Jackson Free Press

Lelon Thompson's passion for singing and the performing arts has taken him from Mississippi to Los Angeles, New York and Japan. Today, Thompson works to nurture the same passion in a younger generation of performers as the creative director of the Mississippi Boychoir.

Thompson grew up in Greenville, Miss., singing soprano in children's choirs and playing the piano. In high school, his interest in the performing arts outweighed his interest in science and math. It was then that Thompson knew he wanted to make singing his career.

Thompson earned his bachelor's degree in music education and master's in vocal performance from Mississippi College where he was awarded the Banks Endowed Memorial Vocal Award. After graduation, Thompson taught in Vicksburg and in Richland before leaving Mississippi for Los Angeles. "I decided I wanted to go for it. I wanted to make a career as a singer. I gave away everything I had, sold stuff, kept my car and moved to L.A.," Thompson says.

After studying in L.A., Thompson came back to Mississippi for a short period before heading to New York where he spent 12 years, studying at the Metropolitan Opera Studios and the Herbert Berghof/Uta Hagen Acting Studio. "I was in a Broadway musical. I did a lot of training," Thompson says. "I also waited tables and cleaned apartments to pay for my lessons. Like the song says, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere."

In the summer of 2000, Thompson received a Fulbright Memorial Scholarship to Japan where he studied Kabuki theatre, Japan's traditional national theatre.

Thompson returned to Mississippi and began teaching at Jackson Public School's Performing Arts Complex where he taught musical theater and acting technique for 10 years. In 2001, Parents for Public Schools in Jackson named him Teacher of the Year.

Thompson is serving his second year as the artistic director of the Mississippi Boychoir. "I love directing the boys. We take in some very talented boys," Thompson says. "My vision has been to get us more known and to spread our reputation." Last year, the Boychoir performed with the Mississippi Chorus in "Carmina Burana." The choir sang at the governor's luncheon at the governor's mansion.

The Mississippi Boychoir accepts a wide range of students from home to private schooling, ages 6 to 18. "We stress that the boys are not only receiving musical training," Thompson says. "We emphasize self-discipline, teamwork, respect for others and self-respect."

The Mississippi Boychoir will hold a fundraising event at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Mississippi Children's Museum. The theme of the fundraiser is modeled after the television program "MINIT 2 WINIT" and will feature celebrity contestants that include Howard Ballou, Jeff Good, Rick Cleveland, Christy Jones, Wyatt Emmerich, Sen. John Horhn and Jill Conner Browne, the Sweet Potato Queen. Thompson and the Boychoir will also perform. The cost is $40 for adults and $20 for children 12 and under. For reservations, visit http://www.mississippiboychoir.org or call 601-665-7374.