Jazzmun

Jazzmun
Born Nichcalo Dion Crayton
(1969-02-10) February 10, 1969
San Diego, California, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1984-present

Jazzmun is the stage name of Nichcalo Dion Crayton, an actress and nightclub performer who often works in the Los Angeles Area.

Background

Originally from San Diego, California, Jazzmun made her first national television appearance on the talent variety show Puttin' on the Hits in 1984 in which she split her body half in male drag and half in female drag, lip synching as a "duet".

Finding work immediately after that appearance for her theatric and modeling talents, she moved to Los Angeles and secured an agent. Since then she has performed all over the world performing as either her stage character Jazzmun, her trademark Whitney Houston which she performed as in the female stage revue La Cage, or any number of other characters. In the late 1990s Jazzmun co-starred in the stage play Ask Any Girl as the character Mahogany Saint Ross, a name play-on-words to singer Diana Ross.

Latina singer Gloria Estefan hired Jazzmun to perform in the music video of her remake hit Everlasting Love after seeing one of Jazzmun's performances. Later, drag icon RuPaul hired Jazzmun to also perform in his music video A Little Bit of Love which spoofed drag queens as aliens out to conquer the world. Jazzmun then released two of her own dance singles in 1997 on the Aqua Boogie label: "I´m Gonna Let You Have It" and "That Sound, That Beat". Later she produced another hit "2 Tired 2 B Shady", which was later featured in Patrik-Ian Polk's highly anticipated and accomplished show Noah's Arc.

After many years as a female impersonator, Jazzmun came out (circa 2008) publicly as a transgender woman. She has stated, "It's not so much as a physical thing but mental and spiritual for me." Jazzmun has played drag queen, transvestite, and female impersonator characters in film and television. Her first role playing a transgender character on television came in 2003 on Nip/Tuck.[1][2]

In 2017, transgender actors and actresses including Jazzmun (with the help of GLAAD and ScreenCrush) were part of a filmed letter to Hollywood written by Jen Richards, asking for more and improved roles for transgender people.[3][4]

Select film resume

Select television resume

References

  1. ↑ "TransPhobia, Living Out Loud! feat Jazzmun". M.youtube.com. 2007-10-04. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  2. ↑ "Live video chat: Transgender identity". LA Times. 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  3. ↑ "New Video Breaks Down Why Hollywood Needs Transgender Actors". Huffingtonpost.com. 2017. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  4. ↑ Reynolds, Daniel. "Trans Actors Ask Hollywood for Roles With Dignity and Depth in Open Letter". Advocate.com. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
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