‘All these shining stars’ — Keeping up with Memphis’ music family, the Whalums
From left to right: Kenneth Whalum II, H.D. Whalum Jr., Evan Whalum, Kameron Whalum, Kyle Whalum, Kortland Whalum, Kevin Whalum, Kenneth Whalum III and Kirk Whalum pose during a concert that Kenneth Whalum II brought them all together for. (Courtesy Kenneth Whalum II)
Kortland Whalum was worried about his outfit.
It was 1993, and the third grader was about to perform the Tevin Campbell song “Can We Talk” at a talent show at Libertyland. He hadn’t thought much about his attire. His mother, Sheila, had taken him to T.J. Maxx to get clothes for the performance, and he’d picked out a multicolored hoodie and paired it with jeans, because he wanted to be comfortable.
When he’d arrived, a few other contestants, girls in sequin dresses, had asked, “You’re wearing that?”
The line had gone to his head.
“That hurt my feelings so badly,” he said.
Then Kortland took the stage and began to sing — and he forgot all about the snide remark.
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Memphis Music legacy Kameron Whalum Kenneth Whalum III Kortland Whalum Kyle Whalum Subscriber OnlyThank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
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John Klyce
John Klyce is an enterprise reporter with The Daily Memphian who writes a wide range of in-depth features, as well as profiles about local leaders, scientists, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone else doing exciting and important work in this city. He previously spent four years with the Memphis Business Journal, where he covered public companies, startups, and innovation, and a fifth year with The Commercial Appeal, where he covered education, and chronicled how gun violence and poverty were affecting Memphis youth and their families. He has also been a fellow with the Institute for Citizens and Scholars. John has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Memphis and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Boston University.
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