Growing up in the small Mississippi Delta town of Itta Bena, Ezekiel Andrew McCall sang. He always sang.
Ezekiel can be seen in The Lion King on Broadway. (Photos by Curtis Brown)
His father, Rev. Joe McCall, was a church minister, and the choir was where Ezekiel discovered his passion.
“It wasn’t until about 8th or 9th grade when I first began to sing solos,” he said. “I was a nerdy art kid and my gifts made room for me.”
Always drawing, writing or singing, he was inspired by anything creative – and he was good at it. Really good.
“The thing about the Delta is that there aren’t a lot of opportunities,” he said. “My school was fine, but I had the abilities to do more if I was given the opportunity”
Ezekiel was in his sophomore year at Leflore County High School in Greenwood when his English teacher recognized his abilities and encouraged him to apply for a new arts school that was being created. That school was the Mississippi School for the Arts.
The decision to allow him to apply was a tough one for his parents. The thought of their young son leaving home to pursue his dream of performing was scary, but they knew that if Ezekiel was going to have the kind of career he so desired he would have to leave home.
“I remember working on my audition piece,” he said. “I sang ‘Ol’ Man River’ and it turned out to be the link to starting a career I never could have imagined.”
Ezekiel was accepted into the Mississippi School for the Arts and his parents had to face the decision of allowing him to move away for a better educational opportunity. It was hard, but they did it, and Ezekiel moved to Brookhaven in 2004 to finish high school and perfect his craft.
“Looking back, that was the best decision my parents could have made for me because it gave me opportunities that I wouldn’t have had at my high
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