ICONIC October 2015 | Page 24

I was born in Portsmouth, Virginia on February 15, 1973 to Curtis and Margaret Ford. I was educated in the Portsmouth School System. At the age of 12, I began to play the saxophone. By age 15, I was a freshman at I.C. Norcom High School and was part of the marching band. I also started to play at the church that I attended. The church was The Garden of Prayer Temple. My pastor was the late Bishop L. E. Willis, Sr. While in the concert band in at I.C. Norcom, I held first chair. I also was the second chair saxophonist in the Virginia State Senior Regional Band 1989. While attending The Garden of Prayer Temple, I had the opportunity to be in workshops with top gospel artist such as Pastor John P. Kee, the late Pastor Timothy Wright, and the late Melvin Crispell.

While in my sophomore year in high school, I transferred to a rival high school in Portsmouth by the name of Manor High School. It was there that the band staff was so impressed that they made me band manager. I also was the lead sax player in the school's jazz band which was dubbed "The Pep Posse". We made our debut at the Virginia High School Basketball Association Tournament which took place at William and Mary Hall at The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1990.

Upon my completion of high school in 1991, I continued to play at church functions and outside functions. In 1998, I attended Computer Dynamics Institute with the emphasis on Computer Networking. While in school, I had a part-time job at a music store in Virginia Beach, Va called Mars. I was a sales associate in the Band and Orchestra department. While working there, I wrote a song entitled "I Will Never Leave You" for producer Tom Hartman of Hilltop Records in Hollywood, California. Upon graduating from CDI, I was hired as a Production Operator at Dominion Semi Conductor in Manassas, Virginia. I moved there in July 1999. I returned to Portsmouth in November 1999.

In October in 2014, I launched a management company. I called the company Belcur Entertainment Group, LLC. My wife, Diantha M. Ford, was made President, a friend Kevin Josie was made GM/Registered Agent, and my sister Laquiste Ransome, is VIce President. She is running our satellite office out of College Park, GA.

Our company is doing very well now. One of our artist, Heave R.A.N.E, had a single released on June 11, 2015 called "Westcoast Party". It will be featured on the Trend City Radio Show in Los Angeles, California. It will soon be in rotation in Jacksonville, Florida. The single is available on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, YouTube Music, Rdio, Shazam, and iHeartRadio.

Booking Information contact:

BELCUR ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, LLC.

P. O. BOX 3194

PORTSMOUTH, VA 23701

757.295.8535

[email protected]