Julie McKnight was born to be a performer. She grew up around famous musicians who encouraged her in Los Angeles. But a pregnancy in college, and an early marriage to Brian McKnight who would eventually become a successful R&B singer, threatened to derail Julie’s career. Like many women, her dreams took a backseat to family. But eventually, she found the strength to break out on her own as a single mother of two young boys. She’s traveled all over the world singing with her band, 9th Street Protocol. Being a singer is just one of the many layers to Julie—she has also worked in therapeutic counseling in the foster care system and has taught preschoolers. She and her extended family have been foster parents to hundreds of children. She has a nonprofit called Carolina’s Child which brings the arts to inner-city youth. Julie has written about her unique blended family in a book called “Mama Bear” which details her journey to create relationships between her children and McKnight’s children with other women. Julie is kind and vivacious, but most of all, she radiates joy in everything she does.