Atlanta, GA
Atlanta vocal coach ‘Mama Jan’ has worked with some of industry’s top artists
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – An Atlanta-based vocal coach has helped craft some of the most talented voices in pop music.
Star after star, hit after hit, Jan Smith’s pitch-perfect technique has kept her at the top of her game.
“I’m just a working girl. I never really thought about, you know, blazing a trail. I was just helping other people,” she said. “I was just doing something that other people hadn’t done before.”
Smith – or as she’s known in the music industry, “Mama Jan” – has played a significant role in shaping some of the industry’s top artists, including Justin Bieber, Drake and Atlanta’s own Usher.
In all, more than 10,000 vocalists, musicians and producers have turned to Mama Jan for her special brand of tough-love training and music industry expertise.
“There weren’t many instructors that were helping other rock and roll singers, or urban singers or rappers, and I just got to be the first girl on the block to do that,” she said. “Being a woman, who – I don’t have children of my own, but being that ‘mama’ in the industry, if you will, to so many artists matters a whole lot to me.”
Mama Jan’s legacy as an inductee in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame is mirrored in the services she offers at her multi-faceted business, which is predominantly owned and operated by women.
Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.
Atlanta, GA
Staycations Are Trending: Atlanta Events Worth Staying Home For In June
Travel trends nationwide suggest more people are staying close to home this year due to higher oil and gas prices. Some 71 percent of Americans plan road trips for summer vacations, according to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report.
Another study, by Bank of America, found consumers are responding to higher gas prices by taking fewer trips, reducing travel budgets, cutting back on accommodations, or choosing destinations closer to home.
Atlanta, GA
Braves News: Ronald Acuna hamstring injury update, losing skid, more
Catcher Jair Camargo collected his first big league hit in the top of the ninth tonight. He was added for the double-header today.
This was his first MLB appearance since 2024 with the Twins. He was hitless in seven plate appearances for Minnesota.
He struck out in his first at bat with Atlanta before doubling for his first base knock.
Congratulations.
Atlanta, GA
Metro Atlanta communities celebrate Juneteenth – SaportaReport
Communities across metro Atlanta are hosting Juneteenth festivals, performances, markets and family-friendly events over the next several days. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when Texas learned that slavery had ended and the last of the enslaved people were to be freed.
Historian Henry Louis Gates has estimated there were about 250,000 freed in the state of Texas.
Below are some of the events taking place around metro Atlanta.
Sandy Springs
The city’s annual Juneteenth celebration will be held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday at City Springs. The event will feature live performances, art exhibits, artisan vendors, food trucks and more.
Roswell
Roswell will host an artisan market honoring Juneteenth at 1 p.m. Friday in the lobby of the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.
According to a city statement, “This is your opportunity to meet the creators behind the work, hear their stories firsthand, and take a piece of the experience home. Artists will have additional prints and affordable original pieces available for purchase, making this a wonderful chance to invest in and celebrate the work of African American artists in our community.”
Gwinnett
Several Juneteenth events are planned throughout Gwinnett County.
In Norcross, cellist Okorie “OkCello” Johnson and the Wonders of Worship Youth Choir from Hopewell Baptist Church will perform at the Cultural Arts and Community Center at 11 a.m. Friday.
In Lilburn, the GAPS Society, representing Georgia Autism Parental Support, will host food, games and activities for all ages from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at J.B. Williams Park.
The United Ebony Society will celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds with a festival featuring music, games and food from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The Black Women’s Association of Sugar Hill will host its seventh annual Juneteenth event with the Miss Juneteenth pageant, music, food, games, and a scholarship award. The festivities will take place from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 5039 W. Broad Street.
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