:50):
That was a Johnson, my niece and nephew, Todd and Tanna.
There's their cousin. We all raised in the church together
on the Bishop Walie Johnson.

Speaker 2 (50:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (51:04):
And I didn't know that he was at the musical Michael.
I went to see the performance, but I did not
know that he was playing that part. Had I known,
I would have stayed after and got the autograph and everything.

Speaker 12 (51:18):
But it's good to know there's so much.

Speaker 8 (51:19):
Talent in the family right under your nose. So congratulations,
and I really enjoy your talent. And you got an
uncle or another cousin that's in the play in theater,
don't you. And uh, I think the Theatre Memphis had
a theater.

Speaker 2 (51:34):
Going on a production.

Speaker 8 (51:38):
So yeah, it's a lot of it's a lot of
talent in the family. And I love the arts myself,
so I just want to let you know that you know, yeah,
you got cousins were sitting there this morning, and that
that makes me so proud.

Speaker 2 (51:50):
Sing we go to girl, thank you for calling and
the smiling and then excited about your comments. Right before
I get out of here, a couple of birthday shutouts.
Pastor Kenneth Balhanna this Dole d I listener writes, your
brother stand if you will, if you will, please wish
my uncle, Pastor Kenneth Bulhannah Senior, a happy six' nine
six nine sixty ninth birthday today as a Pro, yeah
give it to him as a proud. Scrapper he is

(52:12):
a graduate Of Southside High. School he is the founder
and senior pasttor A monument Of Faith church forty six
oh Five New Allen road In. Memphis. Thankstand that's From
Tony Mitchell. Junior Another DOUBLE di listener writes From Tracy.
Matthews she, said good morning and happy fourth Of. July
if you do birthday, shoutouts and you do it on
this station and this afternoon at the other, station please

(52:33):
wish my Colleague Candice joiner a very happy. Birthday she's
also celebrating ten years AT WMC tv. Five, Okay, candace
she's a very hard worker and just overall sweet. Person
make her feel. SPECIAL i appreciate you. Standing That's Tracy
matthews over that nineteen Sixty Union. Avenue thanks for writing

(52:55):
that one in and there you go before The july, everybody,
man what a great. Day what you? KNOW i FELT
i feel really good about today's, show Missus, jones you,
know for you number one saying, yes you, KNOW i
always close my show out by saying it's nice to be,

(53:15):
important but it's more important to be. Nice when you said,
yes and then your Son jayleen said, yes you, know
it made me feel good when we had that orange. Mouth.
Uh and and that's WHY i think it's vitally important
to get give back to the, community be in the,
community because you never know who you're gonna. See you
may miss, somebody you, know somebody needs you, know wants
to see, you and and and, There AND i don't
think it was by happenstance that we kind of came

(53:37):
together in the midst of that, gym The Verdy sales,
gym and uh and by you saying yes and lets
me know that as important as your son is and
you and you, know for you to say, okay we'll
be there and here you. Are SO i just want
to publicly say thank you for having having. Me, Yeah,
jayleen thanks for having me on your show this. MORNING

(54:00):
i don't take it. Lightly So Jalen hunter is a
name that you should. Remember JALEN. L, Hunter Jayleen Lyndon,
hunter how do you want to call? It Jay hunk
Snap son is the crystal Of. Christelle. CHRISTELLE i want
to Say Christal. Thursday that's a drinking no This. Friday.

(54:21):
Uh but Miss Christelle, jones you you've done a yeoman's,
job your first, class first, class and you know you
ain't tripping about. Nothing you know it's about your, son
it's about his well, Being it's about being a mother
and A guardian, too and you, KNOW i mean you're
right here with him and you make no qualms about.

(54:42):
It you, Know Team, hunter Team, jones Team. Jayleen so
there you, Go. JAYLEN i know you're gonna make a
lasting impact on the entertainment industry AND i know you do.
WELL i wish you the, best a right man to
keep on doing.

Speaker 10 (54:55):
It.

Speaker 2 (54:55):
Man we look forward to the bio pic coming maybe
between twenty six twenty. Seven when you play young, right young,
man you gonna be spinning around and go ahead and
does sombrero own like your? Dad you just went back
to dare that S brenro when he PLAYED Cba and
you're gonna be doing That jackson five things he's on and.

Speaker 1 (55:12):
Popping It's The Stan Belle Morning show weekdates from six
to ten am on The heart And soul Of memphis
ten SEVENTY WD I a