Trevor Howard Lawrence Jackson (born August 30, 1996) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for portraying Aaron Jackson on
Freeform original series ''
Grown-ish
''Grown-ish'' (stylized as ''ish'') is an American sitcom series and a spin-off of the ABC series ''Black-ish''. The single-camera comedy follows the Johnson family's children as they go to college and begin their journeys to adulthood, only to ...
'',
Kevin Blake on
Syfy
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
original series ''
Eureka
Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...
'',
Kris McDuffy on
Disney Channel's television movie ''
Let It Shine'', and Kevin LaCroix on
''American Crime''. Other notable appearances include Broadway musical ''
The Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, it ...
'', where he played the
Young Simba, and television guest star roles on both ''
Cold Case
A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...
'' and ''
Harry's Law
''Harry's Law'' is an American legal comedy-drama television series created by David E. Kelley, which ran for two seasons on NBC from January 17, 2011, to May 27, 2012. On May 11, 2012, NBC announced that ''Harry's Law'' would not be renewed for ...
''. In 2012, he won the
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
for
Best Performance in a TV Series.
In 2018, he starred as the lead of the crime drama film ''
Superfly'' as Priest.
Early life
Jackson was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, the younger of two sons of Cam Baxter and Kevin Jackson. His parents are American. Although he comes from a family interested in basketball, at age eight he decided that he would rather work in the entertainment industry.
He honed his talents at local venues, performing both within his hometown and nationally, including a dance routine on ''
Showtime at the Apollo
''Showtime at the Apollo'' (formerly ''It's Showtime at the Apollo'' and ''Apollo Live'') is an American variety show that first aired in syndication from September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008. In 2018, the series returned on Fox with Steve Harvey h ...
''. In 2004, the eight-year-old Jackson won the role of Young Simba on the national tour of ''
The Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, it ...
'' musical, with which he remained.
Career
2010–11: Career beginnings and ''Eureka''
Following his run with ''
The Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, it ...
,'' he transitioned from Broadway to the small screen appearing as a guest star in an episode of ''
Cold Case
A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...
'' in 2010.
From 2010 to 2012 he played Kevin Blake in the final two seasons of ''
Eureka
Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...
''.
In early 2011, Jackson joined a "behind the scene" group with several up and coming music artist at the time known as "Before 2012." This didn't last long as success tore the group apart before it ever went mainstream. In August 2011, continued his run on TV starring in an episode of ''
Harry’s Law'' for which he won the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series for his role of Willie Blue. Jackson later appeared as a guest star on the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
television show ''
Austin & Ally
''Austin & Ally'' is an American comedy television series created by Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert that aired on Disney Channel from December 2, 2011 to January 10, 2016. The series stars Ross Lynch, Laura Marano, Raini Rodriguez, and Calum W ...
.''
2012–13: Let It Shine, musical beginnings, ''#NewThang'' EP
In 2012, Jackson expanded his acting career into film, playing the role of Quincy Smith in the film ''
A Beautiful Soul''.
That same year, Jackson went on to star in the original Disney Channel television movie ''
Let It Shine'' as Kris McDuffy alongside
Tyler James Williams
Tyler James Williams (born October 9, 1992) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor, making several appearances on ''Saturday Night Live'', ''Little Bill'', and ''Sesame Street''. Williams later rose to prominence for playing ...
.
Jackson portrayed the best friend and confidant of Cyrus (James), an aspiring hip hop musician who enters a songwriting contest and mistakenly wins his best friend's dream. Jackson has completed shooting the film ''Sons 2 The Grave'' alongside
Darrin Dewitt Henson
Darrin Dewitt Henson (born May 5, 1973) is an American choreographer, dancer, actor, director and producer. Hensen was a brief member of freestyle music group Trilogy and was featured on their single "Good Time".[Demetria McKinney
Demetria Dyan McKinney (born August 27, 1979) is an American actress and singer. From 2006 to 2012, during its original run, she starred in the TBS sitcom '' Tyler Perry's House of Payne'', a BET revival of the show was announced in 2020. Her oth ...]
and Justin Martin.
In 2012, Jackson signed with Atlantic Records continuing on to release his first single "Like We Grown" in February 2013. In the song's music video, Disney Channel actress,
Zendaya Coleman
Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman ( ; born September 1, 1996) is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the ...
, plays his love interest. Due to demand for new music from his fans, Jackson collaborated with producers
Eric Hudson
Eric Hudson (born October 15, 1986) is an American and Grammy award-winning music producer.
His parents are Curtis and Phyllis Bivins-Hudson. Curtis is a songwriter and producer, and most notably the co-writer of Madonna's song " Holiday", co-wr ...
,
J.R. Rotem and
The Underdogs, to create his EP, ''#NewThang''.
In September 2013, Jackson released the ''#NewThang'' EP. Jackson followed with his second single "Drop It", which was featured in
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
Monopoly Campaign commercial. To promote the ''#NewThang'' EP, Jackson toured with fellow Atlantic Records artist Justine Skye in the High School Nation Tour. He also played in a few shows.
2014–present: ''In My Feelings''
In January 2014, Jackson released "New Thang" followed by a remix to his single "Drop It" featuring rapper
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years late ...
. In May, Jackson was featured on
Diggy Simmons
Daniel Dwayne "Diggy" Simmons III (born March 21, 1995) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, model, and actor and the fourth child of Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons of Run DMC. He is currently acting on the hit show ''Grown-ish'' as Doug Edwar ...
’ single "My Girl".
in the summer of 2015 Jackson released his debut full-length album.
Jackson released the album's first single, "Good Girl, Bad Girl", on June 3, 2014. On July 22, 2014, Jackson posted a lyric video to a track with
Kirko Bangz
Kirk Jerel Randle (born August 20, 1989), better known by his stage name Kirko Bangz, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He is best known for his single, "Drank in My Cup" which was released in 2011 and peaked at number 28 on the US '' ...
on his official YouTube channel titled "Me Likey" four days before its iTunes release. On August 3, 2014, Jackson partnered with fellow Atlantic Records artist
Diggy Simmons
Daniel Dwayne "Diggy" Simmons III (born March 21, 1995) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, model, and actor and the fourth child of Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons of Run DMC. He is currently acting on the hit show ''Grown-ish'' as Doug Edwar ...
on the Who Else But Us Tour. Jackson premiered the video for "I'll Be Who You Love (This Christmas)" on
Rap-Up
''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...
on December 3. Jackson followed with a new single, "Know Your Name", featuring
Sage The Gemini
Dominic Wynn Woods (born June 20, 1992), better known by his stage name Sage the Gemini (), is an American rapper and record producer from Fairfield, California. He is perhaps best known for his 2013 singles "Gas Pedal" (featuring Iamsu!), which ...
on December 15. Jackson appeared as a guest on VINE and vocalist LianeV's new single "Keep Playin".
In early August, Jackson released the tracks on his YouTube channel and
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
for stream with a visual for the song "Simple As This". On August 28, 2015, Jackson released the ''In My Feelings'' project on iTunes. In September he released the music video for his song "Bang Bang", which features
Kevin Gates
Kevin Jerome Gilyard (born February 5, 1986), better known by his stage name Kevin Gates, is an American rapper, singer, and entrepreneur. He is currently signed to Bread Winners' Association with a partnership with Atlantic Records. His debut ...
.
On December 3, 2015, Jackson released a video of "Like I Do" from ''In My Feelings'' on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''.
Jackson joined the regular cast of
''American Crime'' in its second season, playing the part of Kevin Lacroix. At the
2019 Soul Train Music Awards
The 2019 Soul Train Music Awards took place on November 17 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and aired live for the first time, on BET and BET Her. It was hosted by Tisha Campbell & Tichina Arnold, honoring artists in 12 different catego ...
Jackson won the “Soul Train Certified Award”.
Currently Jackson is acting on the new Freeform show "
Grown-ish
''Grown-ish'' (stylized as ''ish'') is an American sitcom series and a spin-off of the ABC series ''Black-ish''. The single-camera comedy follows the Johnson family's children as they go to college and begin their journeys to adulthood, only to ...
" as Aaron Jackson, a classmate and love interest of Zoey Johnson.
Artistry
Jackson cites
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
,
Gregory Hines
Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated tap dancers of all time. As an actor, he is best known for '' Wolfen'' (1981), '' The Cotton C ...
,
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...
,
Brian McKnight
Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma.
McKnight is known for h ...
, and
the Nicholas Brothers
The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their u ...
as his biggest musical influences.
Jackson aimed for his debut album to serve as a cohesive unit, saying it was his goal to "make an album that is not just a bunch of singles, but an album that can be listened to from top to bottom." Conversely, he also "wanted every song to say something, to be an experience."
Philanthropy
Jackson supported
Snoop Dogg's anti-violence "No Guns Allowed" campaign by releasing his own cover of Snoop Lion's single "No Guns Allowed", in March 2013. In April 2013, Jackson volunteered at the
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children.
RMHC has a global network of c ...
in Chicago. Jackson participated in the Strike Out Cystic Fibrosis's Bowling Charity Event on July 29, 2013. Jackson hosted the Duffy's Hope 11th Annual Teen Youth Empowerment Summit in Dover, Delaware on August 3, 2013. The organization helps provide youth with mentoring, health, education and more. Jackson has also worked with NBA Cares and The League of Young Voters Education Fund.
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
Mixtapes
Singles
As lead artist
As featured artist
Filmography
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Trevor
1996 births
Living people
21st-century American singers
African-American male actors
African-American male child actors
African-American male dancers
African-American songwriters
American contemporary R&B singers
American male child actors
American male dancers
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American male singer-songwriters
American male television actors
Atlantic Records artists
Midwest hip hop musicians
Musicians from Indianapolis
Singer-songwriters from Indiana