THE NEW MURAL IN MCKEES ROCKS…(PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)
She’s featured on a new mural which aims to radiate positivity in borough
On a very cold day weather-wise in McKees Rocks, Shanice Wilson-Knox received the warmest of welcomes.
But rest assured, Wilson-Knox knows what the cold weather is like. Sure, she lives in California now. But Wilson-Knox was born and raised in McKees Rocks, lived in Hays Manor, attended schools like Holy Rosary, and always had her eye towards stardom.
Born Shanice Wilson on May 14, 1973, the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and actress who’s been in the public eye since the 1991 legendary song, “I Love Your Smile,” was released when she was 18, had a chance on Monday, Nov. 27, to return to Building 18, the building where she lived in Hays Manor, which is part of the Allegheny County Housing Authority.
“I’ve been crying all day, and they’re tears of joy,” Wilson-Knox told the New Pittsburgh Courier, moments after a humongous mural was unveiled on the side of the Sto-Rox Public Library/Father Ryan Arts Center on Chartiers Avenue. The mural depicts a phoenix rising over the cityscape of McKees Rocks. The portrait of Wilson-Knox was done by artist JoAnne Elliott-Pugh. Other artists largely responsible for the mural include Mary Sue Flick and Willie Dawson, with assistance from 12 local residents of McKees Rocks and Hays Manor.
PITTSBURGH’S OWN SHANICE WILSON-KNOX, a Grammy nominated artist, songwriter and actress, smiles in front of a mural of McKees Rocks which also honors her, as she lived in McKees Rocks as a child. (Photo by J.L. Martello)
About 100 people turned out for the mural dedication ceremony, and they all braved temperatures in the 30s, including Focus on Renewal board president Tammy Spencer Bey. Focus on Renewal is the non-profit organization that, for more than 50 years, strives to create opportunities for residents in McKees Rocks and Stowe Township to live a better life by “providing a range of programs and services delivered with dignity and respect,” according to its website. Focus on Renewal sponsored and hosted the mural dedication ceremony.
SHANICE SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS…(PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)
Bey said the event showed that “this is a community that’s not forgotten, that the people that live here or that came from here or that are here, they can dream and they can do big things, but they never forget where they came from.”
Bey recognized that sometimes, outsiders may think of McKees Rocks in a negative light. “Sometimes, maybe they do, but McKees Rocks is thriving, and you can see that by just the support with Shanice coming back and the mural that was done by community people,” she told the Courier.
SHANICE, RIGHT, WITH LAKESHA SILVER
In the music and entertainment world, you only have to say “Shanice” for people to know who you’re talking about. Putting “Shanice” into Google proves that. You’ll see everything Shanice Wilson-Knox, from her numerous albums like “Discovery,” “Inner Child” and “21…Ways To Grow,” to her songwriting credits, to her acting appearances, to photos with her husband, “Flex Alexander” (Mark Alexander Knox) and children, Imani and Elijah.
Wilson-Knox moved to Los Angeles when she was 8, and soon found herself singing on a number of television shows. She once sang Stephanie Mills’ “Home” at age 8, and then on the popular show “Star Search,” an 11-year-old Shanice could be seen singing Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All,” among other songs.
It was all the precursor to “I Love Your Smile,” a song that took over the radio airwaves in the early 1990s. In Pittsburgh, the song blared across WAMO-FM, the old B-94 (93.7) and MIX JAMZ (100.7). Pretty much overnight, the song skyrocketed to No. 1 in 22 countries.
From there, the positive rumors began across the entire region—the young woman singing the song is from Pittsburgh, though she had been living in California for 10 years when the song was released. Most people in Pittsburgh were unaware at the time that she was from the area, but longtime Hays Manor resident of 46 years Nicole Jones knew it. Jones told the Courier her mother and Shanice’s mother would hang out together back in the day.
“Hays Manor produced a lot of good people,” Jones said, like Shanice, former NBA player Myron Brown, and current NFL player Damar Hamlin, who spent time living in Hays Manor as a toddler.
“Hays Manor Strong, that’s just how we are,” Jones said.
SHANICE WITH MEMBERS OF MCKEES ROCKS AND HAYS MANOR (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)
“The idea behind this mural was to bring some love, spread some joy, to make people understand it’s a little bit better than we think it is, life isn’t really as bad as it might seem,” McKees Rocks mayor David Flick told the crowd. He then turned to Shanice. “Then we found about you.”
SHANICE WITH MCKEES ROCKS MAYOR DAVID FLICK
Jones made sure McKees Rocks officials knew Shanice Wilson-Knox was from “The Rox” and Hays Manor. That’s when Shanice’s portrait was painted on the mural along with her signature song title, “I Love Your Smile.”
Many members of Shanice’s family were in attendance for the event. Some residents of Hays Manor also got a chance to meet Shanice and take some selfies.
“I didn’t expect any of this, and even the success of ‘I Love Your Smile,’ when I put that record out, I didn’t expect that either,” Shanice told the Courier in an exclusive interview. She also applauded the things Focus on Renewal is doing to help the youth in McKees Rocks. “They showed me the arts program that they have, and the music and cooking and dance, and I just wish they would include that more in schools. They took music out of high schools and elementary schools and I think it’s needed.”
Not everything has been peachy in the 30-plus years that Shanice has been in the music industry. She told the Courier that “I’ve gone from Grammy nominations to nothing, and even during my down times, I didn’t mentally give up.”
During her speech outside the mural, Shanice encouraged everyone, especially young people, to go after your dreams. “Keep pushing…sometimes things don’t happen overnight, but it will eventually happen.”
Shanice added: “I am so proud of where I’m from.”
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