Biography
Jermaine Sellers is a multitalented young man whose ministry is reaching new heights. Sellers has often stood out from the crowd, but in doing so has demonstrated that being yourself and being real will ultimately bring success. Born and raised in Joliet, IL, Sellers’ childhood was focused on the art of vocal performance. Early on, Sellers’ parents, particularly his father, were very serious about his success as a vocalist. The elder Sellers constantly pushed the young prodigy to study vocalists such as Aretha Franklin, Jessie Campbell and Whitney Houston. His secular study was augmented by plenty of experience at church while serving as assistant choir director and participated in the church’s praise and worship team.
As time progressed, Sellers’ childhood sacrifices began to pay off in his career but continued to wreak havoc on his social life. He joined Walt Whitman & The Soul Children of Chicago at age seven, and by the time he got to high school it seemed to the youngster that he was caught between two worlds. “I would leave school for the day and when I got to rehearsal, I felt like that was where I belonged,” says Sellers. The talent that gave him a sense of belonging with the Soul Children caused him to stick out like a sore thumb in public high school where he was taunted, teased and even physically attacked because of his vocal skills. But Sellers continued to sing.
Sellers’ early professional career was focused on R&B. At age 14, he was signed by Barnyard Production. Surrounded by money chasers, the only thing this deal produced was a discouraged young Sellers. At age 17, he decided to get back on the horse, doing a three-month touring stint in London, which led to a seven-year deal with Edel Records. Again plagued by shady business partners, Sellers found himself stuck in this seven-year deal with nothing to show but a shelved project. But he persevered.
Down, but not out, Sellers came back to the states. Through what some might see as providential events, the high-pitched crooner found himself working on three projects with John P. Kee and VIP. Sellers recalls one pivotal conversation with Kee. “He asked me, ‘Do you know why you haven’t put out an R&B album yet?’ and I said no,” Kee’s reply was “Regardless of how much R&B you sing, you have an anointing on your voice and you’re not supposed to be singing that kind of music.” Although this proved to be a life-changing statement, Sellers’ dealings with Kee did not end any better than his secular dealings thus far. But Sellers kept on trying.
By age 19, Sellers went on to branch out in a variety of ways, from performing on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and appearing at various open mics along the East Coast, to befriending and touring with R&B sensation Monica for one and a half years. All of this was intermingled with periods where Sellers was too discouraged to sing. But he started again…and again.
Then came the fateful day that his cousin pushed him to try out for BET’s Sunday Best. Given his position in the audition line, Sellers barely made it into the auditions, yet he blew the judges away. Of course, this experience was not without its challenges. During this time, Sellers felt a strong desire to rededicate his life to God and sought guidance from the leadership of his home church in Joliet where he has been a member for his entire life. There had been a regime change and he was not greeted with the level of acceptance and unconditional love he expected. He eventually went on to finish 3rd out of the 20,000 contestants nationwide, but cited the situation at his church as a major factor in his overall performance. Despite the enduring tribulations, this experience confirmed him as one of gospel’s hot new talents and continues to open doors for the young star.
Sellers’ motto is very simple: “No trial, no triumph,” and he had definitely had his share of trials. The triumph continues as Sellers recently finished a tour with Tyler Perry’s play “The Marriage Counselor.” He has also recently appeared on BET’s Bobby Jones Gospel and is working on a new show with BET called 106 & Park Generation Gospel. Finally, Sellers is looking forward to recording a contemporary gospel album some time in 2009. “I’m just like you,” says the now 25 year-old Sellers. “I’ve had relationships, thoughts of suicide and I’ve even had to deal with friends being murdered.” He wants share his life stories in the hopes that listeners will relate to his daily struggles and find their deliverance. Jermaine Sellers is a man who has always been true to himself, come what may. In the course of his life, he has also learned what it means to be true to his God. He wants everyone to know that once you let God put things into place for you, things will work out better than you could ever imagine.
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