Award-winning actor James Earl Jones – native Mississippian – said ‘goodbye’ to his fans

By Janice K. Neal-Vincent, Ph.D.,
Contributing Writer,

Famed James Earl Jones was born in Arkabutla, Miss. on January 17, 1931. A giant who walked the earth, he learned early-on how to fight his stutter with his love of expressing poetry and acting. His bass voice was one of distinction that drew numerous fans across decades. Noted Wikipedia, “His deep voice was praised as a ‘stirring basso profondo that has lent gravel and gravitas to his projects.’”
In the Star Wars franchise and the tagline for CNN, it is the voice of Jones that we hear. Lincoln Portrait yields to the voice of Jones, backed by Aaron Copeland’s music. In the play Sunrise at Campobello (1957) we find that golden voice. His was a voice that brought Jones to prominence and swept fans off their feet in numerous productions such as Shakespeare in the Park (Othello, Hamlet, Coriolanus and King Lear).
That deep voice lent itself to Jones’ character as a boxer in The Great White Hope (1968). This work landed him a Tony Award for Best Actor. Jones kept going, and he reprised The Great White Hope in the 1970 film adaptation which brought him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. It was Claudine, however, that brought Jones a Golden Globe Award.
Seriously holding firm to his acting career, Jones won his second Tony Award for Best Actor in August Wilson’s Fences (1987). Then in 1997, the leading actor gained international fame for his voice role as Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise.
Among other Broadway performances are On Golden Pond (2005); the Gore Vidal play; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008); Driving Miss Daisy (2010-2011); The Best Man (2012); You Can’t Take It with You (2014); and The Gin Game (2015-2016).
One of America’s most distinguished and versatile actors, Jones starred in The Man (1972); Conan the Barbarian (1982); Matewan (1987); Coming to America (1988); Field of Dreams (1989); The Hunt for Red October (1990); Sneakers (1992); The Sandlot (1993); and Cry the Beloved Country (1995).
Additionally, we find Jones receiving eight Primetime Emmy Awards nominations winning twice for the characters he played in the thriller film Heat Wave (1990) and the crime scenes in Gabriel’s Fire (1991). While there are other citations of the distinguished actors’ abilities in the world of film, these are a few that stand out.
A lover of the arts, Jones received the National Medal of the Arts by President George H.W. Bush (1992). He won two primetime Emmys (1991) as Best Actor in Gabriel’s Fire and as Best Supporting Actor in Heat Wave. His impressive track record left many spellbound as he ventured in the first episode of Hanna-Barbera’s The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible. Jones even hosted a children’s TV series Long Ago and Far Away ((1989 to 1992).
Within his established career, the award-winning actor was a recipient of a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word album for Great American Documents (1977).
He made a number of television appearances as a star. For instance, the critically acclaimed TV mini-series sequel Roots: The Next Generations by Alex Haley, ushered him to the spotlight.
Continuing in the spotlight, in 1993, Jones – backed by the Morgan State University choir – did a spoken word rendition of the U.S. national anthem. Backed by Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the leader woke audiences up with his recitation of Ernest Taylor’s classic baseball poem, Casey at the Bat (1996). Then in 2007, he performed the poem before a crowd at a Philadelphia Phillies home game.
We remember some of Jones’ quotes as he dealt with humanity: “If you expect someone else to guide you, you’ll be lost;” “One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can’t utter;” “Your own need to be shines out of any dream or creation you imagine;” and “Don’t you try and go through life worried if someone likes you or not. You best make sure that they are doing right by you.”
James Earl Jones, “a groundbreaker and pioneer for African Americans” on stage, television and film, died on September 9, 2024, at his home in Pawling, New York at the age of 93. His remarkable voice still speaks to those of us who are left behind. We have much to ponder about our own sense of direction, as we remember this accomplished career-oriented and serious-minded diamond.