“To Infinity through Perseverance”

Sometimes it’s not a matter of how, but when. And even after that it’s not a matter of when, but for how long? I’m sure if you asked the latter question to Jeff Moonie Jr., it wouldn't be hard to find an answer, to infinity through perseverance.

It’s a 2005 summer night in downtown Charlotte. I’m not afraid to admit it now but frankly it was my first time being in that specific area, looking up at the gigantic buildings that make up part of the Charlotte, North Carolina skyline. The exact location escapes me but most likely somewhere on Tryon, go figure. It was also the first time I met Jeff the musical artist, the film writer/producer/editor, the talent.

But unless you sat down and had a conversation with him you wouldn’t know that there was more to the boxing fan and collector of every hip hop magazine ever published or at least it seemed that way to me. I recollect seeing pictures of the UNC alum’s (go HEELS) family members on his fireplace mantle and the only word that can come to my mind now is indescribable, because only he can find the right word or words to describe a delicate, yet precious pass, marred by the tragic death of sister, the lost of his father, and deferred dreams. I never asked him to find the words. I didn’t have too.

The hundreds of pictures that covered the walls of his creative and musical think tank up-stairs told even more stories, not to mention the words of encouragement from friends and followers who at some point in time stopped by to show their support and undoubtedly inspire productivity.

And that was just the beginning. While there are constant reminders of the past, deferred dreams are now becoming his reality. Jeff filmed a critically acclaimed documentary titled “Donor” in which he won top prize at the Asheville Film Festival in 2005 as it detailed his father’s fight and battle with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

Since then, the award –winning director, producer, writer, and editor has moved out to California, continuing to pursue his dreams, while impressing upon his followers those near and afar. Musically, under the stage name Jeff Lucky, he recently released an official leak from the upcoming album Soul Motivation. In addition, Jeff’s original songs and lyrics were featured in an episode of CBS’s Cold Case back in November 2009.

In addition to music, he’s continuing to make an impact through film with his company Dark Prometheus Films. Says Jeff in a phone interview from California, “I realized that I couldn’t do one without the other,” in reference to his passion for continuing work in both music and film. To see more of Jeff’s work, visit darkprofilms online at http://www.darkprofilms.com/.  

And on that cool summer evening… that started for me with a drive through the breezy mountains of Asheville, NC from Tennessee, to meeting up with a few fraternity brothers exploring downtown of the Queen City, refusing to pay to enter a night spot where the cover was not in the budget of a grad student and a couple of undergrads…we waited! Soon after I would first learn of Jeff’s perseverance as we all pitched in to help sell CD’s of the well received Love Letters the E.P. out of the front seat of his black Ford Explorer. And it was right then and there I realized the potential. The same potential Jeff already knew existed.

Written by Ni-Eric for http://www.itoodream.blogspot.com/