Jayne Kennedy: Coming Home and Telling Stories

 
 
 
 

Doors open at 5:00pm, with the storytelling beginning promptly at 7:00pm

• Weekly series combining great food with great stories about Cleveland’s past
• FREE ADMISSION – NO COVER CHARGE
• In addition to our regular menu, we will be offering affordable specials on these nights

Story topic this week…

Jayne Kennedy: Coming Home and Telling Stories

Don’t miss a powerful evening with trailblazer Jayne Kennedy – legendary sportscaster, actress, producer, and author – as she shares stories from her years growing up in Cleveland and Wickliffe to her groundbreaking career and upcoming memoir Plain Jayne. The Wickliffe High School graduate was a star student and role model. She even worked at the May Company’s Teen Fashion Board! One of six children, she was a standout in her school as captain of the varsity cheerleaders, National Honor Society member, and two-time class president. In 1970, Kennedy – when she was a senior at Wickliffe High School – was elected Vice President of The United States at Girls Nation and crowned Miss Ohio USA. From breaking barriers on The NFL Today to inspiring generations through film, fitness, and activism, Jayne’s journey is as iconic as it is empowering. Be part of this unforgettable conversation with a true American pioneer while she is in town to receive special recognition awards from both Mayor Bibb and Wickliffe’s Mayor Sakacs.

Jayne Kennedy Bio

Jayne Kennedy is a trailblazing icon whose influence spans television, film, sports broadcasting, fitness, and philanthropy. Rising to fame in the 1970s and ’80s, she shattered barriers as one of the first African-American women to host a national sports show – CBS’s The NFL Today – earning an Emmy and redefining women’s roles in sports media. Her groundbreaking career was recently honored in the Emmy-winning Super Bowl LIX special You Are Looking Live! and in 2018 she was commemorated at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture alongside legends like Nat King Cole and Diana Ross in their Oprah Winfrey wing.

Beyond sports, Jayne produced and starred in award-winning films (Body and Soul, for which she won Best Actress), launched a top-selling fitness video series (Love Your Body), and served as a corporate spokesperson for major global brands such as Coca-Cola and Revlon. She co-hosted the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon for 17 years, helping raise $7.5 billion for children’s hospitals. Her recent accolades include the NSMA Roone Arledge Award for Innovation, as well as the 2025 Pioneer Awards from both GreenLight Women and NABJ, the latter of which she will be receiving while visiting Cleveland this August.

Now entering a new creative chapter, Jayne is preparing for the release of her memoir, Plain Jayne, under Disney’s Andscape imprint and Audible, with biopic and documentary projects in development. A true pioneer and enduring inspiration, Jayne Kennedy continues to shape the landscape for women and people of color in media, sports, and beyond!

The goal of the Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is to bring to life some of the fun, interesting stories about Cleveland’s past – from sports, to rock ‘n roll, to Millionaire’s Row, — the series will focus on tidbits from Cleveland’s past that will really thrill the audience. The Music Box is presenting this series in partnership with the Western Reserve Historical Society’s new Cleveland History Center. We think the Cleveland History Center is one of the most important museums in Cleveland. An unknown gem that Clevelanders should know more about, and support. It is the only museum in Cleveland dedicated to preserving and documenting the history of Cleveland. The Cleveland History Center includes two mansions, the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum, Chisholm Halle Costume Wing, Research Library, Kidzibits Hands-On Gallery, rotating exhibitions, and the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel.