ORVILLE THE POET
Born in Takoma Park, MD by the way of Jamaica, Orville is known for his charismatic, confident, goal-driven mindset, and his passion for poetry. Using his pen to get him through life experiences, Orville uses his passion for the arts to raise awareness, speak vivid truths, and uplift his community.
Before there was poetry, there was his passion for playing basketball with hopes of playing in the NBA. However, he soon found out that his path was poetry and his way of giving back to his community was through spoken word. With the support of his family and community, Orville has performed in venues throughout the United States. Such as White House during the Obama Administration, Macy’s in Washington, DC, Apache, all of the Busboys and Poets, several art galleries, weddings and more. He has also been on several tours such as the ART IS life Tour and the Just Mike Love and Poetry Tour.
Orville is currently a brand ambassador for Sports Zone Elite, Poet Life, Boshok and Fighting Cancer with Poetry. He loves representing all of these brands, however, Fighting Cancer with Poetry is very dear to his heart. In 2015 his mom was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma Cancer and on August 5, 2015, his mom transitioned. The news was a complete shock to Orville and his family and at the moment the words “fighting cancer with poetry” became real. Wanting to quit poetry, his mom left him and his brothers' letters and in his letter, Lorna (Orville’s mom) simply said, “DO NOT QUIT”. Since then Orville has taken his artistry to the next level; developed a Statement T-Shirt line catered for those affected by cancer, produced his first album, and participated in a documentary catered towards his career.
Orville is more than a poet or more than a host, he’s a philanthropist, educator, brand ambassador, and influencer. With his motto, “sharing my heART through this ART”, Orville is using his mother’s spirit as his strength and bringing people closer through his words.