Jahmori "Jay-mo Dejon" Simmons
P l at i n u m r e c o r d i n g p r o d u c e r a n d s o n gw r i t e r
Tell us what led you to pursue a music career? Being the son of two music educators and a musical family overall, I’ve always had an interest in music. I think the moment that I found my passion for music is when I was introduced to music production by my father, John Simmons III, when I was 6. Being a producer himself at the time, he would let me play around on his equipment. I guess after seeing me bang on the keyboard for hours at a time he noticed my interest and found a way of getting his hands on a DAW that I could install on my own computer. That demo version of FL Studio 7 was the start of my musical journey.
music colleagues is something I don’t take for granted at all. Together we’ve been a part of hundreds of releases, sold over 1 million copies, and have done over 200 millions streams and counting in the past 5 years. Couldn’t be more grateful for the things we’ve accomplished together.
What interested you in wanting to play the harp? I was first introduced to the harp in 4th grade after my mother, Marcy Simmons, enrolled me in a program called the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble. As a child, seeing other black kids my age playing an instrument as rare as the harp was fascinating and it inspired me to keep it going. That early investment by my mother is what later got me into college and led to so many other opportunities for me over the years.
What have you learned about Athens music scene after having so many personal and professional connections to it? The thing that I love the most about Athens is the sense of community there. I think a lot of people that travel to Athens go to experience the big college atmosphere but tend to forget that Athens is really a small town. Growing up I always said, “It feels like everybody in Athens knows each other”. That feeling is what makes Athens unique to any other place that I’ve been to and it translates to the music scene. Every time I go to a local concert or event I see the same faces in the crowd, showing love to their community every time. That’s why Athens has a special place in my heart and always will.
How did you end up in Athens? My mom was born and raised in Athens and my entire family on my mother’s side resides there. So, Athens is most definitely a second home to me. I’ve spent a good deal of my life with my grandparents, Rosa & James Thurmond, and I still do till this day. Coming out of high school there were two things that I wanted if I went to college. 1.) To stay in the state of Georgia and 2.) For music and the business of music to be the center of my focus. Eventually, all roads led me to UGA. Also, being in the same city as my family played a huge role in my decision.
Any sneak peaks on upcoming projects or features? There’s a lot of BIG things in the pipeline. I can’t wait to officially share them with the world in 2022! There are definitely some deep cuts coming with that are going to blow you away.
What do you think can be done to help local artists? As a child, my grandfather always told me stories about a man named Neal Pattman, who toured Europe with only one arm and a harmonica playing blues music. Pattman worked as an employee in the kitchens at The University of Georgia before his death. There have been some incredible rock acts that have come out of Athens; R.E.M., The B52’s, Widespread Panic, Of Montreal, the list goes on. Some of them have even been guest lecturers in a few classes. After hearing this over and over again, It became obvious that If you had the qualities that these rock bands had, you would in fact have a chance to make it out of Athens. However, as a student and a black man myself, I couldn’t help but notice the absence of history for the Athens natives that look like me. If it weren't for my grandfather, I would never know legends like Pattman even existed and just like him there are others. There’s always seemed to be an unspoken divide between rock music and all other cultures of music.
How did it help you develop your own lane in the music industry? Well, my music career started progressing not too long after I enrolled in college, and I must say, balancing being a student and trying to set foot in a SUPER competitive industry as a professional was probably one of the most challenging tasks I’ve encountered. My first UK “hit” came my sophomore year of college. As you could imagine, the succeeding work that came from that record was a lot. I lost count of how many nights I didn’t sleep for days at a time working on different projects all while still trying to complete my assignments by that 11:59PM deadline. However, the opportunity in the struggle was that I was able to use a lot of the information I learned in my music business courses What got you involved at the Athens boys and girls club? to help me make better business decisions in my endeavors My grandmother brought me and my sister to the and vice versa. Boys & Girls Club when I was 13 years old. They had just built the recording studio in the teen center of the facility. I You’ve worked with a lot of artists across the world. remember that being the highlight of my time there and my What's been some of your favorite work? experience in that studio has been one of the things that has One of the things that I am most proud of are the carried me into where I am now. As a college student, I was people that I have been blessed to work beside and the led to come back to the club as a volunteer for a time period relationships that I’ve been able to build both in and outside and an employee. Being able to work with the kids for that of the States. The solid bond that I have with my team and time period was one of the best experiences I’ve had. HIGHLIGHT
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