October 25, 2024 • 41 mins
In this episode of 'On The Jumbotron', host Christopher Lee interviews Cameron Hughes, known as the 'King of Cheer'. They discuss the importance of energy and connection in game day entertainment, the power of cheer to inspire and uplift, and the journey of self-discovery through performance. Cameron shares insights from his life, including his new book 'King of Cheer', and emphasizes the significance of supporting others and showing up for one another. The conversation is filled with laughter, inspiration, and valuable lessons about life and creativity.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Thanks for joining me on this episode of On the Jumbletron, your VIP ticket that takes
(00:08):
you behind the scenes into the world of game day entertainment.
Get ready for interesting stories, creative tips, and laugh at the most unbelievable I
kid you not moments from the experts who make it all happen.
It's a great conversation, so sit back and enjoy this episode of On the Jumbletron.
Hey y'all, thank you for joining me again here on the Jumbletron.
(00:31):
My name is Christopher Lee and I'm so excited and thankful that you have joined us today
for another episode.
Today we have Cameron Hughes on the show with us today.
If you haven't heard of seeing Cameron Hughes, you've been under a rock, you have not been
at any sports arena because that's where he is.
That's where he lives and that's where he brings so much energy and motivation to the
(00:54):
people that he inspires.
He's been on ESPN, he's been at the US Open, he's been at countless hockey games and what
he does is he brings the energy, he brings the cheer, he brings the love, and he brings
warmth to everybody he meets.
So I'm going to bring him in.
(01:15):
Cameron, are you with us?
I'm here and I'm ready to bring the cheer.
Because anytime someone says the word jumbletron, I get excited, it means we're connecting, we're
having fun, we're raising some of the energy.
That's what it's all about.
I appreciate the great intro.
I think what you said hits me hard in a funny way because it's like, you go to a game and
(01:37):
the next day you're kind of over here with someone talking to a coffee shop, you're like,
did you see that guy last night?
And then I was like, that guy?
So I think I should have just been called that guy, Chris.
You just be called that guy?
Yeah, yeah, that guy.
That's funny, man.
It's been a heck of a run, my friend.
It has been.
And I've read into your story.
I've watched videos.
I've listened to different things about you.
(01:59):
And I'm going to say that this is probably your calling.
This is probably what you should have been doing.
But the thing is, when you were doing this in your mother's living room, with your sister,
and making her happy and different things like that, I don't know if you realized at
them that you were just setting yourself up for your future self.
Well, yeah, I mean, it's a really important thing.
(02:21):
I mean, anyone who's a parent, you want to inspire your kids to believe in themselves
ultimately, right?
I mean, we could just go right to it.
And as a kid, I used to do this crazy dance in our living room.
And I don't know if it was good or bad or funny or crazy, but I did it.
And my family and my mom specifically rewarded me for, you know, she gave me this confidence
(02:43):
I needed.
And the song was You Can't Hurry Love by Phil Collins, which was a weird song, but whatever.
And that's the first time I remember the concept of the power of cheer Chris, where you believe
in someone.
And that was in me.
And it just, you know, it kept adding up, it kept adding up.
And I got confidence in high school, I got confidence in university.
I was a mascot.
(03:05):
And then, you know, the first time I got up at hockey game, it's like, you could really
trace it back to that time I danced in my living room, where I was like, I want everyone
to have fun.
So I'm going to get up and do something.
Right.
We've all been to the wedding.
We've all been to the corporate event.
We've all been to the stadium.
We're like waiting for something to happen.
And you know, I don't know how 20 years, however many years later, that was me at a hockey
(03:28):
game and it sparked my career.
So it's, it's ironic and crazy how things that we do when we're little kids, if we continue
those things, we will be able to master those things and then be able to be even probably
even more successful in the future where we are living now.
(03:50):
So thanks for those cheers, mom.
So I'm, I'm a, I'm a word guy and some people have called me like a wordsmith and I like
doing acronyms to words and stuff like that.
And as I was getting ready to talk to you, Cameron, I, I came up with cheer, right?
You know, because that's what you do.
That's who you are.
(04:11):
Right.
So the C H E E R, the cheer.
So from that, I came back with capturing hearts, the energy and the emotions in real time.
Capturing heart, emotion and what the other one capturing hearts, right?
Energy, emotions and real time.
(04:33):
Well, that's powerful, man.
That's basically what cheer is.
That's basically what you're doing when you're out and you're seeing the people and you're
engaging with them.
You are doing that.
You're capturing their hearts.
You're seeing the energy.
You're living off the emotion and you're doing all this in real time.
And I mean, and that's what you do.
(04:54):
That's what you do.
That's what, when I was watching the video, when, you know, when I go to the arenas and
you know, I see things happening.
That's what is going on and every video that I have seen you in, people are smiling.
People are up.
People are clapping.
People are enjoying themselves.
And that's what I feel.
(05:15):
I mean, your captioning the hearts, your energy, the emotions in real time.
And that's what I see.
That's what I feel.
And I'm a drummer, by the way.
I don't know if you know that or not.
No, I didn't know.
No, I didn't know.
Yeah, I'm a drummer and I used to play for the, so we have a little bit in common with
the NBA.
I used to play drums with the Charlotte Bobcats.
Dude, did we meet there when I used to come there?
(05:37):
I don't know if we, I don't know.
I used to come and do the games there at that time.
Yeah, I'm not sure.
I'm not sure.
Right.
If we did, it was amazing.
And you know, this connection was going to happen regardless.
Yeah.
So yeah, so I mean, I used to play drums with them.
I still play drums now, but I used to play drums with them on the drum team.
We were called the rhythm cats.
(05:57):
So you can go on YouTube and look at some older videos and stuff like that.
And the rhythm cats drum line with the Charlotte Bobcats then.
And so what we did, we performed in the middle of the court and I absolutely enjoyed playing
drums and watching other people engage in the moment as we were playing the instruments
(06:21):
and stuff like that, because there were some people that want to play.
There were some people that want to dance.
And then there are some people that just want to just watch and be in awe of what's going
on.
But I enjoy playing the drums because I bring all those things that I just talked about
with a cheer.
I mean, I'm capturing their hearts.
I'm seeing their energy.
(06:42):
I'm seeing their emotion and all of it is in real time.
Right.
And the thing is, it's people that are wanting to play and wanting to do things and wanting
to be a part of everything that we're doing.
Well, okay, I've got to read this to you.
A friend of mine just sent me this about 20 minutes ago.
I'm with some music friends in Montreal right now.
I'm going to see their show tonight.
(07:02):
They're performing in the first ever North American show.
And he wrote me from a singer-songwriter, said this, people pay to see others believe
in themselves.
Wow.
Right?
That's rich.
Like.
That's rich.
Either that's the greatest quote or it's sad.
I'm not sure.
I'm kidding.
I'm kidding.
(07:23):
I'm kidding.
I'm kidding.
But it's powerful because, you know, we all have, I think, a bit of artistry in us, a
bit of wanting to put ourselves out there, you know, be the drummer on the court, be
the guy in the crowd, be the mascot.
Like, there's some part of us, all, some part of us, I think, because I've taken the
shyest person in the history of the world and I've got them on a stage somehow.
(07:46):
Right.
Because there's something in us that if the crowd cheers that person on, Julie Mitch,
whoever it is, they're like, it unlocks this little twitch, this switch, the spark in them.
Right?
And so when you, when you, when you read that, whoa, listen to it, people pay to see others
believe in themselves.
Like you're going to an NBA basketball game to see athletes do something we can't do.
(08:11):
You're going to see you drum.
I can't drum.
You're going to see me dance.
I can't dance, by the way.
No, but you're going to see something and feel something that others have gifts for.
Right?
Right.
So you're paying money to see people share their gifts.
Really.
I mean, and so in itself, isn't that a gift?
(08:34):
You're right.
You're right.
That is a gift.
And it's awesome to see and to really understand that my gift excites other people into living
life and into enjoying life.
I never really thought about that, but that quote is amazing.
(08:56):
Um, man, yeah, I never really thought about that.
You know, that's the funny part is it's like, Oh, well, uh, you know, what's your act?
I'm like, it's not really an act.
Right.
I mean, back to your point of like, you know, being a drummer, there's, there's two parts
to being a drummer, right?
There's the, I'm in a studio and I'm a drummer and I'm behind the scenes.
And then when you go out on the court and NBA game, those fans want you to electrify
(09:19):
them.
They want to feel something for those two minutes in that time out.
It's like you give them everything you have and you're connecting with the audience to
say, Hey, it's okay to let go more here.
It's okay to cheer on your team.
It's okay to cheer if your friends, it's okay to just be like super president.
And then the moment and you know, to be able to do that for someone, you know, it's like
(09:42):
how lucky are we?
First of all, right?
But to be able for you to be able to find that path as well and, and how many times,
you know, people supported you, people didn't support you.
People said no, people said yes, and all those things.
But I always say the more you show up, the more you believe in yourself.
First of all, and secondly, the more the crowd will keep cheering you on because I mean,
(10:04):
I'll look at my Facebook page today at some point and I'll get random comments from people
I've never met.
And if you don't think those matter to me, you're, you're crazy.
Of course.
I'll start just your ego.
It's your, it's not just your ego.
It's going, Oh, do I really want to show up this Saturday at that game?
Yeah.
Because I want to make people feel like that person who just sent me a note felt.
(10:26):
And that keeps you going.
And those fans that when you're done, you're set or high fiving you on the concourse, the
fans that are high fiving me when I'm leaving the Falcons game last Sunday.
Like I would, I walked from the arena to the stadium, to my hotel and fans were like, Hey,
are you the guy?
I'm like, yeah.
And, you know, I had some incredible connections with people, right?
Because back to what you said with the cheer, you know, open it, you know, opening hearts,
(10:49):
like, is that what we're doing?
And that's what we're doing.
And we want to be able to connect with people, to make them feel something inside of them
that they may not be able to ever experience.
It was a tournament that was happening in Charlotte and my buddies and I, we all got
together and we went outside the arena and we just started playing again.
(11:11):
And I remember seeing a guy off in the corner.
And I mean, he was like, he was dancing a little bit, but he was like a little shy.
And he was like, you know, air drumming, you know, there's always air drummers everywhere.
And I was like, I saw him over there and I motioned him over to us and he was like, no,
no, no, no.
He was like, just, just come on over.
And he came over and he was like, I really don't know what I'm doing.
(11:32):
I really don't know what I'm doing.
I'm like, you're cool, man.
Just sit down.
Just play on two and four and four.
One, two, three, four, one, two.
I see you then three, four, one, two.
And he started playing and then the guys and everybody else who started playing with him
(11:53):
and he had the biggest joy, the biggest smile on his face.
And he was just so excited.
And you know, and after we finished that, you know, that little impromptu jam session,
he was like, man, I've always wanted to just sit down and play.
I've always wanted to just play with buckets and, you know, enjoy this type of life and
(12:16):
stuff like that.
And thank you for it.
And he just came saying, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
He put a nice big tip in the bucket.
I do remember that.
I do remember that.
That's good.
He was just so excited about, I guess, living a dream and living out something in life.
Right.
You know, to me, it's normal because this is what I do.
(12:37):
But to him, it is just something that was just out of his normal, I guess, area of life
and just something that he just wanted to participate in and to do.
And we were able to give him that.
We were able to give him joy.
We were able to give him a story that he can go back and tell his family.
(12:58):
We were able to give him a memory that he can hold on to for the rest of his life.
And Cameron, that's what you do.
And that's how you feel.
Cause like back in high school, you were not part of the team.
You didn't make the team, but now you're like on the court with these professionals.
No, I mean, I didn't make the big team.
And, you know, my old joke is I got cut from my high school basketball team, but I made
(13:22):
it to the NBA, right?
So you, you and Michael Jordan have something in common because he was cut and look at you
and look at him and y'all have been on the same court together.
We get to define how we make it, right?
I think that's the other thing in terms of like how we look at success.
And, you know, I've been with these two musical artists that are performing in North America
the first time and they're not coming here to perform at MSG and big stadiums and not
(13:46):
looking at their careers to success.
They wake up every day getting to play music for a living and that's success.
I get to wake up every day to find and, you know, sometimes you're frustrated because
you want to like figure out more ways to bring cheer or whatever it is you're doing.
Of course, you wish it was easier sometimes, but other than that, knowing that when you
wake up each day, what your path is and what your purpose is and what your talents that
(14:08):
you're sharing are.
I mean, magic.
I mean, it is magic.
And it's like, I appreciate what you said in terms of like, I don't, I don't know if
it was like luck and, you know, I think it was, I think there was luck in the right place
at the right time that my friend asked me to go to that game.
Then I got up that night.
(14:29):
But I don't believe it's like, I do believe I was meant to do it.
I do.
You know, whatever you want to call that in life, I believe that, you know, every time
I go to an event like I'm grateful if you're not, don't show up.
But it's like I was meant to be there to do that.
(14:49):
In your book, the king of cheer, that's what you said.
I mean, you have to show up.
You have to get up.
And you also have to follow up.
January 9th, 1994.
There's 20 feet of snow, but of course it's Canadians.
We still go to the game.
Senators are playing the Winnipeg Jets.
First period, second period, boring, nothing happens.
(15:12):
Third period, I'm upset that nobody is cheering or having fun.
Something is boiling in me.
I look at my buddy, he's like, please don't.
And I get up on a chair in front of 10,500 total strangers.
True story.
And I start to do this.
(15:34):
And they're all looking at me like you are, like get some medical help, pal.
But in that moment in life where you take off your masks, that night, January 9th, 1994,
I changed my life because I took off all my masks.
But when you do get up there and you do take those chances in life, it's incredible how
(15:57):
people will support you.
Good for you for taking that chance.
Good for you for just going forward a little bit because that night, my friends, I just
went for it.
And the reason I've had this accidental career performing at 1,365 sporting events in 10
(16:17):
countries for 18 million people is not because of that moment in our life we decided to get
up that first time.
It's what we do.
In your book, The King of Cheer, that's what you said.
I mean, you have to show up, you have to get up, and you also have to follow up.
(16:38):
Well the follow up is an interesting one too, but I mean how many times have you not want
to, anyone listening, how many times have you not want to show up for a day at work?
Of course, you're just not feeling it.
You're tired, you're anxious, you're whatever in your life.
Well when we have it as entertainers, it sucks, right?
Because you're going to give your heart to try to open other people's hearts and you're
(16:59):
not even feeling it.
And you're like, okay, what do I have to do to get in the zone to mentally prepare myself
to be able to give that energy and you got to take deep sometimes, right?
Or what happens as well when the crowd's not feeling it?
That's the worst.
When you're feeling it, when you're like, oh yeah, I can't wait for tonight, you get
there, you're ready to crush it and you get up and the crowd's just like, yeah, that's
(17:24):
the worst.
So my get up song, like when I was at the arena and if I was having a down day or whatever,
I would use to put on a, what is it, House of Pain, Jump Around.
And I mean, just the beat on that song and you just get me going and I mean, I got the
Cameron hands right now.
I got the Cameron spirit, you know, I feel like doing all this stuff.
(17:47):
I mean, it was just getting into the rhythm and the emotion to be able to go out and perform
because you don't want to give people a lackluster experience.
I mean, when they look up on that jumbotron and they see you performing and stuff like
that, your energy is just going through the screen.
(18:08):
It's just going through and it makes people like, ah, yes, there's somebody out there
that is just alive and full of emotion and just want to just go and then you grab the
other people with you.
I mean, it's just amazing.
That song does it for me.
Is there a song that, you know, just gets you going?
Well, I look, I mean, when I perform in a stadium, I think it's like Money Money by
(18:32):
Billy Idol I'd use that song more than any other song because it gets the crowd going
and the yeah, yeah.
You know, I love like a good crazy strike it up.
Everybody dance now, bust a move like all the old school songs that, you know, that,
you know, came out in stadiums and jock jams and all those weird like CDs back in the day
(18:52):
are still go to songs in stadiums because they work really well.
They immediately get your attention, right?
Right.
So yeah, any song like that when I hear it playing like anywhere, I'm like, oh, look
out.
So like when you sit next to somebody at the arena, you enter the stadium, you're just
a regular guy, regular fan and you sit down.
(19:15):
Do you, do you talk to the people?
Do you let them know what's about to happen?
Or do you just want everything to be impromptu, spirit of the moment and, you know, and in
real time?
Take me through a story or something like that.
Well, I'll give you a good example.
This past weekend I did a golf event and I sat down and I didn't say a word to the guy
(19:36):
next to me.
Nothing.
I don't even think I looked at him.
Right.
Just like I was intense.
I was like in my getting in the zone, I was like ready to go.
And then you watch the video and it's like guys kind of like, what?
And then, you know, it's pretty fun.
I think those moments are funny because I knew I didn't have a lot of time to wait for
the hit, you know, when it was coming up.
(19:57):
So there's no, there's no point in becoming best friends with the guy next to you.
And then I went to Atlanta, I did a Falcons game on Sunday and I befriended the two guys
next to me.
Terrence and his buddy, then Terrence was a really nice guy, a music producer and he
ended up, I ended up sitting in the middle of them because there was an empty seat and
they ended up filming my, both of my hits and I gave them some swag and, and they, what
(20:21):
happened there is they gave me energy because there was a long wait before I performed.
And we actually gave each other energy, right?
Like because I was like, look, I hope you guys don't mind.
I'm going to do this hit.
I'm going to do this bit.
And that made me put me in the right state, right?
I was already in the right state at the golf event.
I was ready to go.
I knew it was coming up fast.
Well, let's go.
(20:41):
So, you know, I also had situations where the person next to you know, I'm holding
a big bag of popcorn and I'm like, you mind if I throw this to like, no, please don't.
And then you get up and they're like, no, throw it on me.
Throw it on me.
You know what I mean?
What's your, because they see you on that.
Jumbotron.
Oh my God.
Never been asked that.
What a great question.
I like trying to find questions that you've never been asked.
(21:03):
In case you missed it, it's an OTG replay.
Brought to you by Fun360CAM.
I want you to think of someone in your life.
You haven't been in touch with them in a while.
I want you to think of someone in your life that you know needs your support.
And I want you to think of their smile, their energy, their heart, being more full because
(21:24):
you took the time to send them a text to make a video for them.
Show off, call them, FaceTime, something.
Imagine if we cheered on our friends, our family, our colleagues, like we do our favorite
athlete, our favorite sports team.
I'm not suggesting you go out finding your brother's accounting firm, paint your face,
(21:45):
make a sign, hey Dan, you're killing it with those numbers in Q4, you're killing it.
What I'm suggesting is to make simple, straightforward, consistent action towards being there for others.
Sometimes the simplest things in life are the hardest, right?
Like I guarantee you that you will never regret making that connection, being more available
(22:09):
and sending that cheer to someone.
And I guarantee you that person receiving it will be incredibly great change.
If you missed it, brought to you by Fun360Can, smile, spin, share.
How many Jumbotons do you think you've been on?
Oh my God, never been asked that.
What a great question.
(22:30):
Well, I like trying to find questions that you've never been asked or anybody's been
asked before.
Never been asked that.
I mean, hundreds, right?
But back in the day when I started, like there was no Jumbotron at the arena I was performing
at.
That's how long I've been doing it.
And then, you know, and then I became, Jumbotron started to happen in the mid to late 90s, like
(22:53):
96 around.
And I didn't used to worry about the Jumbotron.
It was just more like to find an authentic moment, create that.
And then now it's like, because of the Jumbotron, the way you can set up so many different moments,
it's your best friend in that sense.
But at the same time, you know, the irony for me is you still want, you don't really want
(23:14):
people to watch the Jumbotron.
You want them to watch you or the game, but the Jumbotron elevates what everyone does.
So you embrace it, right?
And look, I mean, you know, then you can go, you start your one hit in the center of the
arena, then you go to the other side, well, they've seen you on the Jumbotron.
So they're like, they're excited now, right?
And I think that that amplifies the energy that I can bring because they're like, oh
(23:37):
my God, we just saw you on TV.
So, ah, you know, right?
So people get fired up.
So what was the first Jumbotron you're on?
Mighty, mighty.
Oh, wow.
I think it was in Anaheim at a Ducks game, a hockey game, the Mighty Ducks in 1996.
And that hit, I did it for free.
(23:58):
I showed up on my own, brought my own t-shirts.
That hit ended up number three highlight of the week on ESPN.
And that's how my friend, my friends back home were like, I was just going down to see
if it worked in other stadiums.
And my friends back home were like, is everything okay?
I'm like, yeah, everything's fine.
Everything's really good, right?
It worked.
(24:18):
A crowd is a crowd is a crowd.
I mean, that's the other big thing I've learned is like, what's the difference between a crowd
in New York City and St. Louis or Montreal, Canada?
It's like, well, there's an attitude in some of the different cities, but in general, they
all want the same spontaneous human interaction, right?
Go look at the top 50 Jumbotron moments of all time.
(24:40):
They all have the same formula.
Surprise.
Wow.
I wish I could have done that.
I wish I could have been a part of that.
And then move me.
Maybe my next book is how to get on the Jumbotron.
Because I think you are successful in that.
And that book is going to be the New York Times bestseller.
It's almost like they're living through you while they're watching you up on the screen
(25:01):
with all their energy and everything else that you're bringing.
But same with the drum line, by the way, if I could go back like, you can imagine how
many, how many entertainment teams and people and musicians and drummers and artists I've
met over the years that perform in NBA, NHL, all these things.
They're channeling all of you, everyone, because everyone brings a unique skill set to the experience.
(25:24):
And I think that's the beauty of the sports entertainment world is you got you as a drummer,
we got the dancers, we got the hip hop, we got the back break dancers and all those different
things.
Right.
Back to the point of like, we want to watch people do stuff we can't do.
I mean, I don't even have enough hands.
I probably have to use drumsticks, whatever.
I can't count how many people have come up to me after a gig, after a set, whatever.
(25:48):
Man, I wish I could play drums.
I wish I could do what you do.
You look like you're having so much fun.
100%.
And it's so, so easy for you.
And I'm like, I'm just, I'm just being me.
I'm just doing things that are natural.
And you know, the God given the ability that I have and I just enjoy what I do.
And but it's almost like they're, they're trying to live through me.
(26:10):
Yeah.
What do you say to people?
Something that I just say to them is like, you can do it too.
Yeah.
I mean, you, you may not be as, as great as Buddy Rich.
You may not be as great as whomever, you know, Phil Collins or whomever drummer that you
like, may not be as, as, as good as them, but you can at least try.
You can at least do something.
I mean, and play.
(26:31):
There's a young drummer that lives behind me and I constantly hear her practicing.
I constantly hear her playing drums and then, you know, improving her craft.
And I'm like, she has to start somewhere.
Right.
And I had to start on that day, you know, in Ottawa, you know, cheering because the
crowd was dead and all the thing you did was just stand up and you just started cheering.
(26:57):
Right.
And I mean, and here you are now everywhere.
Let's pivot to your book.
That moment you start something happens in us.
So beautiful friends.
It's Tuesday and thinking a lot.
You watch a lot of videos.
We talk a lot about being happy, you know, and I'm happy.
I'm happy that tomorrow I get to launch my audio book.
(27:18):
But what it really makes me feel is alive.
And what I put into the book is wanting people to feel alive, to feel something, to feel
emotional, to be moved, not just happy.
You're happy.
You may be listening to it, but you're alive because you experienced it.
That's that's it.
Life.
Trust me.
Your crowd is ready to cheer you on.
(27:40):
Thank you for being part of the best share of my life.
So let's turn to your book, King of Cheer.
I've enjoyed listening to the audio book of that.
What inspired that book and how did you find time to write everything?
(28:03):
Well, probably a couple of things.
The fact, the first thing is I felt like I had some stories that that were going to inspire
people.
And I felt that it was a challenge for someone with my lack of attention and my how many
times in my papers in high school and university were marked in red.
(28:23):
And I knew I knew I wanted to do it while I was still performing because that was kind
of my marketing outlet.
And then this thing called COVID hit so I couldn't really do it, but whatever.
And you know what, man, I was traveling and I would write in a journal.
I would write in a physical journal in the early days.
And I would keep every scrap paper from tickets to, you know, articles to, you know, lanyards.
(28:46):
And it all started to add up when I threw it against the wall.
All these short stories of like how, you know, different threads came about.
Right.
And I, you know, dug deep.
It was not easy.
It's the hardest thing I've done.
Most rewarding thing I've ever done.
I mean, the moment you get your book for the first time from, you know, when it's sent
(29:07):
to you for approval.
I remember opening it in public and then I went and opened it again in the car and I
started like balling my eyes out.
Like I couldn't stop.
I mean, that's, that's similar to my story too.
I've written a book.
I wrote it, you know, during COVID it's called the American Dream Band.
(29:29):
And it's about teenagers that started a garage band and they go through life and they go
through some challenges.
So I understand what you're saying about writing a book.
I understand what you're saying about, you know, showing up and being there and challenging
yourself to do better.
Like how many people do we know, and this isn't a knock on anyone, but how many people
(29:53):
do we know and say, Oh, I want to write a book or I want to learn the drums or I want
to do this, but they don't start.
And I said this to a friend of mine recently.
I said, he's like, Oh, I want to get back into music.
I want to do this.
And I looked at him and I said, Will, give me a reason to cheer for you.
Oh, and he's, and he said it just knocked him on his ass.
Yeah.
Give me a reason to cheer for you.
That's tight.
(30:14):
It hit him, right?
I mean, look, and like I said, I'm not knocking anyone.
He says, Oh, I want to write a book and then hasn't started, but you got to start.
You got to open that.
Everyone asked me, well, how did you do it?
I said, I opened a document like literally that's how I started.
Right.
And then I took everything I've ever done and I put it on tables and I started to get
inspired.
And I think it's, um, that moment you start, something happens in you and it us physically,
(30:41):
emotionally, mentally, but you know, the, the, the universe is like saying, you know,
Hey, today, what are you doing?
What are you doing to move this forward?
You know what I mean?
Hey, Chris.
And what you realize and what I realize is the universe wants it to, right?
They need some inspiration.
(31:01):
They need some encouragement.
They need what you're putting out to make their life feel better.
I mean, there may be somebody at the game that has just, you know, had a bad day at
work and, you know, got a free ticket from somebody and they are, there's just there,
but that person may be sitting next to you.
(31:22):
And when you start dancing and clapping and energizing the room, you make their whole
day.
Right.
And that's not even a memory of what happened before because they created new memories because
what you're doing.
Yeah.
And you never know who's going to hit and how, right?
I mean, that's the beautiful thing of, of the, that creative process.
(31:45):
And I was at an event and a guy put his arm on my back and my shoulder.
I sat down and he goes, Cam, I just want to let you know, I read your book and really
enjoyed it.
And he, he referenced something emotional and I'm like, I'm performing.
And I'm like, teary-eyed, like, I'm like, whoa, I'm not right now.
But then it was also like, what else is that moment going to happen where I don't know
(32:09):
their name, but when they could like give you a cheer back for committing to it, you
know,
And you, you kind of spark that into other people.
It's like, if, if Christopher can write a book, if Cameron can write a book, I can write
a book.
If Cameron can get up and start dancing, I can get up and start dancing.
(32:31):
I mean, it's, it's, it's, it's almost like a fuel to a fire that's already inside of
them and you just, they just need the match to, to, to make it burn and, and to, you know,
to ignite them to, you know, be that, that creative spark so they can go out and start
doing the things that they are born and called to do.
(32:54):
Just commit to it and finish it.
Right.
And I'm, I'm the, I could sit here and list a bunch of things.
I've, I've started and haven't finished, but for the most part, the major things in my
life I have, and I'm working on a couple other ones that I don't talk about because I'm not
going to talk about them until I finish them.
And it's like, and I know that once I do, people will go, oh, that makes sense that
(33:18):
that's what you're doing.
And they'll support you in the way they have before because you put yourself out there,
which is what we're talking about.
So many creative people I know, they're just afraid to like put their art on Instagram.
They're waiting for it to be perfect.
Like when I recorded my audio book, I was like, oh no, I made all these mistakes and
(33:38):
I'm like, get over yourself.
So what?
It was perfect at the time, you know?
And if people are going to knock me because there's some mistakes in my book, will you
try writing a book during a pandemic?
And but the thing is, you did it and you accomplished it and it's out in the atmosphere.
(33:59):
And it's now a legacy that you're leaving for your family, for whomever, so they can
pull back on and listen to that audio book, right?
Or they can read the actual book and it's something they can put up be put on the shelf
or it can be a Christmas present or a birthday present to somebody.
And the thing is, you are inspiring the people that you don't even know who's going to be
(34:21):
inspired from, but it's your life story.
And because your story is now out there, it's consumable for everybody.
And you're still putting the cheer out there.
And I've been listening to the audio book and the cheer that you give is the cheer that
(34:42):
you get.
That hit me.
Is there a story or something that, you know, one of your craziest story or that had to
be a crazy story, but something that you have dealt with in your life that it just turned
your mind around?
It's kind of a non-sports story, but not really because it all adds up.
(35:02):
But I was at a movie premiere in Los Angeles, I don't know, 14, 15 years ago.
And my friends were involved in the movie.
And at the end of the night, they were hanging out at the reception.
And one of our friends said, Hey, do you want to go to the after party?
And we're like, Yeah, sure.
Where is it?
And they're like, Oh, it's up on the top of the hills and Beverly Hills in LA.
(35:22):
And turns out we're driving up there in our little Ford Focus, you know, our little car
and it's Prince's house.
Prince?
Prince.
Purple, right?
Prince?
Yeah, that Prince.
What?
We pull up and you know, there's, you can imagine the house and the cars in front and we get
to the door and our name was at the door.
And it was only the people from the movie that were in there.
(35:43):
I was sister heard of the traffic pets part two.
And there was 25 people there.
The only other person I knew there were Blair Underwood, the actor.
And then a bunch of producers that I knew we knew.
And then Prince came out like about half fire 45 minutes later and he was like, it was just
like, it was like, and then he motions to get everyone downstairs in his, his studio.
(36:08):
We think he's going to play.
And we're like, no, he brings us into the DJ room where he has a dance floor and DJs.
And now all his beautiful girls come down and we're dancing all night and he told me
to take it a bit easy.
I was a little crazy on the dance floor for real.
And you know, it's just this moment where I made you realize like, stay yes to going
(36:30):
to the movie premiere to support your friend.
And it's not like, oh, well, like you too could end up at Prince's house or Bruce Springsteen's.
But the point is, you know, if you look at the deep part of that, it's like support your
friends because you never know where all any of us is going to lead show up, show up for
each other, the people that support you.
You know what I mean?
(36:50):
And that's what you were doing.
You were there just supporting your friend.
Yeah.
I wasn't there because I thought I was going to end up at Prince's house in a million years.
As your friend was living his dream with the movie, you were just there, carrying your
friend on supporting him and you end up at Prince's house.
Imagine like I get off this with you and I've got a note from someone who is a good friend
(37:14):
who says, Hey, I saw your post the other day.
So I want to tell you how proud I am of you.
Right.
How am I going to feel like amazing, right?
I'll feel great because I'll come off this and I'll feel energized.
We've had a good chat.
But like, why don't we think of the result of what that is going to look like that quote
unquote, sure.
Right.
Right.
I sent a note to, I get it all, I get it from strangers.
(37:36):
So if I'm getting it from strangers, you know, I sent a note to the head producer, the Falcons
today because she has a big game tonight.
I know she's tired.
I said this morning, Hey, you got this.
You're going to have an amazing show tonight.
And she writes me, Oh, you have no idea.
Perfect timing.
Thanks for saying that.
Right.
So much, so many ways we can keep, but we can't, we do it, but we can't not, we can't
(37:59):
overthink it.
And it's like that night I got up, Christopher, I didn't overthink it.
I didn't ask for permission.
I just went for it.
That's my mission.
You know, it's worked for you.
I mean, how many T-shirts have you tossed out over the years?
I mean, uh, 1500 events times still like a lot, 20,000 probably.
(38:20):
I don't have a shoulder left.
The shoulders gone.
I don't know.
Yeah.
And I, oh, I was, by the way, I refuse to use T-shirt gun.
No way.
No, you, you, you got the guns.
I mean, you, you got the guns right here.
You got the guns.
So I don't know if anybody's ever done this before to you during the interview, but I
just want to participate into what you do and celebrate you.
(38:45):
I mean, you've been on ESPN before doing this, right?
And you know, they put you on, you know, you say that you went to the cast.
There's a color and you did what you needed to do there.
I'm pretty sure you've been on the kiss cam before.
Blow kisses to the audience.
It's the last one.
And you're the king's Cameron.
You're the king.
(39:05):
Right?
Right.
Yeah.
King.
Show me that.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Man, my God, you are amazing.
That's the best ending to our podcast I've ever been on.
Little legend.
To do this.
I wanted to do that for you, Cameron.
You're an excellent, excellent guy.
You are so much fun and I enjoy and have enjoyed this interview with you.
(39:30):
I really appreciate your charity.
You're a lovely human.
Cameron, here on the Jumbotron, man, we just want to inspire other people and just have
a great time.
I wish we had more time to talk to you.
Can you bring me back during the season?
Of course.
Of course we're going to have you back.
Let's do it.
I can't wait to meet you one day, my friend.
(39:51):
And I want to applaud you.
I want to applaud you.
Thank you.
You've done for taking the chance, for standing up, and for showing up, and to following up
with different people.
Thank you.
That's very kind of you, man.
That means a lot.
We have to keep bringing the cheer.
Cheer.
Which stands for what?
Hold on, hold on.
Let me capture this again.
What does cheer stand for?
(40:13):
That means capturing hearts, the energy, and the emotions in real time.
Can't wait to meet you one day, my friend.
You're going to do it.
Cameron, again, thank you for joining us right here on the Jumbotron.
Make sure you go out and get his book.
It's on Amazon, or you can find it on Audible.
Also my book is on Amazon as well.
I'll put links in the description below.
(40:34):
And make sure you like, subscribe, and share this content with other creatives.
We're going to do our best to drop these episodes bi-weekly.
Our next conversation is with Brandon Meyer from Nebraska.
Your home show went up.
I mean, even Travis Hunter was talking about.
So I mean, you guys are doing fun.
That was really cool.
It's not like, man, Coach Prime is watching the drag.
That was one of my top 10 moments today.
(40:57):
I'm like, man, he's not coaching.
He's just looking around, enjoying it.
So that was cool.
That's what we do here on the Jumbotron.
We entertain, we inspire, and we inform.
My name is Christopher Lee.
Thank you for joining us right here on the Jumbotron.
We'll talk to you soon.
Thanks for joining me on this episode of On the Jumbletron, your VIP ticket that takes
(00:08):
you behind the scenes into the world of game day entertainment.
Get ready for interesting stories, creative tips, and laugh at the most unbelievable I
kid you not moments from the experts who make it all happen.
It's a great conversation, so sit back and enjoy this episode of On the Jumbletron.
Hey y'all, thank you for joining me again here on the Jumbletron.
(00:31):
My name is Christopher Lee and I'm so excited and thankful that you have joined us today
for another episode.
Today we have Cameron Hughes on the show with us today.
If you haven't heard of seeing Cameron Hughes, you've been under a rock, you have not been
at any sports arena because that's where he is.
That's where he lives and that's where he brings so much energy and motivation to the
(00:54):
people that he inspires.
He's been on ESPN, he's been at the US Open, he's been at countless hockey games and what
he does is he brings the energy, he brings the cheer, he brings the love, and he brings
warmth to everybody he meets.
So I'm going to bring him in.
(01:15):
Cameron, are you with us?
I'm here and I'm ready to bring the cheer.
Because anytime someone says the word jumbletron, I get excited, it means we're connecting, we're
having fun, we're raising some of the energy.
That's what it's all about.
I appreciate the great intro.
I think what you said hits me hard in a funny way because it's like, you go to a game and
(01:37):
the next day you're kind of over here with someone talking to a coffee shop, you're like,
did you see that guy last night?
And then I was like, that guy?
So I think I should have just been called that guy, Chris.
You just be called that guy?
Yeah, yeah, that guy.
That's funny, man.
It's been a heck of a run, my friend.
It has been.
And I've read into your story.
I've watched videos.
I've listened to different things about you.
(01:59):
And I'm going to say that this is probably your calling.
This is probably what you should have been doing.
But the thing is, when you were doing this in your mother's living room, with your sister,
and making her happy and different things like that, I don't know if you realized at
them that you were just setting yourself up for your future self.
Well, yeah, I mean, it's a really important thing.
(02:21):
I mean, anyone who's a parent, you want to inspire your kids to believe in themselves
ultimately, right?
I mean, we could just go right to it.
And as a kid, I used to do this crazy dance in our living room.
And I don't know if it was good or bad or funny or crazy, but I did it.
And my family and my mom specifically rewarded me for, you know, she gave me this confidence
(02:43):
I needed.
And the song was You Can't Hurry Love by Phil Collins, which was a weird song, but whatever.
And that's the first time I remember the concept of the power of cheer Chris, where you believe
in someone.
And that was in me.
And it just, you know, it kept adding up, it kept adding up.
And I got confidence in high school, I got confidence in university.
I was a mascot.
(03:05):
And then, you know, the first time I got up at hockey game, it's like, you could really
trace it back to that time I danced in my living room, where I was like, I want everyone
to have fun.
So I'm going to get up and do something.
Right.
We've all been to the wedding.
We've all been to the corporate event.
We've all been to the stadium.
We're like waiting for something to happen.
And you know, I don't know how 20 years, however many years later, that was me at a hockey
(03:28):
game and it sparked my career.
So it's, it's ironic and crazy how things that we do when we're little kids, if we continue
those things, we will be able to master those things and then be able to be even probably
even more successful in the future where we are living now.
(03:50):
So thanks for those cheers, mom.
So I'm, I'm a, I'm a word guy and some people have called me like a wordsmith and I like
doing acronyms to words and stuff like that.
And as I was getting ready to talk to you, Cameron, I, I came up with cheer, right?
You know, because that's what you do.
That's who you are.
(04:11):
Right.
So the C H E E R, the cheer.
So from that, I came back with capturing hearts, the energy and the emotions in real time.
Capturing heart, emotion and what the other one capturing hearts, right?
Energy, emotions and real time.
(04:33):
Well, that's powerful, man.
That's basically what cheer is.
That's basically what you're doing when you're out and you're seeing the people and you're
engaging with them.
You are doing that.
You're capturing their hearts.
You're seeing the energy.
You're living off the emotion and you're doing all this in real time.
And I mean, and that's what you do.
(04:54):
That's what you do.
That's what, when I was watching the video, when, you know, when I go to the arenas and
you know, I see things happening.
That's what is going on and every video that I have seen you in, people are smiling.
People are up.
People are clapping.
People are enjoying themselves.
And that's what I feel.
(05:15):
I mean, your captioning the hearts, your energy, the emotions in real time.
And that's what I see.
That's what I feel.
And I'm a drummer, by the way.
I don't know if you know that or not.
No, I didn't know.
No, I didn't know.
Yeah, I'm a drummer and I used to play for the, so we have a little bit in common with
the NBA.
I used to play drums with the Charlotte Bobcats.
Dude, did we meet there when I used to come there?
(05:37):
I don't know if we, I don't know.
I used to come and do the games there at that time.
Yeah, I'm not sure.
I'm not sure.
Right.
If we did, it was amazing.
And you know, this connection was going to happen regardless.
Yeah.
So yeah, so I mean, I used to play drums with them.
I still play drums now, but I used to play drums with them on the drum team.
We were called the rhythm cats.
(05:57):
So you can go on YouTube and look at some older videos and stuff like that.
And the rhythm cats drum line with the Charlotte Bobcats then.
And so what we did, we performed in the middle of the court and I absolutely enjoyed playing
drums and watching other people engage in the moment as we were playing the instruments
(06:21):
and stuff like that, because there were some people that want to play.
There were some people that want to dance.
And then there are some people that just want to just watch and be in awe of what's going
on.
But I enjoy playing the drums because I bring all those things that I just talked about
with a cheer.
I mean, I'm capturing their hearts.
I'm seeing their energy.
(06:42):
I'm seeing their emotion and all of it is in real time.
Right.
And the thing is, it's people that are wanting to play and wanting to do things and wanting
to be a part of everything that we're doing.
Well, okay, I've got to read this to you.
A friend of mine just sent me this about 20 minutes ago.
I'm with some music friends in Montreal right now.
I'm going to see their show tonight.
(07:02):
They're performing in the first ever North American show.
And he wrote me from a singer-songwriter, said this, people pay to see others believe
in themselves.
Wow.
Right?
That's rich.
Like.
That's rich.
Either that's the greatest quote or it's sad.
I'm not sure.
I'm kidding.
I'm kidding.
(07:23):
I'm kidding.
I'm kidding.
But it's powerful because, you know, we all have, I think, a bit of artistry in us, a
bit of wanting to put ourselves out there, you know, be the drummer on the court, be
the guy in the crowd, be the mascot.
Like, there's some part of us, all, some part of us, I think, because I've taken the
shyest person in the history of the world and I've got them on a stage somehow.
(07:46):
Right.
Because there's something in us that if the crowd cheers that person on, Julie Mitch,
whoever it is, they're like, it unlocks this little twitch, this switch, the spark in them.
Right?
And so when you, when you, when you read that, whoa, listen to it, people pay to see others
believe in themselves.
Like you're going to an NBA basketball game to see athletes do something we can't do.
(08:11):
You're going to see you drum.
I can't drum.
You're going to see me dance.
I can't dance, by the way.
No, but you're going to see something and feel something that others have gifts for.
Right?
Right.
So you're paying money to see people share their gifts.
Really.
I mean, and so in itself, isn't that a gift?
(08:34):
You're right.
You're right.
That is a gift.
And it's awesome to see and to really understand that my gift excites other people into living
life and into enjoying life.
I never really thought about that, but that quote is amazing.
(08:56):
Um, man, yeah, I never really thought about that.
You know, that's the funny part is it's like, Oh, well, uh, you know, what's your act?
I'm like, it's not really an act.
Right.
I mean, back to your point of like, you know, being a drummer, there's, there's two parts
to being a drummer, right?
There's the, I'm in a studio and I'm a drummer and I'm behind the scenes.
And then when you go out on the court and NBA game, those fans want you to electrify
(09:19):
them.
They want to feel something for those two minutes in that time out.
It's like you give them everything you have and you're connecting with the audience to
say, Hey, it's okay to let go more here.
It's okay to cheer on your team.
It's okay to cheer if your friends, it's okay to just be like super president.
And then the moment and you know, to be able to do that for someone, you know, it's like
(09:42):
how lucky are we?
First of all, right?
But to be able for you to be able to find that path as well and, and how many times,
you know, people supported you, people didn't support you.
People said no, people said yes, and all those things.
But I always say the more you show up, the more you believe in yourself.
First of all, and secondly, the more the crowd will keep cheering you on because I mean,
(10:04):
I'll look at my Facebook page today at some point and I'll get random comments from people
I've never met.
And if you don't think those matter to me, you're, you're crazy.
Of course.
I'll start just your ego.
It's your, it's not just your ego.
It's going, Oh, do I really want to show up this Saturday at that game?
Yeah.
Because I want to make people feel like that person who just sent me a note felt.
(10:26):
And that keeps you going.
And those fans that when you're done, you're set or high fiving you on the concourse, the
fans that are high fiving me when I'm leaving the Falcons game last Sunday.
Like I would, I walked from the arena to the stadium, to my hotel and fans were like, Hey,
are you the guy?
I'm like, yeah.
And, you know, I had some incredible connections with people, right?
Because back to what you said with the cheer, you know, open it, you know, opening hearts,
(10:49):
like, is that what we're doing?
And that's what we're doing.
And we want to be able to connect with people, to make them feel something inside of them
that they may not be able to ever experience.
It was a tournament that was happening in Charlotte and my buddies and I, we all got
together and we went outside the arena and we just started playing again.
(11:11):
And I remember seeing a guy off in the corner.
And I mean, he was like, he was dancing a little bit, but he was like a little shy.
And he was like, you know, air drumming, you know, there's always air drummers everywhere.
And I was like, I saw him over there and I motioned him over to us and he was like, no,
no, no, no.
He was like, just, just come on over.
And he came over and he was like, I really don't know what I'm doing.
(11:32):
I really don't know what I'm doing.
I'm like, you're cool, man.
Just sit down.
Just play on two and four and four.
One, two, three, four, one, two.
I see you then three, four, one, two.
And he started playing and then the guys and everybody else who started playing with him
(11:53):
and he had the biggest joy, the biggest smile on his face.
And he was just so excited.
And you know, and after we finished that, you know, that little impromptu jam session,
he was like, man, I've always wanted to just sit down and play.
I've always wanted to just play with buckets and, you know, enjoy this type of life and
(12:16):
stuff like that.
And thank you for it.
And he just came saying, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
He put a nice big tip in the bucket.
I do remember that.
I do remember that.
That's good.
He was just so excited about, I guess, living a dream and living out something in life.
Right.
You know, to me, it's normal because this is what I do.
(12:37):
But to him, it is just something that was just out of his normal, I guess, area of life
and just something that he just wanted to participate in and to do.
And we were able to give him that.
We were able to give him joy.
We were able to give him a story that he can go back and tell his family.
(12:58):
We were able to give him a memory that he can hold on to for the rest of his life.
And Cameron, that's what you do.
And that's how you feel.
Cause like back in high school, you were not part of the team.
You didn't make the team, but now you're like on the court with these professionals.
No, I mean, I didn't make the big team.
And, you know, my old joke is I got cut from my high school basketball team, but I made
(13:22):
it to the NBA, right?
So you, you and Michael Jordan have something in common because he was cut and look at you
and look at him and y'all have been on the same court together.
We get to define how we make it, right?
I think that's the other thing in terms of like how we look at success.
And, you know, I've been with these two musical artists that are performing in North America
the first time and they're not coming here to perform at MSG and big stadiums and not
(13:46):
looking at their careers to success.
They wake up every day getting to play music for a living and that's success.
I get to wake up every day to find and, you know, sometimes you're frustrated because
you want to like figure out more ways to bring cheer or whatever it is you're doing.
Of course, you wish it was easier sometimes, but other than that, knowing that when you
wake up each day, what your path is and what your purpose is and what your talents that
(14:08):
you're sharing are.
I mean, magic.
I mean, it is magic.
And it's like, I appreciate what you said in terms of like, I don't, I don't know if
it was like luck and, you know, I think it was, I think there was luck in the right place
at the right time that my friend asked me to go to that game.
Then I got up that night.
(14:29):
But I don't believe it's like, I do believe I was meant to do it.
I do.
You know, whatever you want to call that in life, I believe that, you know, every time
I go to an event like I'm grateful if you're not, don't show up.
But it's like I was meant to be there to do that.
(14:49):
In your book, the king of cheer, that's what you said.
I mean, you have to show up.
You have to get up.
And you also have to follow up.
January 9th, 1994.
There's 20 feet of snow, but of course it's Canadians.
We still go to the game.
Senators are playing the Winnipeg Jets.
First period, second period, boring, nothing happens.
(15:12):
Third period, I'm upset that nobody is cheering or having fun.
Something is boiling in me.
I look at my buddy, he's like, please don't.
And I get up on a chair in front of 10,500 total strangers.
True story.
And I start to do this.
(15:34):
And they're all looking at me like you are, like get some medical help, pal.
But in that moment in life where you take off your masks, that night, January 9th, 1994,
I changed my life because I took off all my masks.
But when you do get up there and you do take those chances in life, it's incredible how
(15:57):
people will support you.
Good for you for taking that chance.
Good for you for just going forward a little bit because that night, my friends, I just
went for it.
And the reason I've had this accidental career performing at 1,365 sporting events in 10
(16:17):
countries for 18 million people is not because of that moment in our life we decided to get
up that first time.
It's what we do.
In your book, The King of Cheer, that's what you said.
I mean, you have to show up, you have to get up, and you also have to follow up.
(16:38):
Well the follow up is an interesting one too, but I mean how many times have you not want
to, anyone listening, how many times have you not want to show up for a day at work?
Of course, you're just not feeling it.
You're tired, you're anxious, you're whatever in your life.
Well when we have it as entertainers, it sucks, right?
Because you're going to give your heart to try to open other people's hearts and you're
(16:59):
not even feeling it.
And you're like, okay, what do I have to do to get in the zone to mentally prepare myself
to be able to give that energy and you got to take deep sometimes, right?
Or what happens as well when the crowd's not feeling it?
That's the worst.
When you're feeling it, when you're like, oh yeah, I can't wait for tonight, you get
there, you're ready to crush it and you get up and the crowd's just like, yeah, that's
(17:24):
the worst.
So my get up song, like when I was at the arena and if I was having a down day or whatever,
I would use to put on a, what is it, House of Pain, Jump Around.
And I mean, just the beat on that song and you just get me going and I mean, I got the
Cameron hands right now.
I got the Cameron spirit, you know, I feel like doing all this stuff.
(17:47):
I mean, it was just getting into the rhythm and the emotion to be able to go out and perform
because you don't want to give people a lackluster experience.
I mean, when they look up on that jumbotron and they see you performing and stuff like
that, your energy is just going through the screen.
(18:08):
It's just going through and it makes people like, ah, yes, there's somebody out there
that is just alive and full of emotion and just want to just go and then you grab the
other people with you.
I mean, it's just amazing.
That song does it for me.
Is there a song that, you know, just gets you going?
Well, I look, I mean, when I perform in a stadium, I think it's like Money Money by
(18:32):
Billy Idol I'd use that song more than any other song because it gets the crowd going
and the yeah, yeah.
You know, I love like a good crazy strike it up.
Everybody dance now, bust a move like all the old school songs that, you know, that,
you know, came out in stadiums and jock jams and all those weird like CDs back in the day
(18:52):
are still go to songs in stadiums because they work really well.
They immediately get your attention, right?
Right.
So yeah, any song like that when I hear it playing like anywhere, I'm like, oh, look
out.
So like when you sit next to somebody at the arena, you enter the stadium, you're just
a regular guy, regular fan and you sit down.
(19:15):
Do you, do you talk to the people?
Do you let them know what's about to happen?
Or do you just want everything to be impromptu, spirit of the moment and, you know, and in
real time?
Take me through a story or something like that.
Well, I'll give you a good example.
This past weekend I did a golf event and I sat down and I didn't say a word to the guy
(19:36):
next to me.
Nothing.
I don't even think I looked at him.
Right.
Just like I was intense.
I was like in my getting in the zone, I was like ready to go.
And then you watch the video and it's like guys kind of like, what?
And then, you know, it's pretty fun.
I think those moments are funny because I knew I didn't have a lot of time to wait for
the hit, you know, when it was coming up.
(19:57):
So there's no, there's no point in becoming best friends with the guy next to you.
And then I went to Atlanta, I did a Falcons game on Sunday and I befriended the two guys
next to me.
Terrence and his buddy, then Terrence was a really nice guy, a music producer and he
ended up, I ended up sitting in the middle of them because there was an empty seat and
they ended up filming my, both of my hits and I gave them some swag and, and they, what
(20:21):
happened there is they gave me energy because there was a long wait before I performed.
And we actually gave each other energy, right?
Like because I was like, look, I hope you guys don't mind.
I'm going to do this hit.
I'm going to do this bit.
And that made me put me in the right state, right?
I was already in the right state at the golf event.
I was ready to go.
I knew it was coming up fast.
Well, let's go.
(20:41):
So, you know, I also had situations where the person next to you know, I'm holding
a big bag of popcorn and I'm like, you mind if I throw this to like, no, please don't.
And then you get up and they're like, no, throw it on me.
Throw it on me.
You know what I mean?
What's your, because they see you on that.
Jumbotron.
Oh my God.
Never been asked that.
What a great question.
I like trying to find questions that you've never been asked.
(21:03):
In case you missed it, it's an OTG replay.
Brought to you by Fun360CAM.
I want you to think of someone in your life.
You haven't been in touch with them in a while.
I want you to think of someone in your life that you know needs your support.
And I want you to think of their smile, their energy, their heart, being more full because
(21:24):
you took the time to send them a text to make a video for them.
Show off, call them, FaceTime, something.
Imagine if we cheered on our friends, our family, our colleagues, like we do our favorite
athlete, our favorite sports team.
I'm not suggesting you go out finding your brother's accounting firm, paint your face,
(21:45):
make a sign, hey Dan, you're killing it with those numbers in Q4, you're killing it.
What I'm suggesting is to make simple, straightforward, consistent action towards being there for others.
Sometimes the simplest things in life are the hardest, right?
Like I guarantee you that you will never regret making that connection, being more available
(22:09):
and sending that cheer to someone.
And I guarantee you that person receiving it will be incredibly great change.
If you missed it, brought to you by Fun360Can, smile, spin, share.
How many Jumbotons do you think you've been on?
Oh my God, never been asked that.
What a great question.
(22:30):
Well, I like trying to find questions that you've never been asked or anybody's been
asked before.
Never been asked that.
I mean, hundreds, right?
But back in the day when I started, like there was no Jumbotron at the arena I was performing
at.
That's how long I've been doing it.
And then, you know, and then I became, Jumbotron started to happen in the mid to late 90s, like
(22:53):
96 around.
And I didn't used to worry about the Jumbotron.
It was just more like to find an authentic moment, create that.
And then now it's like, because of the Jumbotron, the way you can set up so many different moments,
it's your best friend in that sense.
But at the same time, you know, the irony for me is you still want, you don't really want
(23:14):
people to watch the Jumbotron.
You want them to watch you or the game, but the Jumbotron elevates what everyone does.
So you embrace it, right?
And look, I mean, you know, then you can go, you start your one hit in the center of the
arena, then you go to the other side, well, they've seen you on the Jumbotron.
So they're like, they're excited now, right?
And I think that that amplifies the energy that I can bring because they're like, oh
(23:37):
my God, we just saw you on TV.
So, ah, you know, right?
So people get fired up.
So what was the first Jumbotron you're on?
Mighty, mighty.
Oh, wow.
I think it was in Anaheim at a Ducks game, a hockey game, the Mighty Ducks in 1996.
And that hit, I did it for free.
(23:58):
I showed up on my own, brought my own t-shirts.
That hit ended up number three highlight of the week on ESPN.
And that's how my friend, my friends back home were like, I was just going down to see
if it worked in other stadiums.
And my friends back home were like, is everything okay?
I'm like, yeah, everything's fine.
Everything's really good, right?
It worked.
(24:18):
A crowd is a crowd is a crowd.
I mean, that's the other big thing I've learned is like, what's the difference between a crowd
in New York City and St. Louis or Montreal, Canada?
It's like, well, there's an attitude in some of the different cities, but in general, they
all want the same spontaneous human interaction, right?
Go look at the top 50 Jumbotron moments of all time.
(24:40):
They all have the same formula.
Surprise.
Wow.
I wish I could have done that.
I wish I could have been a part of that.
And then move me.
Maybe my next book is how to get on the Jumbotron.
Because I think you are successful in that.
And that book is going to be the New York Times bestseller.
It's almost like they're living through you while they're watching you up on the screen
(25:01):
with all their energy and everything else that you're bringing.
But same with the drum line, by the way, if I could go back like, you can imagine how
many, how many entertainment teams and people and musicians and drummers and artists I've
met over the years that perform in NBA, NHL, all these things.
They're channeling all of you, everyone, because everyone brings a unique skill set to the experience.
(25:24):
And I think that's the beauty of the sports entertainment world is you got you as a drummer,
we got the dancers, we got the hip hop, we got the back break dancers and all those different
things.
Right.
Back to the point of like, we want to watch people do stuff we can't do.
I mean, I don't even have enough hands.
I probably have to use drumsticks, whatever.
I can't count how many people have come up to me after a gig, after a set, whatever.
(25:48):
Man, I wish I could play drums.
I wish I could do what you do.
You look like you're having so much fun.
100%.
And it's so, so easy for you.
And I'm like, I'm just, I'm just being me.
I'm just doing things that are natural.
And you know, the God given the ability that I have and I just enjoy what I do.
And but it's almost like they're, they're trying to live through me.
(26:10):
Yeah.
What do you say to people?
Something that I just say to them is like, you can do it too.
Yeah.
I mean, you, you may not be as, as great as Buddy Rich.
You may not be as great as whomever, you know, Phil Collins or whomever drummer that you
like, may not be as, as, as good as them, but you can at least try.
You can at least do something.
I mean, and play.
(26:31):
There's a young drummer that lives behind me and I constantly hear her practicing.
I constantly hear her playing drums and then, you know, improving her craft.
And I'm like, she has to start somewhere.
Right.
And I had to start on that day, you know, in Ottawa, you know, cheering because the
crowd was dead and all the thing you did was just stand up and you just started cheering.
(26:57):
Right.
And I mean, and here you are now everywhere.
Let's pivot to your book.
That moment you start something happens in us.
So beautiful friends.
It's Tuesday and thinking a lot.
You watch a lot of videos.
We talk a lot about being happy, you know, and I'm happy.
I'm happy that tomorrow I get to launch my audio book.
(27:18):
But what it really makes me feel is alive.
And what I put into the book is wanting people to feel alive, to feel something, to feel
emotional, to be moved, not just happy.
You're happy.
You may be listening to it, but you're alive because you experienced it.
That's that's it.
Life.
Trust me.
Your crowd is ready to cheer you on.
(27:40):
Thank you for being part of the best share of my life.
So let's turn to your book, King of Cheer.
I've enjoyed listening to the audio book of that.
What inspired that book and how did you find time to write everything?
(28:03):
Well, probably a couple of things.
The fact, the first thing is I felt like I had some stories that that were going to inspire
people.
And I felt that it was a challenge for someone with my lack of attention and my how many
times in my papers in high school and university were marked in red.
(28:23):
And I knew I knew I wanted to do it while I was still performing because that was kind
of my marketing outlet.
And then this thing called COVID hit so I couldn't really do it, but whatever.
And you know what, man, I was traveling and I would write in a journal.
I would write in a physical journal in the early days.
And I would keep every scrap paper from tickets to, you know, articles to, you know, lanyards.
(28:46):
And it all started to add up when I threw it against the wall.
All these short stories of like how, you know, different threads came about.
Right.
And I, you know, dug deep.
It was not easy.
It's the hardest thing I've done.
Most rewarding thing I've ever done.
I mean, the moment you get your book for the first time from, you know, when it's sent
(29:07):
to you for approval.
I remember opening it in public and then I went and opened it again in the car and I
started like balling my eyes out.
Like I couldn't stop.
I mean, that's, that's similar to my story too.
I've written a book.
I wrote it, you know, during COVID it's called the American Dream Band.
(29:29):
And it's about teenagers that started a garage band and they go through life and they go
through some challenges.
So I understand what you're saying about writing a book.
I understand what you're saying about, you know, showing up and being there and challenging
yourself to do better.
Like how many people do we know, and this isn't a knock on anyone, but how many people
(29:53):
do we know and say, Oh, I want to write a book or I want to learn the drums or I want
to do this, but they don't start.
And I said this to a friend of mine recently.
I said, he's like, Oh, I want to get back into music.
I want to do this.
And I looked at him and I said, Will, give me a reason to cheer for you.
Oh, and he's, and he said it just knocked him on his ass.
Yeah.
Give me a reason to cheer for you.
That's tight.
(30:14):
It hit him, right?
I mean, look, and like I said, I'm not knocking anyone.
He says, Oh, I want to write a book and then hasn't started, but you got to start.
You got to open that.
Everyone asked me, well, how did you do it?
I said, I opened a document like literally that's how I started.
Right.
And then I took everything I've ever done and I put it on tables and I started to get
inspired.
And I think it's, um, that moment you start, something happens in you and it us physically,
(30:41):
emotionally, mentally, but you know, the, the, the universe is like saying, you know,
Hey, today, what are you doing?
What are you doing to move this forward?
You know what I mean?
Hey, Chris.
And what you realize and what I realize is the universe wants it to, right?
They need some inspiration.
(31:01):
They need some encouragement.
They need what you're putting out to make their life feel better.
I mean, there may be somebody at the game that has just, you know, had a bad day at
work and, you know, got a free ticket from somebody and they are, there's just there,
but that person may be sitting next to you.
(31:22):
And when you start dancing and clapping and energizing the room, you make their whole
day.
Right.
And that's not even a memory of what happened before because they created new memories because
what you're doing.
Yeah.
And you never know who's going to hit and how, right?
I mean, that's the beautiful thing of, of the, that creative process.
(31:45):
And I was at an event and a guy put his arm on my back and my shoulder.
I sat down and he goes, Cam, I just want to let you know, I read your book and really
enjoyed it.
And he, he referenced something emotional and I'm like, I'm performing.
And I'm like, teary-eyed, like, I'm like, whoa, I'm not right now.
But then it was also like, what else is that moment going to happen where I don't know
(32:09):
their name, but when they could like give you a cheer back for committing to it, you
know,
And you, you kind of spark that into other people.
It's like, if, if Christopher can write a book, if Cameron can write a book, I can write
a book.
If Cameron can get up and start dancing, I can get up and start dancing.
(32:31):
I mean, it's, it's, it's, it's almost like a fuel to a fire that's already inside of
them and you just, they just need the match to, to, to make it burn and, and to, you know,
to ignite them to, you know, be that, that creative spark so they can go out and start
doing the things that they are born and called to do.
(32:54):
Just commit to it and finish it.
Right.
And I'm, I'm the, I could sit here and list a bunch of things.
I've, I've started and haven't finished, but for the most part, the major things in my
life I have, and I'm working on a couple other ones that I don't talk about because I'm not
going to talk about them until I finish them.
And it's like, and I know that once I do, people will go, oh, that makes sense that
(33:18):
that's what you're doing.
And they'll support you in the way they have before because you put yourself out there,
which is what we're talking about.
So many creative people I know, they're just afraid to like put their art on Instagram.
They're waiting for it to be perfect.
Like when I recorded my audio book, I was like, oh no, I made all these mistakes and
(33:38):
I'm like, get over yourself.
So what?
It was perfect at the time, you know?
And if people are going to knock me because there's some mistakes in my book, will you
try writing a book during a pandemic?
And but the thing is, you did it and you accomplished it and it's out in the atmosphere.
(33:59):
And it's now a legacy that you're leaving for your family, for whomever, so they can
pull back on and listen to that audio book, right?
Or they can read the actual book and it's something they can put up be put on the shelf
or it can be a Christmas present or a birthday present to somebody.
And the thing is, you are inspiring the people that you don't even know who's going to be
(34:21):
inspired from, but it's your life story.
And because your story is now out there, it's consumable for everybody.
And you're still putting the cheer out there.
And I've been listening to the audio book and the cheer that you give is the cheer that
(34:42):
you get.
That hit me.
Is there a story or something that, you know, one of your craziest story or that had to
be a crazy story, but something that you have dealt with in your life that it just turned
your mind around?
It's kind of a non-sports story, but not really because it all adds up.
(35:02):
But I was at a movie premiere in Los Angeles, I don't know, 14, 15 years ago.
And my friends were involved in the movie.
And at the end of the night, they were hanging out at the reception.
And one of our friends said, Hey, do you want to go to the after party?
And we're like, Yeah, sure.
Where is it?
And they're like, Oh, it's up on the top of the hills and Beverly Hills in LA.
(35:22):
And turns out we're driving up there in our little Ford Focus, you know, our little car
and it's Prince's house.
Prince?
Prince.
Purple, right?
Prince?
Yeah, that Prince.
What?
We pull up and you know, there's, you can imagine the house and the cars in front and we get
to the door and our name was at the door.
And it was only the people from the movie that were in there.
(35:43):
I was sister heard of the traffic pets part two.
And there was 25 people there.
The only other person I knew there were Blair Underwood, the actor.
And then a bunch of producers that I knew we knew.
And then Prince came out like about half fire 45 minutes later and he was like, it was just
like, it was like, and then he motions to get everyone downstairs in his, his studio.
(36:08):
We think he's going to play.
And we're like, no, he brings us into the DJ room where he has a dance floor and DJs.
And now all his beautiful girls come down and we're dancing all night and he told me
to take it a bit easy.
I was a little crazy on the dance floor for real.
And you know, it's just this moment where I made you realize like, stay yes to going
(36:30):
to the movie premiere to support your friend.
And it's not like, oh, well, like you too could end up at Prince's house or Bruce Springsteen's.
But the point is, you know, if you look at the deep part of that, it's like support your
friends because you never know where all any of us is going to lead show up, show up for
each other, the people that support you.
You know what I mean?
(36:50):
And that's what you were doing.
You were there just supporting your friend.
Yeah.
I wasn't there because I thought I was going to end up at Prince's house in a million years.
As your friend was living his dream with the movie, you were just there, carrying your
friend on supporting him and you end up at Prince's house.
Imagine like I get off this with you and I've got a note from someone who is a good friend
(37:14):
who says, Hey, I saw your post the other day.
So I want to tell you how proud I am of you.
Right.
How am I going to feel like amazing, right?
I'll feel great because I'll come off this and I'll feel energized.
We've had a good chat.
But like, why don't we think of the result of what that is going to look like that quote
unquote, sure.
Right.
Right.
I sent a note to, I get it all, I get it from strangers.
(37:36):
So if I'm getting it from strangers, you know, I sent a note to the head producer, the Falcons
today because she has a big game tonight.
I know she's tired.
I said this morning, Hey, you got this.
You're going to have an amazing show tonight.
And she writes me, Oh, you have no idea.
Perfect timing.
Thanks for saying that.
Right.
So much, so many ways we can keep, but we can't, we do it, but we can't not, we can't
(37:59):
overthink it.
And it's like that night I got up, Christopher, I didn't overthink it.
I didn't ask for permission.
I just went for it.
That's my mission.
You know, it's worked for you.
I mean, how many T-shirts have you tossed out over the years?
I mean, uh, 1500 events times still like a lot, 20,000 probably.
(38:20):
I don't have a shoulder left.
The shoulders gone.
I don't know.
Yeah.
And I, oh, I was, by the way, I refuse to use T-shirt gun.
No way.
No, you, you, you got the guns.
I mean, you, you got the guns right here.
You got the guns.
So I don't know if anybody's ever done this before to you during the interview, but I
just want to participate into what you do and celebrate you.
(38:45):
I mean, you've been on ESPN before doing this, right?
And you know, they put you on, you know, you say that you went to the cast.
There's a color and you did what you needed to do there.
I'm pretty sure you've been on the kiss cam before.
Blow kisses to the audience.
It's the last one.
And you're the king's Cameron.
You're the king.
(39:05):
Right?
Right.
Yeah.
King.
Show me that.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Man, my God, you are amazing.
That's the best ending to our podcast I've ever been on.
Little legend.
To do this.
I wanted to do that for you, Cameron.
You're an excellent, excellent guy.
You are so much fun and I enjoy and have enjoyed this interview with you.
(39:30):
I really appreciate your charity.
You're a lovely human.
Cameron, here on the Jumbotron, man, we just want to inspire other people and just have
a great time.
I wish we had more time to talk to you.
Can you bring me back during the season?
Of course.
Of course we're going to have you back.
Let's do it.
I can't wait to meet you one day, my friend.
(39:51):
And I want to applaud you.
I want to applaud you.
Thank you.
You've done for taking the chance, for standing up, and for showing up, and to following up
with different people.
Thank you.
That's very kind of you, man.
That means a lot.
We have to keep bringing the cheer.
Cheer.
Which stands for what?
Hold on, hold on.
Let me capture this again.
What does cheer stand for?
(40:13):
That means capturing hearts, the energy, and the emotions in real time.
Can't wait to meet you one day, my friend.
You're going to do it.
Cameron, again, thank you for joining us right here on the Jumbotron.
Make sure you go out and get his book.
It's on Amazon, or you can find it on Audible.
Also my book is on Amazon as well.
I'll put links in the description below.
(40:34):
And make sure you like, subscribe, and share this content with other creatives.
We're going to do our best to drop these episodes bi-weekly.
Our next conversation is with Brandon Meyer from Nebraska.
Your home show went up.
I mean, even Travis Hunter was talking about.
So I mean, you guys are doing fun.
That was really cool.
It's not like, man, Coach Prime is watching the drag.
That was one of my top 10 moments today.
(40:57):
I'm like, man, he's not coaching.
He's just looking around, enjoying it.
So that was cool.
That's what we do here on the Jumbotron.
We entertain, we inspire, and we inform.
My name is Christopher Lee.
Thank you for joining us right here on the Jumbotron.
We'll talk to you soon.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial
Introducing… Aubrey O’Day Diddy’s former protege, television personality, platinum selling music artist, Danity Kane alum Aubrey O’Day joins veteran journalists Amy Robach and TJ Holmes to provide a unique perspective on the trial that has captivated the attention of the nation. Join them throughout the trial as they discuss, debate, and dissect every detail, every aspect of the proceedings. Aubrey will offer her opinions and expertise, as only she is qualified to do given her first-hand knowledge. From her days on Making the Band, as she emerged as the breakout star, the truth of the situation would be the opposite of the glitz and glamour. Listen throughout every minute of the trial, for this exclusive coverage. Amy Robach and TJ Holmes present Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial, an iHeartRadio podcast.
Good Hang with Amy Poehler
Come hang with Amy Poehler. Each week on her podcast, she'll welcome celebrities and fun people to her studio. They'll share stories about their careers, mutual friends, shared enthusiasms, and most importantly, what's been making them laugh. This podcast is not about trying to make you better or giving advice. Amy just wants to have a good time.