Welcome to the Unofficial Jerry Sharell Website
*Dedicated to Jerry Sharell, one of the first and best Kids Incorporated cast member*


Interviews with Jerry                     

We, at Kids-Incorporated.Net had the honor and pleasure of a couple interviews with Jerry.  There are two interviews.  The first one was done in December of 2001 and the most recent was done March 2002. Anything in "[ ]" brackets are comments I made while creating this page. Interview 2 follows after Interview 1

Interview 1

How many hours a day did you put in to complete a show? 
"A full 10-12 hour days on tape days -- same with rehearsal days, complete with on-set schooling."

How long did it take to do the songs for the show? 
"We'd pre-record the songs in a recording studio. We'd record enough songs for about 4 shows in one day."

Did you guys do songs that never made the cut for the show? 
"I think I remember Rahsaan [The Kid] recording 'Secret Agent Man' for an episode which was cut due to length."

Why did you leave Kids Incorporated? 
"I grew about 4 inches over the summer, but didn't mind leaving as I felt the show was a bit young for me."

Did you ever find the stories corny or farfetched? 
"I found the whole show to be corny and farfetched. I know, for me and Martika... we thought it was going to be a half hour 'Fame' about these kids trying to get famous. Clearly, after the first episode, it wasn't."

What episode was your favorite to do? 
"My favorite to watch is 'X MARKS THE SPOT' where we're on a treasure hunt for Renee's birthday. My favorite to do was 'NEW IMAGE' where I try to convince the band it's time for a new look, sound."

Have you stayed in touch with the other cast members? 
"No, not really. I'll see Wild Orchid a couple times a year at various events and they helped by singing on one of my earlier demos a couple of years ago. I haven't seen Martika for about 3 years. I run into Rahsaan a few times a year. Most recently, over a year ago at a Robbie Williams concert then a Mary J Blige concert."

When is your album coming out? 
"I'm shopping for a deal currently. It's a tough time in the record business, but I hope within a year, I'll have something out there. The development of my sound has been invaluable time spent though."


 Interview 2
 

What were your likes/dislikes about Kids Incorporated?
"I loved the singing.  And I loved that I immediately integrated myself into the production offices and befriended the guy who was in charge of picking the songs for the show.  By the second week, I was bringing in albums (vinyl!?) and playing the producers tunes I thought we should sing.  I remember Rahsaan & I belting the Pointer Sisters 'Neutron Dance' in the office, which we later did on the show.  And Martika did Olivia's [Newton-John] 'Livin' In Desperate Times' and I did 'You Should Hear' by Melissa Manchester... all from my suggestions.  I loved that creative process.

I've said this before but I was really disappointed that the show wasn't a half-hour 'Fame' like Martika and I thought it was going to be.  Once we did those episodes with a robot, leprechaun, and alien, it felt like Sesame Street without Big Bird... actually I'd probably like THAT!  Ha!  Seriously, I thought it was going to be about this band and their school/family life as they tried to be stars.

Also if you really look, you'll see that I was not one for dancing. In a large percentage of the dance numbers I was stuck in the back.  I couldn't get the choreography and everyone rehearsed their butts off for those numbers, which was when I was hanging in the production offices.  I just scammed my way out of them.  Plus, I really couldn't dance.  During the one hour pilot, I did.  And it was tough.  But once we were a series, they knew I didn't want to and that I sucked at it!

And looking back, I really wish that the producers knew what they had and realized how much bigger we could have been if they just had marketed us properly.  We were before New Kids and New Edition.  If they had just put us on the road, had us record 'real' albums, I think it would have been huge.  I know that for me, the first cast was the most talented group of kids I'd ever seen.  And I feel, years later that Renee & Stacey are two of the best vocalists around; Rahsaan is genius; and Martika is a killer writer and live performer [She also was 1 of the 4 people who had the best voices. The other 3 are Anastasia Horne, Jerry Sharell, and Rahsaan].  Humbly speaking, I think we all deserved and deserve more."

[Kids Incorporated definitely deserved more.  Kids Incorporated was doing awesome with the home videos and albums.  However, once Disney Channel bought the rights to Kids Incorporated, no more albums were made or videos.  The Disney Channel could have made a lot more money to make more episodes than 13 epsiodes a season practically.  I guess they were not thinking.]
 
What was your favorite song to sing?
"Well, I loved and I still do love, singing ballads.  So I liked doing "Against All Odds."  But I also was and still am a huge Rick Springfield fan, so anytime I did a Rick tune like "Love Somebody," I was thrilled [He did it well too, 'Love Somebody', 'Bop Til' You Drop', and 'I've Done Everything For You' were my favorite covers of Rick Springfield songs Jerry covered].  I also liked doing "You Should Hear" because I had sung it for years in the theatre show that Martika and I were in prior to doing KI."

What was your worst song to sing that you totally hated?
"I didn't like doing "Say It Isn't So" by Hall & Oates [That's what one my favorite songs Jerry did, and I love Hall and Oates' songs, but not vocally] I liked Hall and Oates a lot because it was too slow for a concert number and I thought there were better H&O songs to do.  But now, that song is classic and one of my favorite flashback tunes!"

What did you do after Kids Incorporated?
"I was signed to a development deal with MCA Records for my own album.  We began recording very pop/R&B oriented tracks.  They  had the Jets and Jody Watley so it was kind of in that vein.  But then, they wanted me to do rock like Bryan Adams and I didn't.  So I exited.  Ironically (or not) some years later, here I am recording and writing pop/rock stuff and couldn't imagine doing pop/r&b."

Do you regret leaving Kids Incorporated when you did?
"I don't regret leaving.  Everything happens or a reason... and I did grow that summer!  I was really upset with the way the show was going in terms of the really juvenile storylines and I voiced that.  So they knew I wasn't too keen on returning."

Do you have a band? If so what's it called?
"No band.  I'm seriously considering it though.  It's tough to find musicians.  But it seems that labels are signing a ton of bands but not solo guys.  So I may do this by years end."

Do you play an instrument?
"No.  If I had three wishes, one would be to play guitar & piano amazingly.  Never too late to start though, so I'm hoping to start guitar this summer."

Have you made any appearances lately anywhere or performed anywhere?
"I've only been doing private label showcases wherein if they like my demo CD, they'll invite me to perform in their offices or soundstage live with a band, which is mostly musicians who have performed on my CD.  Again, once and if I get this band together I will for sure do some dates in L.A."

Do you or did you ever get noticed for being on Kids Incorporated after Kids Inc?
"I did a lot right after.  Now with newer friends who have been in my life for maybe the past 5-7 years. They find out when I talk about my life and their reaction is, "Oh my God!  That was you?  I knew you looked familiar."  And that's it really."

(C) 2002-05 http://www.kidsincorporated.us (C) 2000-03 Jerry Sharell & JerrySharell.Com along with Quincy Jones Publishing. (C) 1983-93 MGM/Diamond Jubilee/Lynch-Biller/K-Tel/Qintex.  (C) 1983-96 Disney Channel/Family Channel.  Contact Aris, the webmaster at aris@kidsincorporated.us Feel free to e-mail requests, questions, comments, etc.