BY THERESA O'NEAL
how we met
In July 2013, I invited R&B singer Melisa Morgan to attend a 4th of July yacht cruise hosted by Mona Scott Young and Nicki Minaj on the Hudson River in New York City. Melisa was so grateful for the invitation that she in return invited me to be a guest at her show the following weekend at BB King’s in Times Square.
I wasn’t in the mood to attend but decided to go anyway. I was actually a bit sad because Mona and a few of our other girlfriends were heading to Jamaica for a girl’s trip and I had to stay in New York City for work.
I wasn’t even aware of who else was going to appear that evening but I figured it was better than staying home. I arrived at BB King’s and stayed for a few moments as the place began to fill up with familiar faces. At some point, I decided to leave and headed up the stairs only to be stopped by a friend who told me to turn around and follow him back downstairs.
I ended up backstage talking with familiar acquaintances and this amazingly handsome man named Jeff Redd walks over to me with a fantastic smile. He had just finished performing. He said, “You’re beautiful!” I immediately responded, “You’re beautiful too!” We took a photo together and exchanged contact information.
The next day he sent a text message with the picture of us both and wrote “pretty nice”. We spoke every daily for the next 7 days and went on our first date a week later. We had dinner in Harlem and then walked to a nearby venue where he was performing. Before we walked over, Jeff dropped to one knee to help me put on my sandals. We held hands the entire way. He kissed me before we entered the venue and as the rain fell gently on us. Very romantic!
Jeff sang in front of an audience with a live band. I found him to be so very handsome and charming. He took a bow after his performance and walked back to our table near the stage. In front of everyone, he said, “I love you” and kissed me! I said “I love you too”. I knew in my heart that night that he was the one! The man that I had been waiting for.
That weekend was truly the beginning of a lovely, lasting relationship which has blossomed over the last 8 years. Like any other, we have had our shares of ups and downs, growing pains and challenges. What we have today is a solid foundation built on trust, love and a renewed sense of purpose.
On February 14, 2021, Jeff surprised me with a beautiful engagement ring, and just like the night of our first date, he dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. We were in Atlantic City for one of his performances and it was a magical and romantic evening.
The next day was even more memorable as he drove directly to my father’s home to ask for his blessing. My son was thrilled and has agreed to walk me down the aisle when the time comes. We were also given a wonderful blessing that same afternoon by my cousin Chris who passed away two months later.
Together, we have 6 sons who will become part of our new blended family. Calvin, Christian, Jeffrey (Jarrell), Jai, Jaie and Jadon. We look forward to a lifetime filled with much love and happiness!
