He is a singer, actor, dancer and a charismatic performer. He has worked with some of the industry’s finest, including singers Luther Vandross and Celine Dion, and composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein and many others. He has travelled the world and performed in a variety of theatre productions choirs and musicals around the globe. Today, Jimmie Earl Perry uses his wealth of experience in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The American born artist is a professor at Stellenbosch University’s Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management, Director of Educational Theatre and Creative Arts, the community mobilization arm of the Africa Institute for HIV/AIDS Management. There he strives to empower people living with the virus (and affected by it) through the creative arts.



Jimmie was born in Gordon, Alabama, and spent his childhood and academic years in New Jersey. His parents were both singers, exceptional role models. Through them he tapped into his spirituality and belief in God at the St. Paul AME Zion Church in Trenton New Jersey, where he was exposed to gospel music played and sung by phenomenal musicians and singers. That was the beginning of his remarkable journey into the world of music and show business.

Jimmie attended the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, studying towards a music teacher degree and performing in major choral works and theatre productions at Princeton University’s famed McCarter Theatre. He embarked on his show business journey in New York City, where he performed in numerous Off-Broadway productions, attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, toured with varied productions across the USA and cast in his first international tour in a musical in Australia.

His impressive repertoire includes being cast as “Old Deuteronomy” in the original Canadian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, playing the role “Papa” in Starlight Express in Bochum Germany, as well as “Pontius Pilate” at the famed Bad Hersfeld Festspiele in Germany and later “Judas” in Jesus Christ Superstar in Remscheid. He was also an original cast member in Cameron MacIntosh’s Miss Saigon in Toronto. During his time in Canada Jimmie appeared in the TV comedy series Kids in the hall, The judge and numerous tv and stage productions. His dream to see the world was realised by four years of performing on Norwegian Cruise Lines and the classic Cunard cruise ships, including the QE2 and Vistafjord.



Jimmie can be heard as the guest soloist on the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir’s award-winning CD Glory train. He performed the lead vocal, along with the choir, for former SA president Nelson Mandela in Montreal during his first world tour, after his prison release in 1992. In 2001 Jimmie performed as principal singer for the European tour of the Original USA Gospel Singers, and had the opportunity to perform at La Scala Opera House in Milan, Italy for its annual New Years Eve Concert celebration. Since leaving America and Europe in 2004, a proud permanent resident of SA, Jimmie has made Stellenbosch his home. The Africa Centre is the foremost academic institution for HIV/AIDS management training in the world. As its community mobilization director Jimmie creates dramatic (musical) production such as the mini musical Lucky, The Hero, created the South African Artists for Aids Awareness Project born from a passion to educate people of all races, creeds and cultures in the prevention of HIV infection. Inciting motivation for testing to realize one’s HIV status, eradicating the stigma it has produced and stimulating the compassion inherent in all humans.

Jimmie’s music is a tasteful and cultured mixture of rhythm and blues, jazz, classical and gospel influences. He recently released his first South African produced CD, Power of the dream. The album showcases the vast range of his musical and vocal styles in a repertoire that includes recognized compositions from artists such as David Foster, John Lennon, Stevie Wonder and Burt Bacharach, as well as Jimmie’s original compositions. Most of this material was recorded after the first annual World Aids Day gala concert at the Cape Town International Convention Center in 2005.

Since 2005, each year has given rise to greater World Aids Day concerts at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, which for Jimmie are celebrations honoring the good works that are done by the unsung heroes in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Jimmie’s continued vision is to produce more shows and recordings to spread the message around the world that education, especially to the youth, is the key to prevention and lowering HIV infection rates, and that people living with the virus can manage their lives effectively and successfully. As well as those who are affected to maintain their virus free status and continue to make a difference with compassion and understanding.

“The South African landscape houses extraordinary talent that I have begun to uncover. It is a joy for me to establish a platform to expose their gifts to the world. It is a blessing to create with these wonderful people who have joined me and the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management at the University of Stellenbosch and its partners in presenting inspiring theatre productions and awareness concerts for the entire community.