FMM: In 1991, you were arrested for a murder and wrongly convicted. Who was Jimmy Dennis then and who is Jimmy Dennis now?
Jimmy Dennis was a father, I was a son, I was a friend, I was happy-go-lucky, and I believed that everything in life that I ever dreamed of was right in front of me and I wanted to get five families out of the projects of North Philadelphia – the families of my band, Sensation. Now, Jimmy Dennis is a singer- songwriter, a man who loves his family and friends, his community and his people and the world., and is trying to put some goodness into the world. I speak truth to power by advocating for innocent people and by standing up for what I believe is right.
FMM: The pandemic has caused racial strife and uncertainty, where is America getting it right and where is America getting it wrong?
Racial strife has always been a part of the American fabric and that’s because there is a level of ignorance and entitlement of people who don’t want to see Black and Latino people on an equal footing in the world and until we let go of racial division and pre-conceptions of people we are just playing out bigotry and hate in things that we see today whether its innocent brothers and sisters who we see coming home every month, or it’s Tamir Rice, Sean Bell, Sandra Bland George Floyd or Breonna Taylor……The little things that encourage me are the goodness of everyday people, how people have come together – black, brown, white, and others to protest the injustices in the world, to change the political landscape in America, those things are encouraging.
FMM: Tell us about meeting Tracy Lamourie.
Meeting Tracy Lamourie and Dave Parkinson who are my sister and brother was life changing, I felt it was kismet from the door, that’s why I wrote a 28 page letter to them immediately when they reached out to me about my innocence and they responded by starting the Canadian Coaltion against the Death Penalty which the three of us started together, they became my voice, championing my cause, they started the International Justice for Jimmy campaign that went around the world to every country in the world through their efforts, and along other supports of mine were instrumental in getting me off of death row and I can never never repay their genuine love, kindness, and generosity and I will forever love them.
Tracy Lamourie is a high-profile international award-winning publicist. She is the Founder of Lamourie Media Inc.
FMM: If a person was to walk in your shoes for one day, what would they see?
They would see a man who loves this family and friends, who is daily striving to get back everything that was stolen from him, a man that is dedicated to his family, friends and his passion and craft which has always been music, who is determined to put goodness and positivity in everyone that I come across on a daily basis. They would see that even though life dealt me a bad hand for a lot of years that you can still come off of death row.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHxFhhmnpoZ-owieoPtIryQ/featured
Jimmy Dennis YouTube
FMM: What advice would you give to youth today?
No matter what circumstances you find yourself in at this moment in life that you can overcome and no matter where you are in life you should chase your dreams with reckless abandonment no matter what those dreams are. If you want to be a carpenter, be the best carpenter you can be, if you want to be a doctor, or a nurse, or architect, whatever your dreams are, run at them and don’t let anybody tell you what you can’t be. Also, a lot of times there are naysayers and those naysayers may be close to you, even be people you love or respect – but ultimately, don’t allow anything negative that anybody has said to you to ultimately change your course of action from you going after your dreams. Believe in yourself and never ever give up on yourself, cause you can make it!
FMM: Tell us about the Innocence Network.
That’s one of the organizations that I spoke at a couple of years ago, I do a lot of panels and events with different innocence-based organizations and on my own. What I am doing now is I’m advocating for Ralph Stokes who has spent 38 years on death row at SCI Phoenix in Pennsylvania. I’m advocating for Abdul Hardy who is an innocent man serving life in prison at Graterford Prison in Pennsylvania. I am also campaigning to get Larry Krasner, the Philadelphia DA back in office, he has kept all his promises to the good people of Philadelphia and freed over 18 innocent people under his watch.
FMM: Your passion has always been music. Take us back in your career.
From the time I was a child sitting on the organ and the piano with my father soaking up everything he was doing, all his musical knowledge as he played in various churches for famous choirs and singers, soaking up every moment of it, then having my own group Sensation and competing all over the city. And now coming back home, following my passion, singer songwriting, and being around incredible producers like Michael Boykin, Daryl Peyanomann Marshall and my partner Gwen Jackson has been nothing short of amazing. I recently released songs like Aww U Went And Did it, Hate The Skin I’m In, Tears This Year, and the new music I have coming out Love U Better, and Obsession is a true representation of the passion I have for the art form and I hope that everybody can hear how much I love music and how much I missed it and how I am just trying to make good music that resonates in people’s souls. Music has always been my passion and my love, I love songwriting, I love singing, I love the whole process, producing. My music can be purchased on on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, Amazon Music, Pandora, Deezer, and all streaming platforms.
FMM: What are you working on today?
I am putting two singles out this month, Love U Better and Obsession. Love U Better will be the first, Obsession the second. And the EP, Love Songs 25.5 will be coming out in August.
FMM: Who inspires you?
I am inspired by my musical heroes, by the love of life every day, I’m inspired by musicians that I love like Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, The Winans, by Muhammad Ali – I’m inspired by people who really stood for something, that inspires me all the time, I can turn on the tv and see people lifting up their voices and that inspires me, or see a couple walking down the street and see the warmth of love radiating off them or a situation on social media and it can spark a lyric or a melody or I am inspired by the strength and resilience of the women in my family, I admire that greatly.
FMM: How important is it to not forget the past, but to live in the present?
The easiest thing in the world would have been to come home and let the past tear me apart. The life of expectancy of an innocent person coming home is only five years. Instead I used the past to fuel my fire to advocate for the innocent, to change the narrative., to make music and you will continue to see me put out music, you will continue to see my run towards all of our goals and dreams with reckless abandonment!
FMM: Please share your social media links.
https://www.instagram.com/jimmydennismusic/
https://www.facebook.com/JimmyDennisMusic
https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.dennis.336
