WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Playing 4 Jia: World class musician works through death of daughter

Playing 4 Jia: World class musician works through death of daughter

(Columbia) May 12, 2005 - John Blackwell, Jr. reminisced about hanging out at Sims Music on St. Andrews Road when he was just a little kid with big dreams, "I said to myself, I said, 'Man, one day I'm gonna get a poster and I'm be on the poster."

He's now a world-renowned drummer.

This is his first trip home in a year. He wanted to visit before now but, "It would have been too painful for me and it's still painful now."

John's last trip to Columbia was with his family. His wife Joann, son Javen and daughter Jia were all with him last May when he accepted the key to the city. He said at the time it was one of his proudest moments.

Just months later it would be overshadowed by his deepest heartbreak. John was on tour in Chicago when he made a routine call home, "At first I spoke to my daughter, I spoke to Jia, you know she was mumbling something. You know kids that age they're still trying to talk. The last thing she said was, 'I love you daddy,' and gave the phone back to my wife."

A few minutes later he heard his wife asking, "Where's Jia?" In the next few moments his life changed forever, "She looked out in the backyard and that's when she saw Jia in the pool. And the last thing I heard was a big scream and the phone just went dead."

Minutes later he got a call back, "My brother-in-law said Jia fell in the pool and they're trying to save her right now as we speak."

The hospital called before John could get to the airport, "They said, 'Mr. Blackwell, we tried for 45 minutes to revive your daughter, there's no more we can do.' Right then and there I broke down."

John left the Prince tour and was content to completely disappear from the music scene.

But after a few days a close friend gave him something to think about. He asked John what would it feel like to play again, just for Jia, "He said, 'What do you see?' I said, 'I see a lot of people cheering.' He said, 'Now what else do you see?' 'I see my daughter looking down, smiling on me' He said, 'Isn't that a sign you should go do that show.' I said, 'Yeah, I want to do it.'"

The night before Jia's funeral John played with Prince at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. It was an emotional tribute. He wore a shirt with Jia's picture on it and he played his heart out, "It was just like I saw it in my mind. I could actually see my daughter. You know, Jesus holding her, looking down and smiling at me and that made me feel good."

John says he realized Jia wouldn't want him to throw away his talent, instead he decided to help others in Jia's name. He recently set up the Jia Kennie Memorial Scholarship at Berklee College of Music, his alma mater. It's for any female musician who has the talent, drive, spirit and enthusiasm to succeed, but can't afford to go to school.

He's hoping to set up a similar scholarship here in Columbia, "It's hard to think about, the whole situation, but I'm doing it for a purpose."

John is getting back into the groove after taking some time off. He also renamed his signature drumsticks in honor of his daughter, so whenever and wherever he plays, there'll always be a special beat in his heart for Jia, "Her eyes would just capture you, you know. She was an angel."

By Judi Gatson
Posted 6:22pm by BrettWitt