Jermaine Paul, a member of Team Blake on the NBC program The Voice, entertained children at Jawonio Preschool on Wednesday morning with songs, guitar playing and sing-alongs.
The Spring Valley native, accompanied by his sister, Wendy Paige, a music specialist in Jawonio’s group homes, joined about 100 children between the ages of three and five and adults for a special program. The students wished Paul good luck in this Monday’s televised challenge.
Paul, who grew up in Spring Valley before moving to Orange County at age 14, sang, “Everyone’s talkin bout love,” with his sister. Later, he encouraged the enthusiastic audience to join him for the refrains of “Everybody needs somebody to love.” While playing the theme from “Spiderman,” which he acknowledged as his favorite childhood cartoon, Paul asked the children to stand up and dance.
Paul has worked as a professional singer for 15 years and performed as a backup singer with Alicia Keyes for eight years and other artists including Mary J. Blige. He said he wanted to perform at because of his sister and a relative who attended the school. He explained his mother worked as Yeager Health Center and most of his siblings followed her lead into social or community oriented work.
“I just try to go where they are and spread the love for what I do,” he said.
Jawonio's Early Childhood Education Center on Phillips Hill Road enrolls children from 18 months old to five years old.
