About VAUGHN LOWERY

James Charles Thompson, son of the late William Thompson, Sr. and Carrie E. Stroud was born on November 28, 1965, in Yonkers, NY. He departed this life on August 4, 2023, in New York, NY.

By invitation, James studied music at the Westchester Conservatory of Music and The Julliard School of Music before attending Elizabeth City State University, in North Carolina, where he graduated with a B.S. in Marketing/Business Admin and Music Performance in 1987. He later earned an M.B.A./Marketing & Media Management from Metropolitan College of New York.

Immediately after graduation from college, James began a multifaceted and stellar career as a media/music/radio executive, working at top firms. At Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, his keen perception and ability
to quickly size up a situation allowed him to rapidly rise to the position of a senior negotiator for multi-million dollar media contracts. At 3 other companies, Disney (WABC-AM), Viacom CBS (WCBS-AM)
and Bonneville Broadcasting (WNSR-FM), James distinguished himself as “National Sales Manager of the Year” for consecutive years in a row. He was a consistent top performer, due in large part to his warmness and uncanny ability to connect with his clients.

At Emmis Communications (WQHT Hot97-FM), James successfully transitioned from his initial position as Account Executive to Community Relations Director, where he excelled in partnering with government agencies to create community-based initiatives in literacy, mental health and child protection. For example, he negotiated a sponsorship from L’Oréal and SONY to create a widely acclaimed, museum retrospective that featured R&B and hip-hop artists as well as international superstar, Beyoncé. He later moved on to Reach Media Inc., the umbrella organization of the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” and The Tom Joyner Foundation. As a Community and Health Account Director at Reach Media, he continued outreach to the community by securing sponsorships and philanthropic funding for health-based Tom Joyner campaigns, like the annual “Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day.” As a result of these work experiences, a seed was planted in his heart one day to create a non-profit organization to address unmet community needs.

James’ love for singing and sharing the Gospel through song continued to burn within him. He was blessed with a rich, baritone voice and an impressive 4-octave range that equipped him as a gospel recording artist. His passion for singing and songwriting found expression when he formed the gospel ensemble, Beyond Blessed, and developed a start-up music recording label, Beyond Blessed Music. Two of the songs written
by “JC” Thompson were featured on the 98.7 Kiss FM gospel music CD compilation “A Night of Healing” in 2006, alongside gospel favorites by Kirk Franklin, Kelly Price, and Fred Hammond. Under the Beyond Blessed Music label, the ensemble produced 4 full-length music albums. Because of his warm-hearted and generous spirit, JC Thompson offered his group for concerts to benefit Livingstone College, Salisbury, NC, and St. Catherine AME Zion Church, New Rochelle, NY, where he and his mother were members. Two of the most memorable benefit concerts were held in Manhattan: “The Gospel on Broadway” Concert in 2006 at the Peter Norton Symphony Space Theatre and “The Praise Party” Concert in 2008 at the Apollo Theater. To extend into the video recording business, JC Thompson open another start-up, Monarch Music & Video Recordings LLC, through which he released 2 full-length films in 2020, “Building Love in the Age of Hate” and “It’sAlive365!”

A precocious boy, James’ abundant musical talents, were evident before he was 6 yrs old.  His “Nana” Rina B. Crutchfield, a Gospel music promoter, encouraged James to join with his siblings to form a gospel
group known as “The Cherubs,” where he was lead vocalist. By age 12, he was directing choirs and writing music. His family moved to New Rochelle, NY, where throughout his high school years, he won the Music-Vocal category of the NAACP ACTSO competition. He graduated from New Rochelle High School in 1983.

James had an unwavering faith and trust in God. He explained that in 2013, God began a special move in his life, calling him to evangelize. As a man of action, James put things on hold to embark on a spiritual journey and mission that led him to receive a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary, NYC. Two years later, he earned a Doctorate degree in Ministry from The New Seminary for Interfaith Studies, NYC, and was ordained as a minister. He volunteered as Chaplain with the Police Clergy Council at the NYPD 28th Precinct.

About that time, the seed of interest in non-profit work began to blossom in his heart. After taking a M.S. in Non-Profit Leadership from Fordham University, he launched The Faith Centre NYC, under the umbrella of theGreater.org. The Faith Centre NYC funded scholarships for college-bound students through the organization’s “Thompson Family Trust” and was active in advocating for health and food vulnerability issues in Harlem and the Bronx through the company’s “The Burning Bush” division.

James had a special way with people. Super-social and gregarious, he could start a conversation with you where you felt that you were the most important person in the room. Fun-loving and playful, James was a favorite uncle of his nieces and nephews of all ages. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS, a.k.a. The Grammy Awards). James avidly supported activities that helped the community through his lifetime membership in the NAACP and as a member of the National Urban League and Manhattan Community Board 10.

James leaves to mourn his loss and cherish his memory two sisters, G. Marie Thompson and Ramona B. Thompson Reittie; two brothers, William (Byl) H. Thompson, Jr. and John A. Thompson II; a sister-in-law, Andrea Mackey Thompson; nieces and nephews, Sir-Justin L. Reittie (Edith), Alyssa J. Thompson, John
A. Thompson III (Toyia), and William Andrew James Thompson; grandnephews and grandnieces: Aliyah, Madison, Logan, Ania, Michael, Jeremiah, Malachi, Daniel, Elijh, Jasmine, John IV, and Ethan.  He is
also survived by a loving aunt, Hattie Stevens, a dear cousin, Delilah Holmes, other cousins and relatives, colleagues, and friends, who will miss him dearly.