Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 554

Tonights special guest is Justin Smith from New jersey, a child abuse survivor whos found his healing through music. He calls himself "J.Mello" these days, but that wasnt always the case. In his own words, "I cant lie: my parents had money. But just because you grow up with money, doesnt mean life was all shopping malls and Tiffany and Co. China sets. Your parents can have millions in the bank, but that doesnt mean nothing if all you get for Christmas is ornament thrown at you and a Grinch for a father." He continues, "My mother and siblings knew what was going on, but as long as the credit card worked, they didnt wanna stop the Celebration. Growing up, I tried to forget about all this stuff, but it kept coming up. I lashed out a lot as a teenager - messed around with drugs, bounced in and out of juvenile homes, was homeless here and there. Hell, I even did a year and a half in jail." Justin reveals hed "been sexually molested by nanny, handcuffed to a fence and beaten with a rock, over and over while my mother just watched. That's when the music really took over my life and I realized that [music] was my therapy. See, music's in my blood. My dad co-founded Kool and the Gang." Two of Justins own tracks are “Torture” and “One More Try.” He concludes by asserting, "I hope to break the silence of those that have had similar experiences and let my album be an outlet for those who went through what I went through!" Please see: www.jmellorock.com

Justin Smith