The skanner., June 06, 2012, Page 6, Image 6

Arts & Entertainment
Coco Jones: ‘Let It Shine’
A
fresh-faced, bright-eyed, South-
ern
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.
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 Disney 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.
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” competition, 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: The movie is based on 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.
by Kam
KW: The lead characters’ names have
Williams
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 industry, 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 perform-
ance, and my character, Roxie, learns
to be confident in her singing. Anoth-
er 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 per-
formance. 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: 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 home-
schooled, so my school
travels with me. My par-
ents have one rule for me: I
can’t do any of this if I
C ELEBRITY
I NTERVIEW
‘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’
Page 6 The Portland Skanner June 6, 2012
Coco Jones
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 college?
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 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 bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was
the last book you read?
CJ: I have read some great books recently: “Heaven is
For Real,” “Bud Not Buddy,” and my favorite, “Tiger
Eyes.”
And my next book will be “The Hunger Games.”