James Earl Jones: A Voice In The Crowd
...of James Earl Jones. From
Star Wars fans listening to the voice of Darth Vader to news junkies who hear a
voice that dramatically intones AThis is CNN@ just before all the cable network=
s station breaks to children who hear the stately voice of the majestic Mufasa,
the king of the jungle in Walt Disney Pictures= animated The Lion King - people
know this deep harmonious voice belongs to this consummate actor of stage and
screen.
James Earl Jones was born January 17th, 1931, in Arkabutala Township,
Mississippi. His natural parents, Ruth and Robert Earl, moved away to the
Mississippi Delta when he was an infant. Raised for the rest of his young life
by his maternal grandparents, James Earl developed a close relationship with the
Connollys. AMaggie and John Henry were always there, day by day, and they became
for me, once and for all, my mama and my papa@ (18) .
Less than three years later, the Connollys moved to Dublin Michigan
where James Earl and his >brother= Randy grew up in a remodelled chicken barn.
His early school life had a great impact on his style of speech and diction. AOn
my first day at school, I could not believe my ears,@ recalls Jones, AThey
called me James Earrrrl instead of James Uhl, as it had sounded in the
South@(40).
After the initial shock of hearing Northern dialect, Jones Aquickly
absorbed this different rhythm and style@ and embarked on the first half of a
long vocal journey leading to his distinctive speaking style. Until he was 14
years old, James Earl Jones rarely spoke mostly due to shyness, preferring
silence to the sound of his own voice.
Around the age of 10, James Earl Jones witnessed his brother, Randy,
having an epileptic seizure. His grandmother applied the only remedy she knew -
a thimbleful of bluing dye - and told James Earl to run for help. After
travelling a mile through a Michigan blizzard and recalling the...
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