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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING J. IVY
WHEREAS, J. Ivy is an award-winning poet, author, actor, and philanthropist who exemplifies the spirit of excellence, perseverance, and creativity in Cook County; and
WHEREAS, J. Ivy was born on the South Side of Chicago on March 3, 1976, to WVON radio personality James Ivy Richardson and Pamela Richardson, a registered nurse who served at Cook County Hospital; and, as a child the family, along with two brothers, Virgil, and Sergio, relocated to the south suburbs; and
WHEREAS, he lost a third brother, Demond, to gun violence in 1988, sparking his commitment to eradicating the apathy, despair and hopelessness that ensnared far too many of his peers; and
WHEREAS, in 1994 J. Ivy, graduated from Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, and attended Illinois State University where he majored in marketing and worked various jobs while daring to dream big; and
WHEREAS, J. Ivy's poetry and storytelling styles were influenced by Gil Scott-Heron, The Last Poets, Hip Hop musician Slick Rick, Illinois Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks, as well as civil rights champion Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who inspired him to demonstrated speaking truth to power; and, in 2001 he received his big break when he performed, "I Need to Write" on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, which earned him a Peabody Award; and
WHEREAS, J. Ivy's career attracted more recognition when he wrote and was featured on the single, "Never Let Me Down," on Kanye West's four times platinum, Grammy Award-winning album College Dropout, featuring Jay Z; and, he was credited with giving EGOT winner singer/songwriter John Stephens his moniker, "John Legend;" and
WHEREAS, J. Ivy married Chicago, native singer/songwriter Tarrey Torae in 2005, and together they wrote and produced the album "For Better or Worse," and, he also recorded solo albums, "Down at Loose Skillet" (2001), "Here I Am" (2010), "My Daddy's Records" (2017) and, " Digging in Papes: The Mixtape" (2014); and
WHEREA...
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