By Tony Smith Jorel "JFly" Flynn was born and raised in Waycross, GA. Like many musicians, Jorel started out playing in church. He tinkered with a number of instruments including the bass and trombone but when he found the drums…or as he told me , the drums found him, he realized people paid attention. J attended Dekalb College and while there he received a call to tour with R&B R&B singers Kelly Price, Dave Hollister and Glenn Jones. That was truly the beginning of the beginning and it catapulted his career, enabling him to play with many accomplished artists such as Cameo, Toni Braxton, Keith Sweat, K-Ci and JoJo, Phil Perry, and Jennifer Holliday just to name a few. JFly has toured with "Heads of State" (featuring - Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, and Ralph Tresvant), Peabo Bryson, New Edition and Cameo. He has also played at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards held in Atlanta, and was the Music Director for the 2011 Heisman Trophy Awards. It was while on that initial tour with Kelly, Hollister and Jones, did Jorel have a life changing moment. He recalls with a huge smile, how God asked him a simple question. How Big Is Your Dream? In 2011, he founded the nonprofit How Big Is Your Dream to encourage and mentor kids interested in pursuing careers in entertainment. Thus, the stage was set for the pursuit of his purpose along with the ascension of his incredible career. As the President of the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter (Grammys), Jorel “JFly” Flynn has a profound impact within the music and entertainment industries throughout GA. He is a visionary that positively influence communities though his innovative music programming activities. JFly is the founding CEO of the How Big Is Your Dream Foundation (HBIYD). HBIYD hosts the How Big Is Your Dream Academy of the Arts, a summer program in which industry professionals teach student music theory, technology, production, and other skills/disciplines. The children oftentimes return and mentor other children so this movement is expansive. As a strategist that sit on HBIYD non-profit board, I’ve had the pleasure of working with him on strategic initiatives that positively impacts underserved communities. He is an exceptional musician that is passionate about helping others. Partnering with him and the HBIYD family is an honor. Personally I know him to be a very kind, giving, and compassionate person.
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