BLIND FAITH: The Musical Vision of Rob Jones
Rob Jones was just another project kid up until age ten. He wasn’t a bad kid. He was
luckier than many in that he had a two-parent home, but he was not exceptional. Rob
was on a trajectory to being a lifelong resident of the Robert Taylor homes. Then one
fateful day he was the object of another trajectory – a stray bullet.
Suddenly, Rob was every project mother’s nightmare, the victim of a gunshot wound.
Fortunately, the shot to the head didn’t take his life; but it did take his sight. This could
have been the tragic, final incident that would seal his fate making his future even
bleaker than it was already destined to be. It could have been, but the universe had a
different plan. What started out as tragedy transformed into the miraculous unleashing
of an inner prodigy that had to violently be freed from its confinement of mediocrity.
Through a series of events that included Rob’s family receiving amazing community
support and the family receiving a settlement from the housing project, they were able
to move to a better neighborhood. This led to him entering into a better school and
encountering a blind teacher who taught him music and Rob taught himself how to “see”
through it.
Rob Jones proves everyday that vision is a lot more than just sight. Rob sees the stuff
that many of us sighted ones miss because we take that sense for granted. That is the
genius of Rob and the spirit of his message, “don’t take anything for granted. Appreciate
all that you’ve been given.” He tells this to audiences of students and he demonstrates it
everyday in his life. Rob “watches” TV, “watches” sporting events, “checks out” the
ladies and does everything else a twenty-something young man would do. What Rob
doesn’t “see” is his blindness as a handicap and as long as he thinks it is not, it is not.
Rob’s inspiring story of faith and overcoming is a favorite of talk show queen
OprahWinfrey. He has appeared on her show several times and each time she is fascinated
by the fact that he says he still sees in his dreams. His story touches and inspires and it
does something else – it takes away all of our excuses for not even seeing our dreams.
Over the years, Rob has developed as an exceptional musician and songwriter.
Recently his talents have been utilized by artists in multiple genres and he is now ready
to gift the world with an album of his own. The completion and release of the album has
a deeper significance to Rob than just the chance to “blow up” and live large. It
represents the achievement of the success he’s always wanted to demonstrate to his
parents, his mom in particular. Both parents have transitioned from this life plane, but
Rob is no less committed keeping his promise of success to them and has the faith to
believe that it will be so.
“Blind Faith: The Musical Vision of Rob Jones” will allow OWN viewers to watch and
appreciate the journey of a young man on a mission to get his music out and his
message heard. We will follow the son of Chicago southward as he travels to the Black
Mecca, Atlanta, to work with star-maker Devyne Stephens. Devyne has given Rob the
wonderful opportunity of a recording contract and Rob is on a mission to step into his
destiny.
Devyne is known for his 360º approach to grooming talent that is reminiscent of the way
of the legendary Barry Gordy. Raw talent is shaped into polished stars through intense
musical training, coaching, styling, choreography and even physical conditioning. They
emerge from The Complex secure in their abilities and confident in their presentation.
Blind Faith will give us a peek behind the curtain of the process and see how Rob
adapts to a new city, new demands, new challenges, new opportunities all cloaked in a
veil of darkness. Rehearsals, the Atlanta nightlife and club scene (how does a blind man
truly appreciate Magic City?), shopping, spending time with his daughter (he is the
father of an 8 year-old), how does he get around the city and fit in to the A.
We shall see.
Rob says he “watches” reality TV; it’s a pretty sure thing that people will want to watch
him on it. Somethings you know; others you take on Blind Faith.