Creative
Team.

Dr. Deanna Brown-Thomas is a music and media luminary, humanitarian, and entrepreneur — and the daughter of the legendary Godfather of Soul, James Brown. She is the President of The James Brown Family Foundation (JBFF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit established in accordance with Mr. Brown’s wishes, through which she leads the Annual James Brown Turkey and Toy Giveaways in Augusta, Georgia, and serves as Ambassador for Feed the Hungry.

In 2011 she founded The James Brown Academy of Musik Pupils (JAMP), a year-round musical “village” nurturing young talent through instrumental training, music theory, and original production. In 2016 she launched The James Brown Family Historical Tour in Augusta. Her entrepreneurial portfolio includes Deanna Inc., parent company of T&T Transportation, DeShawn’s Seafood, and Val-U Furniture.

Her industry credentials are deep and lived. As Executive Vice-President of James Brown Enterprises, she worked side-by-side with her father; she consulted on the world premiere of the biopic Get On Up, consulted on the HBO documentary The Rise of James Brown, and produced the A&E documentary Say It Loud. A SAG film actress (New York Undercover, Blues Brothers 2000), she holds a bachelor’s degree from Towson State University and an FCC License from Columbia School of Broadcasting, with a broadcasting career spanning Radio-One, Clear Channel, Brown Broadcasting, and WRDW TV (CBS affiliate Augusta). A Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., she serves on the board of the Augusta Museum of History, where she spearheaded the largest exhibit of James Brown memorabilia in existence. She holds an honorary Doctorate in Christian Humanitarian from The School of The Great Commission Bible College and Seminary.

Jeremy E. Cormier is the Director, Co-Book Writer, and Lead Producer of James Brown The Musical — a production he has spent the last few years developing alongside Deanna Brown-Thomas. As a board member of the James Brown Family Foundation, his connection to this story runs deeper than any creative brief or development deal: it is built on years of trust, cultural stewardship, and shared purpose.

A graduate of Morehouse College (BA, Business Administration) and South University (MBA), Cormier spent a decade as a Financial Analyst managing a $1.8 billion portfolio for the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority before channeling that same rigor into entertainment production — a crossover that shapes his directing in measurable ways. He arrives at the creative process fluent in both artistic vision and executive discipline, equally at home in a design presentation and a budget review.

His regional theater producing credits span some of the most celebrated works in the Black American theatrical canon. Through Dominion Entertainment Group, he served as Company Manager and Associate Producer on productions including Dreamgirls, A Raisin in the Sun, Black Nativity, Mahalia, Crowns, and Chicken & Biscuits. As Business Manager at Dynamite Productions, he built additional fluency in musical theater operations across Motown Revue, Cotton Club, A Soulful Christmas, and Cindy The Musical.

As CEO and Executive Producer of Jeremy Cormier Presents LLC since 2015, he has directed and produced original musicals including It’s A New Day and Even A Good Man Is Tempted, alongside major live events for artists, civic organizations, and cultural institutions across Atlanta. His large-scale touring credits include serving as Production Coordinator for Janet Jackson’s Together Again Tour, the Essence Music Festival, and the Cincinnati Music Festival.

His relationship with James Brown’s legacy reaches back to 2007. Cormier serves on the boards of the James Brown Family Foundation and the Dominion Arts Foundation.