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| Johnie Darby Photo Courtesy: Johnie Darby facebook page |
My Harrell family are blessed with so many talents. Two family members that come to mind are the descendants of Shelton Harrell, Sr. and Jasper Harrell, Sr. Johnie Darby is the great-grandson of Jasper Harrell, Sr., and Josephine Richardson Harrell. Johnie plays the saxophone
Johnny is the CEO at New Orleans Home Grown Music Lesson in New Orleans, he studied music at NOCCA, New Orlean Center for Creative Arts. Johny is the son of Johnie Darby, Sr. and Marilyn Harrell Darby. The grandson of the late Frank Harrell, Sr. and Sadie Gooden Harrell of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Khris Royal the great-great-grandson of Shelton Harrell, Sr., and Ada Nolan Harrell, a saxophone player who also attended NOCCA. When Kris was only 16 years of age, he received a full scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and his career had taken off since then. Khris has played with hip-hop giants and jazz and funk legends alike, from Lettuce to Bobby Brown, Alvin Batiste, Ellis Marsalis, Christian Scott, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis. He had recorded with Mary J, Blige, Ashanti, Nelly and the Game, Erykah Badu, Goapele, D.J. Quick. He is the son of Kenneth and Karran Harper Royal of New Orleans, Louisiana.
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| Khris Royal Photo Courtesy: Khris Royal facebook page |
My brother Micheal's son Mykel Cook works at Music Producer/Recording Engineers. He had been making beats since he was in high school. He had made beats for many recording artists.
I recently found out that another one of Shelton and Ada Nolan Harrell, Sr., great-great daughter Khoryawne Heads who lived in Los Angles, Californa, is s performing artist also. She made it to the Taste of Soul, semi-finals. She was invited to share her talent in front an expected crowd of 350,000 people during the Taste of Soul Festival.
Like cooking, art, and any other passion a person has, music and performing are a talent these young people follow. There may be others the family that I'm not aware of. I learned of Khris through his mother Karran Harper Royal a renowned genealogist and family historian whom I share a passion with. Karran also shares the passion for cooking just like her late father Wesley Harper. Cooking and baking is something that many of our family members enjoy doing as well. Our family has many talented people that our family is proud of. I know that our ancestors would be proud of their offsprings today. I don't think that everyone that I'm blogging about today, may not know each other at all. I hope that they become friends on the social media sites.
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| Khoryawne Heads Photo Courtesy: Khoryawne's facebook page |
I know that several of our Harrell family members played in marching bands. My son Bernard played the cymbal and drum for Kentwood High School. My oldest son Joseph played the trumpet at John F. Kennedy High School. My youngest brother Micheal played the trumpet at Clark Senior High School. Edgar Harrell's grandson Micheal played an instrument. He attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, I'm not sure if he was one of the marching100. It's music to my heart to see that Khris and Johnie followed that passion and love for music.
When you mix good music, performance, and good food together you can make all kinds of beautiful melodies of sound and taste. I'm still learning so much about the people in my Harrell family and their passions. I often talk with the griots of the family but to talk about the musicians and performers have added a new twist and flavor to our family. I haven't run across anyone in my grandfather's generation that played music or was a performer.
Here is where we start documenting the musicians and performers in our family. If you are descendants of the Harrell family and you're reading this blog post and know of any musicians and performers in the family please email me their names and I'll be happy to post their story on this blog site. No matter what your passion is, just follow it. No matter how many times you try and may fall, just keep getting up and moving on. Felling is a part of learning and growing, I'm more than sure that each one of the artists would tell you how many times they had self-doubts, but they didn't quit.
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| Mykel Cook Photo Courtesy: Mykel's facebook page |
