Photo by Sterling Photo
Willie Moore, Jr., singer, songwriter, actor, comedian, producer, YouTube sensation, founder of the Young Fly and Saved Movement, syndicated radio host, and host of the Willie Moore, Jr. Live TV show, is making a name for himself in the Faith Based entertainment.
According to Moore, he has over 200,000 followers through social media outlets, via his organization, the Young Fly and Saved Movement (YFS). It has given him a platform to influence both Christians and mainstream music entertainment fans internationally. “We have 58,000 followers on Twitter, 8, 000 on Instagram, and about 17,000 friends on our Facebook pages,” says Moore.
Born in 1978 in St. Louis Missouri, the Atlanta resident was adopted at three months old by Willie and Flora Moore. By age 10, he was playing piano and singing in the church choir, but was soon drawn to Hip Hop. He says, “I started my career when I was twelve years old in St. Louis with French Jam Productions. I was in a boy group called “The Baby Gangsters.” We were just church boys who landed a local record deal, toured St. Louis and Illinois and made a name for ourselves.”
By 2000 he’d graduated from the University of Mississippi, was using the name “Pretty Willie,” and released the hit song, “Roll Wit’ Me.” According to Moore, it topped the charts in St. Louis and lead to his deal with Universal Records in 2001. Next he recorded for Warner Bros. Records but never released the album.
Leaving Hip Hop Behind
“I was living this lifestyle in Los Angeles, but I walked away from it all and returned to St. Louis with my wife Patricia. I started the Young Fly and Saved Movement , an inner city youth organization, and began recording inspirational music.
His music producer, Vinnis Bryant says, “Willie is what I call a game changer. He’s gifted and knows exactly how to get what he wants musically, in Hip Hop or inspirational music.”
The transition from Hip Hop to Faith Based Entertainment was a challenge for Moore, his wife and two boys. “The hardest part was financial. Because in the other industry we knew ways to make money.
For my retirement plan, I was going to have a club, The Boom-Boom Room. It was going to be in every city across America. But in the Kingdom, everything is so new, you have to trust God. But God has given us vision, not just on how to make money, but how to change people’s lives. And I’m grateful for that,” says Moore.
YouTube Sensation
Fast forward 2012, Moore released The Turning Point CD, signed a deal with EMI Gospel, but felt something was still missing. He was watching Whitney Houston’s funeral on TV and listening to what he says was negative media commentary about Houston’s life when an idea came to him.
He says, “ I decided to make a fun video and exalt the name of Jesus and exalt what God did in Whitney’s death. I posted it. And in one night that video received 100,000 hits. The next thing I knew, we had a ready-made fan base on YouTube. We average 20,000 views per video, which is amazing because its inspirational content. My Willie Moore Jr Live channel has 27,000 faithful subscribers.”
Bryant isn’t surprised by Willie’s fame. He says, “He’s transparent, honest, has a perfectly timed sense of humor, and his positivity inspires people.”
Willie Moore, Jr. Live TV
Because of his channel’s success, Moore has been offered the opportunity to have a show on JCTV (Jesus Christ TV) channel of the Christian TV network, Trinity Broadcasting Network. He’s currently in production on “Willie Moore Jr Live TV.”
With a syndicated radio show, thousands of social media followers, and a TV show in the works, Willie Moore, Jr. has successfully made the transition from Hip Hop to faith and shows no sign of slowing down.
By Lin. Woods
Follow me on Twitter: @linwoods
E-mail: linwoodsinspired@yahoo.com