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Texas native Jamie Foxx to receive honorary doctorate degree from Jarvis Christian College

The degree will recognize Foxx's achievements in music, film and television.
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Academy-Award winning actor Jamie Foxx will receive an honorary doctorate degree from Jarvis Christian College this spring.

The university will bestow the degree on the Terrell native during the spring commencement ceremony on May 5 in its E.W. Rand Center near Hawkins, Sherry Shephard, the college's director of media relations, said.

The degree will recognize Foxx's achievements in music, film and television.

Foxx won an Academy Award in 2004 for his portrayal of legendary singer Ray Charles in the movie "Ray." He also has won Grammy Awards for his R&B recordings and starred in a comedy series.

In announcing the degree, Jarvis Christian College released the following information about Foxx's life and career.

Foxx was born in Terrell and raised by his mother's adoptive parents, Mark and Esther Marie Talley. As a teenager, he was a part-time pianist and choir leader at New Hope Baptist Church and attended Terrell High School, where he received top grades and played on the basketball and football teams.

After high school, Foxx studied classical music and composition at United States International University.

Foxx is a Grammy Award-winning musician, producing four albums which charted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200: “Unpredictable,” “Intuition,” “Best Night of My Life” and “Hollywood: A Story of a Dozen Roses.”

In 1991, he joined the cast of “In Living Color,” a sketch comedy series. Following a recurring role in the comedy-drama “Roc,” he starred in his own sitcom, “The Jamie Foxx Show,” from 1996-2001. His other television performances include roles in “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper,” “Moesha” and the movie, “Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story.” Foxx currently is the host and executive producer of the game show “Beat Shazam.”

His film career includes roles in “Any Given Sunday,” “Ali,” “Collateral,” “Ray,” “Dreamgirls,” “Django Unchained,” “White House Down,” “Annie,” “Law Abiding Citizen,” “Sleepless” and “Baby Driver.”

Foxx's many awards, include:

  • A BET Award for Best Actor in 2005. Other awards include:
  • Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for “The Jamie Foxx Show” in 1998;
  • American Music Award in 2006 for Favorite R&B/Soul Male Artist;
  • Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group in 2010 and Best Rap Solo Performance in 2006;
  • Image Award for Outstanding Male Artist in 2006 and 2009;
  • Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture for “Ray” in 2005.

Among the charitable causes he has supported are Trayvon Martin Foundation, Hand in Hand Hurricane Relief, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Anelise Foundation, which serves the needs of homeless and disadvantaged children.

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