JESSIE LAWRENCE

Age: 31
Hometown: Newark, New Jersey
Residence: Newark, New Jersey

Jessie had a difficult childhood. At 10 years old he and his siblings were separated and handed over to the state. Jessie wanted to sing but felt no one cared about him and his aspirations. He was eventually accepted to a performing arts high school and met kids with similar interests, but remained in a group home until he was 18. After high school, he got a show at the Apollo Theater and received some management interest, but later became homeless and had to focus on survival. Jessie has been stable for the last two years with a job as a commercial painter and now has the means to get back to his music.