When a young star breaks onto the scene, demonstrating serious talent on multiple
levels, all we can do is stand back in awe. Get ready for Mishon (MY-shawn), a young
singer and fledgling songwriter who represents the next wave of pop R&B edged with
hip-hop fire.
The 15-year-old vocalist has already stirred up noise with his debut single
“Excuse Me Mama,” which shows off the Los Angeles native’s soaring vocal dexterity
and considerable teen charm. The track is just the tip of the iceberg, as Mishon is poised
to capture even more fans with his exciting debut CD, due this summer on
producer/songwriter Vincent Herbert’s new Streamline Records, a joint venture with
Interscope Records.
The multi-talented teen is already a TV star thanks to his role as spunky kid
brother Tay on the ABC Family Channel drama “Lincoln Heights,” which began shooting
its third season this spring. Though Mishon has developed his own fan base thanks to his
acting chops, he says that singing has always been his first love.
Singing since he was a small child, his interest in music impressed his parents
enough to enroll him in a local performing group of talented children that performed gigs
throughout Southern California.
But it wasn’t until he handpicked the song, “Lean On Me” to perform unexpectedly at the
funeral of his great grandfather. At age 9 that folks around him really took notice of the emotion
he was able to wring from the song.“They asked if anybody had anything to say, and I stepped up
to the microphone and started singing,” Mishon explains. “And that’s really what broke me out of my
shell because I used to be a very shy child.”
One person who took notice was his cousin, Demetreus “Doe Mac” Henderson,
who had started Dynasty Records and wanted to help his young relative polish his talent.
Mishon began working on tracks with his cousin at age ten, even completing a couple of
independent CD releases. In the meantime, Mishon got interested in acting. After rounds
of auditions at age 12, the preteen took some time off but went back to it at age 14. One
of his first auditions was for the “Lincoln Heights” pilot, which was later picked up.
But music never stopped for Mishon, who continued to hone his performing craft
and record more songs for his eventual solo album.
When Dynasty got a distribution deal with Streamline, Mishon went to the label’s Santa Monica
offices to sing live for all the executives. Vincent Herbert, the mastermind who’s created hits for
the like'sof Destiny’s Child, Jo Jo, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and many more,
was so blown away by the young star that he introduced him to Jimmy Iovine, president and
CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M Records. Plans for his major label debut went underway
immediately.
Inspired by Michael Jackson, Usher, Jodeci, and Boyz II Men, Mishon is rapidly
developing a style all his own. He runs through the yearning lyrics of the dance floor
single “Excuse Me Mama” with smooth assurance, sharing a tale of a guy trying to meet
that special someone while hanging at the mall. “It’s a refreshing song, like something
young and new,” enthuses the singer. “It’s about seeing a girl but you don’t know what to
say to her, so I gotta step up to her and express how I feel. I could definitely relate to the
song.” Though the song has earned him comparisons to Chris Brown, Mishon says he’s
flattered but he’s got his own style. “I really wasn’t too devastated by it,” he laughs about
the comments.
The young singer has teamed with uber-songwriters and producers including Sean
“The Pen” Garrett (Usher, Pussycat Dolls, Ciara), The Underdogs (Chris Brown, Jordin
Sparks), Dre and Vidal (Ciara, Usher, Mary J. Blige), Carlos “L.O.S” McKinney (J.
Holiday, The Dream), Herbert and others on his debut album. Among the other tunes on
Mishon’s debut are the sweet groove “Thinking Bout Ya” and the spare electronic
bombast of “Lifeguard,” both of which will have the dance floor pumping. And Mishon
promises that like his performing idols, he’s got a few fly dance moves of his own saved
for the stage.
While Mishon is ready to kick-start his run at the charts and already shines on the
small screen, he remains humble and reminds other teens to keep their priorities straight.
“Something I would like to tell teens is that if they’re a musician--or whatever they may
do-- they should remember that their parents always support them, so they shouldn’t be
afraid to talk to their parents,” says Mishon, whose name is a mashup of the first names
of parents Michael and Shontay. “I know that a lot of teens are kind of rebellious
sometimes, but just keep your support behind you and keep God number one and follow
your dreams, don’t ever give up. That’s been my stronghold for the last five years.”
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