Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Murray.
Hi Jackie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was a little girl growing up in Maryland, all I could think about was acting and singing. In fact, I sang so much that my mother would put me out of the house. I would often go sing in the woods where I would sing to the birds, deer, and butterflies. I often compare my life to Lauren Hill’s character in “Sister Act 2.” If you can recall, her mother in the movie would say things like, “singing will not put food on the table.” My mother would say the same. My teachers were a lot like Whoopie Goldberg’s character; they were always putting me on stage to sing. In high school, I got the lead in the school musical, “Camelot,” where I played Guenevere. My mother attended the performance. In “Sister Act 2,” the mother went backstage after seeing her daughter perform, and she told her that she was wonderful. Unfortunately, my mother came backstage to tell me that she was leaving. Subsequently, she missed the best part of the show. After intermission, there is a song entitled, “The Lusty Month of May.” After we sang the song, the audience gave us a five-minute standing ovation. The principal had to get on stage to ask the audience to stop clapping so that we could continue the show. It was this moment that gave me the theater bug. I wanted more of those five-minute standing ovations. So, just like Lauren Hill would sneak out to sing with the choir, I started to sneak out to auditions. I attended two auditions. The first one was for Disneyworld. While I did get a callback, I didn’t have any dance training so I wasn’t selected. However, my second audition was for Six Flags. I got the job. I was getting paid $75/hr to sing! Things were going well until I received a call from them that stated the venue was shutting down, but they wanted me to remain with the show. While I agreed to go, my mother said no. I was devastated.
Fast forward a few years later, and I was married with children. Even though my husband and I worked, we were struggling financially, so I mentioned to him that I could get a job singing, and I knew that I could get paid very well to do so. He said no. When I asked him why he stated that he thought I was so good at it that I would make it and would be traveling the world and I would forget about him. He also stated that, since I had kids, I wouldn’t be able to go. Again, I was devastated, and I went into clinical depression because my dreams of singing would never come true.
Several years later, I was living in Memphis. My kids were grown up and my husband and I were divorced. I was in a rut of going to work and coming home every day, and I decided that I needed a hobby to fill my void. I started thinking about some of the activities that I used to participate in. I thought about many options and remembered theatre. I said to myself, “maybe I can go and audition for a play.” I literally looked over my shoulder as I was looking for someone to tell me, “No,” and I realized that there was no one there. So, I picked up my laptop and googled “Memphis theatre auditions.” A whole list of auditions popped up. I created a resume that consisted of two high school plays and the Six Flags gig. I got some headshots taken and went to an audition. I got into the ensemble of a show! After that show, the theatre called me and asked if I wanted to do another show. I immediately said yes. This time, it was a cameo, so I had a bright red dress, a spotlight, and a few solos. Afterward, I decided to try out for other theaters throughout the city and I kept getting into the shows. I then started acting in commercials and films, stage managing and directing. I soon became a local celebrity. I was blessed to record my first album, “Soul Dance,” at the age of 50, signing the deal on my birthday.
I have written a stage play entitled, “Harriet Tubman: One Woman’s Journey,” and it has been given a lot of attention, including allowing me to become a teaching artist with the TN Arts Commission, taking on the Professional Artist Representative position with the TN Theatre Association, founding board member of the Mid-South Black Film Festival, and serving on the board of Mid-South Kwanzaa. I also use my acting and singing talents to enhance the presentation of an African American History Tour of the City of Memphis. In short, I feel like a fish that has been put back in the water, and I have developed a motto, “not pursuing your dreams is like being a bird that is afraid of heights.”
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. Unfortunately, because my talent is natural, it has caused animosity with some of the other actors in the city who have been professionally trained. Directors have told me it wouldn’t be fair to cast me as a leader in their shows, even though I had the talent. I used this viewpoint as fuel to create my own opportunities. This point is where “Harriet Tubman: One Woman’s Journey” was born. I was determined that I wasn’t going to allow anyone to stop me from pursuing my dreams…including myself. I had been told “no” by my mother and then by my ex-husband. I only have one life to live and I don’t want to get to my 80s and 90s and look back over my life to lament over the coulda-shoulda-woulda. I then decided that I would write, direct, and star in my own production. This decision turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. I haven’t gotten rich or well-to-do from making the decision to concentrate on acting/singing full-time. but I am happy.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a teaching artist. I go to schools/universities and teach about the life of an American Icon. I am proud of this because I’m not only teaching about Harriet Tubman’s life, but I am also changing lives. This country is so separated by racism, and I have seen how this show has changed the mindset of the younger generation. I am most proud of this part of the work I do.
I once visited a school in rural Arkansas that was located just below the Missouri state line. I will often research the schools I visit. The research I did on this school revealed that the racial makeup of the school was 99% white, and 1% other. They also had a reading comprehension score of 24%, and a median income of 20K. The tension was apparent as I performed the show. I quickly exited the stage, and I couldn’t hear any sound from the audience as I finished the program. The principal was at a loss as to what to do because I still had 1/2 hour of time left for the booking. My microphone was still “hot” and the kids could hear me discussing the situation with my sound guy. I was adamant that I was done with the show, and I asked him if he wanted me to sing another song because I had omitted some of the songs from the presentation. The principal heard this and he asked the kids if they wanted me to sing another song. They erupted into applause. I then sang a song with the principal and the sound guy. Afterward, he asked if we could complete the question-and-answer session that is usually at the end of the show. I said yes. It was at this point that a young lady walked onto the stage wearing a hoodie. She removed the hood and I could see that she was the “1%.” She had tears flowing from her eyes as she approached me. She thanked me and gave me a hug. Slowly, the other high schoolers joined her on stage and they proceeded to ask me about racism. They asked if I, personally, had experienced racism. When I stated that I had, their eyes welled up with tears and they started to vocalize how much they thought it was “stupid.” After the kids left the auditorium, the principal informed me that I had made history by being the 1st African American to enter their school. He also stated that the town, as of five years prior, had been a “sundown town,” meaning that black people were not allowed to be within the town limits after dark. He believed that the show had made a tremendous impact on the children’s lives. My mission is to spread love, peace, and understanding through the arts. If my gifts can be used to change lives and make a positive impact in such a negative world, I will continue to use my gifts to do so.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is when I would write plays at home, then knock on all of the neighboring kid’s doors to invite them to the shows. I would charge 10 cents for admission, and provide concessions of popcorn and Kool-Aid.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jackiemurray.net
Image Credits
Jackie Murray
Christopher Bruce
