A 1980’s kid, J. Daughtry grew up with the music of Michael Jackson.
“It was the soundtrack to my life. When I was little and sang at church, they would say we are bringing little Michael Jackson up,” says Daughtry who plays Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records, and stage manager Nick in the touring production of MJ The Musical, which runs from January 28 to February 2 at Altria Theater.
The multiple Tony Award®-winning musical, MJ, spotlights Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry. The show, centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour, goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of Michael Jackson by offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted him into legendary status.
Daughtry feels very connected to the characters in the show, especially Berry Gordy who signed Jackson to a record deal and mentored him like a father. “This is the third time that I have played Berry Gordy in a musical. He feels so familiar to me, like my uncle or grandfather. I know that type of man.”
The musical itself is a “beautifully crafted show,” he adds. “Most of the actors play multiple characters.”
Even though it’s set during rehearsals for the Dangerous Tour, the musical explores Jackson’s life though flashbacks that are interwoven throughout the three stages of his life — kid, teen, adult.
The show deals with sensitive topics that often played out on a national stage. “If there is an elephant in the room, we talk about it,” Daughtry says. “The show is about him as a human and how he operated as an artist. We see his signature moves and how he came up with them and his iconic music.”
Telling stories like this on stage is important to Daughtry. “It feels like you are continuing a legacy and moving it forward,” he says. “Anytime I audition for a show like this, I take it very seriously. I want to be part of the legacy.”
When it comes to his own legacy, Daughtry, who grew up in Florida, explains that musical theatre came as a “means to an end. I was a banker for a long time, and I needed to find something else to do. I ended up going into musical theatre,” he says, noting he has been singing his entire life.
He began auditioning for shows after being encouraged to do so by the principal at the school where he was filling in as a music teacher. “She gave me three days a week off to audition. I did that for two-and-a-half months before I booked my first gig,” he says.
Daughtry’s career has included working on cruise ships and appearing on Broadway in The Color Purple, Beautiful, and Ain’t Too Proud. The two-time Grammy nominee has also performed in several national tours, including Motown the Musical, Miss Saigon, and The Color Purple. And now, MJ.
“It’s been an incredible journey,” he says.
He credits a big part of his success to being consistent and persistent. “You show up and be prepared,” he says of auditioning. “If you do that, I believe you will find your way in this industry.”
As an actor, he is very familiar with the word “no,” but he hasn’t let that stop him. “You have to get used to hearing it,” he says. “You have to keep going.”
When he was in college at Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla., Daughtry worked at the Gap and still remembers what his manager said about asking customers to apply for a credit card.
“The manager said every no is one no closer to a yes, and I carry that with me through my career,” he says.
When MJ The Musical opens next Tuesday, it won’t be the first time Daughtry has appeared on the Richmond stage in a touring Broadway show – he appeared in Motown: The Musical, Beautiful, The Color Purple, and Miss Saigon.
“Richmond was the first trip I took outside Florida without my parents. I always remember this city,” he says.
