JayDon, formerly known as JD McCrary has been gaining attention for his vocals, dancing, and stage performances. From his onstage personality to his work behind the cameras, this article will give you facts about singer and dancer JayDon that you might find surprising.
The rising star, legally known as JayDon Howard McCrary, has fans hooked on his tracks and dance steps. His debut album titled Me, My Songs and I was released in 2025 under labels: Zoo, Mega, and Gamma.
Recently, he has been busy promoting his new single, teasing a remix of his lead track “Lullaby” from his 2025 mixtape. He featured legendary singer Usher on the recently released track. His aura on stages has fans playing his videos on repeat. But who is Jaydon? Here are surprising things you didn’t know about JayDon McCrary.
5 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Jaydon McCrary
1. His real name is his stage name
JayDon formerly went by the stage name JD McCrary. It wasn’t until November 2024 that he changed it. He explained the reason for the name change in an interview, saying, “It is not that I really changed it, I just went back to it (real name).” He continued, “Everything in my music, my dancing, and my personality is all just me. I feel like I shouldn’t even have to have a stage name; I should just go by my real name. My name is JayDon, so here it is.”
2. He is a voice actor
JD’s first role as a voice actor goes back to 2019, when he played the role of Young Simba in The Lion King. He starred alongside Childish Gambino, who voiced the Adult Simba, among others. JD and Gambino grew closer on set, additionally receiving advice from him following over a decade of experience. “He said to stay true to what you want to do with a song,” JD shared to Variety.
3. The youngest Disney-signed artist
JD had always been talented, and Disney acknowledged this by signing him as an artist at just the age of 11. He became the youngest singer to be on Hollywood Records in 2018. He joined Disney Music Group family joining artists such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and the Jonas Brothers.
4. He’s a relative of Darius McCrary
JD’s acting skills have been obvious from an early age of 8, leading to his appearance on the comedy series, ‘K.C. Undercover’. JayDon is not the only talent in the family. Darius McCrary and Donovan McCrary (known for playing Young Ricky in ‘Boyz N The Hood’) are his older cousins.
5. He is signed by Usher and L.A. Reid
JD, who is with Gamma, was recruited at 17 into Mega, a record label co-owned by Usher and L.A. Reid. The next-rated R&B singer will learn from both music icons while working with both labels to push his music globally. L.A. Reid complimented JayDon’s talent, further sharing his excitement to work with him. L.A. Reid declared, “JayDon is a generational rarity and an entertainment phenomenon with musical brilliance evident from his earliest days. We are thrilled to support his promising career as he begins this new chapter with us at Mega.”
Have you listened to his new project? Let us know what you think of JayDon?
Image Credit: Kevin Winter / Staff | Getty Images
