From humble beginnings in the segregated South, Jamie Foxx has risen to the top of comedy, acting and music worlds. He tells Sway how it happened and why he loves Toronto

BY: True Daley

Situation and circumstance are no match for destiny. Eric Marlon Bishop gained this invaluable insight from his grandmother while growing up in Terrell, Texas, a small segregated town in the southern United States with a population of approximately 12,000.

Estelle Talley could never have predicted that her grandson, Eric, abandoned by her adopted daughter when he was seven months old, would grow up to be famed comedian and platinum-selling musician Jamie Foxx. The difficult environment in which he would grow up just gave no hint of his future success.

“Where I lived, the railroad tracks separated the black side from the white side,” says Foxx. “But my grandmother taught me that I was gonna have to go on the other side of the tracks if I wanted to pursue a life, a career and be able to travel. So she made sure that I learned how to play classical piano.”

During Foxx’s formative years, racial tensions in Terrell followed a disturbing pattern that pervaded cities and communities throughout North America and impacted the careers of black entertainers attempting to connect with mainstream audiences.

“I got gigs by playing on the white side of town at wine and cheese parties. I’ll never forget walking into this one house to play for a Christmas party, and an older white man says to me and my friend, ‘What are the two of you doing here?’ And I say, ‘Well, I’m here to play for the Christmas party.’ And he says, ‘Well, I can’t have two niggers in my house at the same time.’ So my friend stays outside, and I go in and I play for the party and he gives me a hundred bucks.”

From an early age, Jamie learned how to use his talents to cross racial barriers. By the time he was a teen, he was awarded a classical music and composition scholarship at United States International University, San Diego. He also pursued his comedic aspirations in Los Angeles, an hour’s drive from the campus. Despite his success as a comedian and actor, Foxx recalls his struggles to advance his music career.

“We would have guest stars come on In Living Color and, at one point Teddy Riley and Guy come on [set] and I’m dressed as Wanda at the time. Teddy Riley doesn’t really know about Wanda because I just started doin’ the character.

“So he’s about to leave, but I wanna give Teddy my music right? So he turns around and sees this transvestite bearing down on him, and I say, ‘Teddy, I got this music. I’m really a great singer.’ He says, ‘I’m very uncomfortable with this right now.’ At that time, I knew that was going to be a part of my journey. How do I do the comedy… the acting… and eventually get to do what I was born to do, which is music?”

A chance meeting with a young Kanye West proved to be the perfect opportunity to propel his singing career. The two talented artists struck an instant friendship, and their collaborative efforts resulted in the No. 1 Billboard singles “Slow Jamz” and “Gold Digger.” This summer, Foxx went out on his own with the blazing summer anthem “Blame It On The Alcohol,” and the release of his third full-length album, Intuition.

Foxx’s acceptance as a legitimate R&B superstar has been solidified and confirmed by sold-out shows during his most recent tour, which included a stop in Toronto. The set included dancers, a live band and a rousing electric guitar solo performed by the star himself.

Foxx is glad to receive the admiration of his Toronto fans, and expresses his love for the city — which he says was integral to his critical and commercial success. Foxx’s debut film Booty Call was shot in Toronto and his Oscar-winning performance in Ray premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2004. He may live in Los Angeles, but Foxx calls Toronto his second home.

“I stayed here for months at a time shooting films,” says Foxx. “There was a cult classic that was shot here called Booty Call, and to this day, I don’t understand how it got overlooked for the Oscars. It was my first introduction to Toronto, and Canada and its culture, and how nice you all are here.”

Aside from serving as the backdrop for his movies, Toronto has also served as the background for Foxx’s legendary partying and antics, splashed across tabloid pages the world over.

“I remember going out to [the Toronto nightclub] Atlantis, and what was amazing was seeing all the cultures dancing in sync. Black people, white people, on beat — at the same time. It was a great, crazy, fun place to be. Since then I’ve been coming back,” says Foxx.

And for Jamie Foxx fans around the world, following the exciting life of one of this generation’s most versatile performers is proving to be anything but predictable.