Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Starting Out ……………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Lessons Learned ……………………………………………………………………………. 4
What to Believe ……………………………………………………………………………. 6
The Entrepreneur …………………………………………………………………………… 7
Contributions ………………………………………………………………………………… 9
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………… 9
References …………………………………………………………………………………… 11
Abstract
In 2000 the gospel musical I Can Do Bad All by Myself hit stages across the country and especially in Georgia, the beloved older grandmother-like character captured the funny bones of millions and Tyler Perry knew at that point he had made it. Since 1992 he had been producing, directing and starring in the gospel play I Know I’ve Been Changed which he had written but although he had quality material and performers he still did not have the success he was aiming for until 1998. Before becoming “Tyler Perry the most powerful entertainer in Black America” (Childs, 2012) he had to overcome many obstacles and forgive transgressions of others. Tyler was a high school drop-out who eventually earned a GED when statistics have proven that he never should have been a multi-millionaire. He changed his name from Emmitt Perry Jr. at the age of 16 years old in order to distinguish himself from his father.
Starting Out Tyler Perry was born September 13, 1969, in Harvey, Louisiana near New Orleans. As a child he suffered many years of physical and verbal abuse at the hands of his father whom unknowingly inspired his reason to be creative. Around 1990 Tyler saw an episode of Oprah Winfrey that encouraged victims of child abuse to express their feelings through writings which should lead to forgiveness, so he began to write letters to himself. All of these letters composed together resulted in his first play in 1992, I Know I’ve Been Changed which distinguished him from other playwrights and producers who