This past week the newest Sean 'Diddy' Combs reality show hit the small screen on MTV's latest edition of his "Making the Band" - only this time there's a twist. Diddy isn't looking to make just any band, he's looking to make HIS band. The new program has scoured the country looking for talented musicians to back-up Diddy on his latest tour and album called "Last Train To Paris."
One of the contesants on the hot list on this new show is none-other than Chicago native Jaila Simms, a transgendered vocalist vying to sing back-up for Diddy. I had the chance to talk with her briefly to find out more about this Chicago enigma.
In doing research for this article I tried to find information about Jaila so that I could ask relevant questions, but I found out there's very little information out there, all I could find was a poor YouTube video of a promo for the show taped directly from the tv and a private Facebook account. And, apparently that's just the way Jaila likes it.
Growing up in Joliet, Jaila told me that she had a very supportive family and found her passion for music when she attended church and sang in the choir. When I asked Jaila, who always seems to have a laugh ready at her lips, what it was like growing up as a transgendered person in the burbs of Chicago she told me that she has always had the support of her family, especially her mother and grandmother. Growing up she had the same role models as any other young girl would have, such as Whitney Houston, Faith Evans and Mariah Carey, but she wasn't any other young girl, she was a boy who wanted desperately to be girl! When she got to high school she fell in love with performing and set her eyes on lights of New York where she eventually moved. While in there she worked as a back-up vocalist adding her voice for numerous projects.
Jaila said that she gets a lot of support from the local LGBT community and loves hanging out in Lakeview, but hasn't yet "come out" as a transgendered artist, instead letting her talent and skills speak for themeselves. Apparently it's working, there have already been reports from the first show that Jaila has the voice to beat!
Reality TV has become a part of our daily lives and I asked Jaila what it was like to be on a such a show she said that she feels as though she has been blessed to be involved in such a project. She enjoyed being surrounded by all of the talent possessed by the other contestants and that enjoyed the fact that everyone had their eyes all set on the same goal, to be on "The Last Train to Paris" with Diddy. She wasn't worried about how she may be "edited" by the directors/producers and said "At the end of the day, I lived and I did my best and I'm doing my best and continue to do my best and hope that America is able to see that above all the drama or the love or above anything that me just doing my best."
What does Jaila hope the the typical viewing audience will think of her during her regin on the show? She hopes that she will give them a good view of the life of a transgendered person, as she put it "they've seen the gay view, the straight view and I hope now they'll get to see the transgendered view and realize that my life is the same as theirs, that we all want the same things to accomplish the same goals."
When I asked Jaila about wha the impression viewers might get from her on the show, for the first time she hesitated, taking a few seconds to think it through. She then laughed and blurted out "That I'm glamorous," she laughed nervously and continued, "I want them to remember my determination, to see my talent, to see the gift that god gave me and that I want to share with everyone. I want people to see me on Stage, as a backup singer for Diddy."
I jokingly asked Jaila if she has had a problem "keeping the secret" about who made it onto Diddy's band. She laughed again and said "Honey, this secret was nothing to keep. Secrets with me are ok, because for so long 'I want to be a girl, I want to be a girl' was the biggest secret ever. So keeping this secret is no problem at all!"
Good Luck Jaila!!!!
Filed under: Music, Television
Tags: diddy, jaila simms, making his band, mtv, sean combs, transgendered, WBTD archives
@Matt - I didn't mean it in a bad way, I just meant that there is very little known about this Chicago performer who has a great talent. She is a mystery.