Jamie Foxx

Eric Marlon Bishop, otherwise known as Jamie Foxx, was born in Terrell, Texas on December 13, 1967. Foxx's biological mother was also an adoptee. Louise Annette Talley Dixon was the adopted daughter of Esther Marie and Mark Talley. At 7 months old his grandparents Esther and Mark adopted Foxx, becoming his legal parents through the process of kinship adoption. Kinship adoption, or relative adoption, occurs when a member of the child's birth family becomes the child's legal guardian or parent.

Raised in Terrell, Texas, Foxx began playing the piano at the age of 5 and went on to become a talented musician and entertainer, playing mainly for his church. He had little contact with his birth parents, and the grandmother he was adopted by was a huge influence on his life, encouraging Foxx in his music, studies, and sports.

Along with excelling in both music and academics, Foxx was also the quarterback of his high school football team, and received press coverage at a young age for his achievements on the playing field. He was awarded a scholarship to San Diego's United States International University where he studied classical music.

Beginning his professional career as a stand-up comic, he took on the name Jamie Foxx and soon joined the cast of a popular TV series In Living Color. He worked alongside Tommy Davidson, an actor and comedian whose life was also touched by adoption. Some time later, Foxx starred in his own television sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show. Along with appearing in many films, he has built a successful music career and was given a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2007.

Foxx, a man deeply influenced by kinship adoption, is also one of the few African Americans to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in praise of his portrayal of the late Ray Charles in the movie Ray (2004). Use your favorite search engine or visit your library to learn more about Jamie Foxx.