JayDon

JayDon McCrary, known alternately as both JD McCrary and JayDon, is a singer, dancer, and actor whose music is in the pop-flavored contemporary R&B tradition of Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, and Usher. McCrary established himself with a handful of television roles and released his first recordings at the tail end of the 2010s, as he co-starred on the Tyler Perry sitcom The Paynes, appeared in Tina Gordon's Little, and provided the voice for cub-aged Simba in The Lion King. After roles in 13: The Musical and Wish, McCrary signed a joint recording deal with Mega and Gamma, and put together his first full-length, Me My Songs & I, issued in 2025.

A native Californian born in Granada Hills, McCrary made his first televised appearances on a couple episodes of the Disney Channel's KC Undercover. Shortly thereafter, he provided a vocal solo on Childish Gambino's "Terrified." In 2018, McCrary landed a co-starring role on The Paynes and released his amiable first two singles, "Inviting All of You" and "My Name." Around the time he was featured in the 2019 remake of The Lion King and portrayed Michael Jackson in an episode of BET's American Soul, McCrary briefly joined the roster of the Disney-owned Hollywood Records and released Shine, his first EP. After a handful of independent singles over the next several years -- during which he was in 13: The Musical and Wish -- McCrary linked with L.A. Reid and Usher's Mega label and Larry Jackson's Gamma venture, and in 2024 issued "Ah! Ah!" (featuring 310babii), the first single under the joint arrangement. The rollout for McCrary's debut album began on Valentine's Day 2025 with the release of the Paradise collaboration "Lullaby." A few additional previews arrived before the October release of Me My Songs & I, a confident set of modern R&B. ~ Andy Kellman