By Heather M. Butts
Appearing and performing have been a part of Kevin Byrd’s life from an early age. “I got here from a small city known as Utica, New York … I used to be an actor, singer, and dancer at a really younger age.” In response to Byrd, “I bought began in my profession on the age of eight years outdated, my dad bought me into this theatrical performing group, and that’s how I bought began in 1989.”
Byrd spoke with the Amsterdam Information in an interview about how essential sharing his skills has been throughout his life.
“I simply beloved performing all my life. I really like entertaining. I graduated on the age of 17 in 1998 from Proctor Excessive Faculty in Utica, New York, and . . .I got here to New York after I was 17 years outdated. My mother dropped me off at Lengthy Island College, and at 17, I needed to be a star. I used to be in a singing group [and] I used to be the baritone/bass. . . the group went all the best way as much as Beginner Night time on the Apollo. We received the Beginner Night time on the Apollo.”
It was at this level in Byrd’s life that he made a dedication to performing. Byrd portrayed Lt. John R. Fox within the 2006 movie Honor Deferred produced by Al Roker and starring Samuel Jackson. Lt. John R. Fox, a WWII hero who killed 100 German Troopers within the Conflict, died in motion, and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Clinton.
“I [then] studied performing … I simply began pursuing a profession as an actor. I did a bit of background work on Legislation and Order ….I graduated round that point after I did some theater, and I auditioned for this film known as Honor Deferred. I bought an enormous break [portraying] Lieutenant John R Fox.”
As soon as Byrd starred in ‘Honor Deferred’, he started to discover the intersection of the humanities and healthcare, particularly prostate, along with his present “The Final Days” and his one-man present. Byrd recalled that one of many characters in his play was dying of prostate most cancers, and this, alongside with household connections to prostate most cancers, propelled him to have the ability to absolutely discover advocacy because it associated to the illness and formalize that work. Byrd remembered how tough it was to debate prostate most cancers a long time in the past. “27 years in the past, [very few people] talked about prostate most cancers.”
Byrd began a company known as the Brown Byrd Basis with Blossom Brown. In response to Byrd, the group began with pamphlets and data, however grew. Byrd said that he “began touring with ‘The Final Days’ after which with the one man exhibits, in every single place we went, the group simply began getting greater and larger. . . it’s been over 25 years, nearly 30 years.”
In April 2011, Byrd spoke to the Amsterdam Information in regards to the enlargement of the tour, entitled “Kevin Byrd’s Interdenominational Tour to Cities Throughout America.” He partnered with Rabbi Edgar Weinsberg and said on the time that “This illness is killing numerous males, and it is a nice approach to serve the group extra. I by no means thought the work would develop into this size . . .This can be a actually nice staff as a result of it’s a mixture of a younger man and an older man combating for a similar trigger.”
Byrd’s work has been acknowledged by numerous leaders, together with President Bush, President Obama, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Byrd takes specific delight in being a part of the efforts resulting in February 2 being designated as Prostate Most cancers Consciousness Day. In response to Byrd, “On this observance day, we bear in mind those that died of prostate most cancers. We put on a blue ribbon and have 90 seconds of silence to recollect the lads who died of prostate most cancers. On February 2, 2009, we had about 35 totally different cities and states that joined on the time, and now that we established that day over 17 years in the past, [over] 100 cities and states have joined [in] elevating consciousness of prostate most cancers.”
Details about prostate most cancers could be discovered on the Brown Byrd Basis’s web site: https://www.brownbyrdfoundation.org. For added info concerning prostate most cancers, the next sources embody The American Most cancers Society: https://www.most cancers.org/most cancers/sorts/prostate-cancer.html, and the New York Metropolis Division of Well being: https://www.nyc.gov/web site/doh/well being/health-topics/prostate-cancer.web page.
This publish appeared first on New York American Information.
