"Me and My Hero"

Rusty Ryan Star Athlete and Black Pioneer who integrated the South's Segregated Shelby County School System in 1968.

Hi, my name is James "Romeo" Ryan. I was born December the 14th 1964 to Hazel & Russell Ryan. I was blessed to have been born in a beautiful little country town located in Shelby County, Alabama called Calera. When I was just 16 years old my mother passed away with leukemia, in 1981 she went home to be with the Lord in Heaven and I went off to live with my oldest brother and hero Rusty Ryan who at that time was in the United States Army and stationed at Fort Benning, Columbus Georgia. I started my first Rap group there. It was a Christian Rap Group known as The American Boy's with my best friend Trevor "Casanova" McClendon in 1984. In 1987 I began performing as a solo Rap artist known as Christian Rapper Romeo Ryan. I got the nickname Romeo while attending High School in Pelham Alabama. The name Romeo was given to me by my English teacher Mrs. Terry Bressler. Later I was given the nickname "Rappin Romeo" by Rick and Bubba, two radio talk show hosts from Gadsden Alabama a.k.a. "The two Sexiest Fat Men alive." My Rap group "The American Boy's" once was the opening act for their band formerly known as Mr. Lucky. Then my Son Michael a.k.a "M.C. Mike Mike"& myself went on to win the Rick and Bubba National Talent Search in Nashville Tennessee in 2001. I made my television debut just like the famous Tammy Wynette did on the Country Boy Eddie Show in Birmingham Alabama in 1993. Then I decided to give acting a try in New York City where I made appearances on the Ricky Lake Show, Montel Williams, Forgive and Forget with Mother Love and also with host Robin Givins, the Joy Brown Show, the Jenny Jones Show and The Judge Hatchett Pilot Show where I had the opportunity to embarrass my beautiful, sweet wife of 26 years; Patti Sue. For over 30 years now I have been blessed by the Lord to entertain and witness at Schools, Church's, Youth Detentions, Prisons, State Fairs and Family Reunions while being financially supported by family and friends but mainly being sponsored by my late brother and Hero Arvis Earl Ryan better known as Rusty. Rusty is the star and Hero in the book "Me and My Hero."