Jimmy Bee

 

It was the vision of a bold, six-year old street corner singer to someday take the professional road less traveled to become a music industry entrepreneur; and it was that young but focused child's father who served as the inspiration for that vision. While his father passed away before seeing his own dreams come to fruition, in retrospect, it may have been the divine purpose of his father's efforts to ignite a fire of strength, purpose and unique "entrepreneurialism" in his son... born Jimmy Brunson... and now known to all as the legendary JIMMY BEE.

By his prominence in the music industry today, one might be mislead into believing that the road that brought him here was easily spoken into existence. When, in fact, the very "road" many artists and music executives can now walk freely was but dust and stones when Jimmy Bee began his career some 30 years ago. Bee had to not only "speak" his young vision into a reality but also work, demand, challenge and create within this industry (and in the community at large) in order to affect the type of change he wanted to see and bring to life all aspects of his vision.

Bee set out for these great tasks, not in search of anyone's approval. He affirmed his own self-worth, declared the validity of his own career and charged forward. He found himself somewhat driven by the frustrating hypocrisy that the industry seemed to perpetuate. While the music industry was viable for Black talent (both musically and corporately) it, he felt, was just as responsible for the damage it was doing in the Black community. Black people had been and were being exploited. It was for this reason that his singing career (which included singing in various European cities), his independent marketing firm (of the early seventies) and his oldest and most active business venture, O'Farrell Entertainment, were dedicated to effecting change.

Albeit entrenched, Jimmy Bee was unable to "pledge allegiance" wholeheartedly to an industry doing too little to help and too much to hurt. So, this United States war veteran created "Jimmy Bee's Law" - that is (as he once put it) "I don't care how much money a record company offers me (to represent them), if they will not support the Black community, I will not represent them.

“If I can be responsible for record companies (getting their) records played and making millions and millions of dollars from the Black community;(then) I'm going to get some support for my people." It was his law then and one he passed on to his protégé’s.

While there are many other ways in which Bee committed himself to the "Black cause" during his career, there are two issues for which he has deemed true priorities. That is, human rights for children and greater opportunities for the Black woman. Bee is probably responsible for more Black female executives being in this business today than most anyone. He reflects, "I'm proud of what I've contributed."

Bee has, over the years, challenged artists and executives alike (especially those whom he represents but even those he's helped along the way) to keep their success in perspective. He encourages them to do so by now working from within their companies to protect the integrity of Black music and Black talent. He challenges them, as he has always committed himself, to find a balance. A balance that properly continues to keep the opportunities for Black talent flowing equal with positive and socially uplifting service within the Black community.

Bee was by far one of the heads of this industry and someone who's "just do" is given from day to day as he watches "seeds" planted decades ago blossom and give back.

Jimmy suffered a fatal heart attack in 1994 in route to be inducted into the Living Legends Hall of Fame.

 

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