Arts & Entertainment
Coco Jones: The ‘Let It Shine’ Interview
C ELEBRITY
I NTERVIEW
by Kam
Williams
A
fresh-faced, bright-eyed, Southern
beauty, 14-year-old, Hollywood
Records recording artist Coco Jones
will grace television sets across the world
on June 15th when she stars in the Disney
Channel original movie “Let It Shine”
opposite Tyler James Williams and Trevor
Jackson. Coco plays the role of “Roxie,” a
teenage singing sensation whose music
label is sponsoring a songwriting contest at
a teen club.
“Cyrus DeBarge” (Williams) writes a
contest-winning song about his love for
Roxie but, when he’s too shy to claim it as
his own, his best friend, “Kris McDuffy”
(Jackson) takes the credit. Based on the play
Cyrano de Bergerac, “Let It Shine” relates a
tale of young love with an underlying mes-
sage about summoning self-confidence.
Coco can also be seen regularly guest-
starring on Disney Channel’s “So Random”
and on “Good Luck Charlie.” Recently, she
has been in the recording studio with Toby
Gad, David Banner, and Rock Mafia. One
of the hottest tracks to drop is a duet called
“Whodunit?” with “Zeke and Luther” star
Adam Hick which peaked on the Radio Dis-
try, featuring Gospel and Hip-Hop music.
KW: The movie is also a musical. How
much did you get to sing?
CJ: I got to sing a lot. I am singing in five
songs from the soundtrack.
KW: What message do you think people
will take away from the movie?
CJ: The main message of this movie that
everyone will take away is to believe in
yourself. Cyrus learns to have confidence in
his writing, Chris has confidence in his per-
formance, and my character, Roxie, learns
to be confident in her singing. Another great
message that girls will take away from
Roxie is to love yourself. All girls my age
know about wanting to fit in. I think that
they will watch Roxie trying to do the same
thing with her clothes, make-up, and her
entire performance. Over the course of the
movie, she learns to be herself, to develop
her own style, and to not change herself to
please others.
KW: You sing, rap, dance and act. Which
is your favorite?
CJ: I honestly love it all, which is why I
enjoyed playing Roxie. Through the charac-
ter, I was able to showcase all of my talents.
KW: You became a national sensation
when you were a finalist on Radio Disney’s
Next Big Thing competition. Do you have a
concert tour on the horizon?
CJ: Yes, and I am so excited! I will be all
over the United States through 2012. I love
to see people enjoy my music and my
shows.
KW: You were just signed to a recording
contract with Hollywood Records. What
was that like, to sign the papers and what
kind of music can your
fans look for in the near
future?
CJ: Signing with Hol-
lywood Records was a
dream come true. I am so
blessed to get to do the
things that I love to do
every day of my life. My
fans can expect to be
blown away with the
music I’m writing. The day after I signed
my contract, I went right into the studio. My
new album will have Pop, Rap, R&B and
some huge ballads.
KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles says: You’re
only 14. How do you balance the demands
of school and career?
CJ: Well, sometimes it is hard because my
schedule is crazy. I am homeschooled, so
my school travels with me. My parents have
one rule for me: I can’t do any of this if I
have any C’s on my report card.
KW: Is your online course work mostly an
extension of your performance interests?
CJ: Unfortunately, not. It is the exact
same work any eighth grader would do.
KW: What do you plan to study in col-
lege?
CJ: I’d love to major in Music. I love what
I do, but I want to really understand it, more
in depth.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you
ever afraid?
CJ: No, not really... I guess I’m used to all
of it by now. I just tend to feel really excit-
ed!
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are
you happy?
CJ: I am sooooo happy! I have a great
family that loves me, a record deal at 14,
and I get to do what I love every day.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When
was the last time you had a good laugh?
CJ: Everyday, especially anytime I am
with my daddy. He’s so funny! My whole
family jokes around a lot.
KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?
CJ: Purses. When I want to treat myself, I
will almost always get myself a new hand-
bag.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson ques-
tion: What was the last book you read?
Coco Jones
CJ: I have read some great books recent-
ly: “Heaven is For Real,” “Bud Not Buddy,”
and my favorite, “Tiger Eyes.”
And my next book will be “The Hunger
Games.”
KW: The music maven Heather Coving-
ton question: What was the last song you
listened to?
CJ: I listen to Glee songs a lot. I like their
rendition of “Bust the Window Out Your
Car.”
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
CJ: I like to cook Shrimp Alfredo. It’s
also my favorite dish to eat!
KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What
excites you?
CJ: Performing of any kind: singing, act-
ing, dancing. I also get really excited during
interviews.
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is
your favorite clothes designer?
CJ: I am so laid back that, honestly, I’m in
jeans and sweats a lot of the time. I like
Aeropostale and Hudson Jeans.
KW: Dante Lee, author of “Black Busi-
ness Secrets,” asks: What was the best busi-
ness decision you ever made, and what was
the worst?
CJ: I would have to say the best was when
my mom formed a company for me. I write
out all of the checks for my performance
business. I get to see the money I make and
how much it takes to do what I do. My
worst decision was not learning Spanish
yet. I think it would really help my business
if I could do some of my singles in Spanish
or a Spanish/English mix.
KW: If you could have one wish instant-
ly granted, what would that be for?
CJ: My personal wish would be to have
my own TV show but, if I could have any-
thing, my wish for the world is that no one
on the Earth would ever go hungry.
KW: The Kerry Washington question: If
you were an animal, what animal would you
be?
CJ: I would be a butterfly. A beautiful,
purple butterfly.
KW: The Pastor Alex Kendrick question:
When do you feel the most content?
CJ: When I’m with my entire family.
I am sooooo happy! I have a
great family that loves me, a
record deal at 14, and I get to
do what I love every day.
ney charts at #20.
Born in Columbia, S.C. on Jan. 4, 1998, to
former NFL star Mike Jones and talented
session vocalist Javonda Jones, Coco was
raised in Lebanon, Tenn., where she began
singing as soon as she learned to speak. The
young actress/singer/rapper’s first stage
performance was at the age of 6 when she
belted out “America the Beautiful” to a
wowed crowd of parents at her kindergarten
graduation.
In 2010, she released her debut CD,
“Coco Jones,” featuring songs reflecting her
platform of positive values and strong self-
esteem. Last year, Coco was one of five
finalists in Disney’s “Next Big Thing” com-
petition, an achievement which further
helped to launch her musical career. And
this summer, she will be touring with the
“Next Big Thing” talent contest.
Kam Williams: Hi, Coco, thanks for the
interview.
Coco Jones: Thank you, Kam, for having
me.
KW: What interested you in the role of
Roxie in Let It Shine?
CJ: When I first read the script, I fell in
love with it. Singing, dancing, and acting!
The part was right up my alley. Plus, the
thought of playing a rock star was like a
dream for me.
KW: The movie is based on the Cyrano de
Bergerac. Did you read the original play in
preparation for the part?
CJ: I read a lot of summaries about the
story. I also watched Roxanne, the movie
starring Steve Martin.
KW: The lead characters’ names have
been changed slightly from Cyrano and
Roxanne to Cyrus and Roxie. Has the story
been changed, too?
CJ: Oh, yes, they definitely updated the
story, setting it around today’s music indus-
June 6, 2012 The Seattle Skanner Page 5