Hometown Hero!!

.....the young man I met when he was about five and came bouncing into the office at Cairo High School wearing a little blue and white sailor suit, and who is now a Broadway Star/Singer/Composer, co-wrote the Sesame Street "I Love My Hair" song!!!

Whenever I think I couldn't possibly get any prouder of Christopher Jackson, he goes and does something else fantastic!!! My sister Julie and I had the incredible privilege of seeing him on Broadway shortly after he landed the role of the adult Simba in "The Lion King." I've seen him twice as one of the leads in the Broadway musical "In the Heights." He's a proud papa of an adorable boy and girl, and he married one of his beautiful "Heights" co-stars.

AND his first album is about to drop. He's been trying to send me some zip files via email, but given the technological "challenges" of life abroad, I'll probably have to wait and have someone bring the CD over when they visit.

I'm so thrilled to be able to call this guy my friend! One thing I hve always noticed about spending time with Chris is that we absolutely, instantaneously revert to our roots after the initial hug. I can just be that gal from Cairo, and he can be that guy, and we "Keeps It Real." And I can guarantee that no matter HOW famous he's going to eventually become, Chris would move Heaven and Earth to get me tickets to see him at the Grammys. Or the Tonys. Or the Oscars. Or all three, if I asked. Which I may have to over the next few years, given how things are going with his career.

As we usually wind up admonishing each other when we part, "Do Yo' Thang, Homey!"