RJ Griffith

Ramone Javon Griffith, professionally known as RJ Griffith, is a Chicago-area singer-songwriter, actor, and entertainer whose career spans music, television, film, theater, advertising, sports entertainment, and community impact. A native of Bellwood, Illinois, RJ has built his career around an authentic commitment to positivity, resilience, and connection, using his voice and platform to encourage others to pursue their goals and find something positive even during life's most challenging moments.

Inspired by performers including Michael Jackson, James Brown, Luther Vandross, and Jamie Foxx, RJ discovered his passion for music at an early age. His vocal talent eventually earned him a collegiate choir scholarship at Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana, while performances at his local church gave him the opportunity to develop his stage presence in front of audiences numbering in the thousands. As his confidence as a performer grew, so did his desire to create original music with a purpose, leading him toward a catalog built around encouragement, perseverance, confidence, joy, and positive energy.

In 2016, RJ made the decision to pursue music full time during one of the most difficult periods of his life. After losing his job as an educator due to budget cuts and eventually having to sell his home, he turned those experiences into motivation rather than allowing them to define his future. From that period emerged “Good Day,” an uplifting anthem about choosing optimism in the face of adversity that would become the catalyst for his solo career and one of his signature songs.

“Good Day” became the foundation for RJ's A Good Day… EP and ultimately reached audiences far beyond traditional music platforms. The song was sync licensed for NBC's Kenan, appearing in Season 2 of the network comedy, and a modified version became the theme for FOX 32's Good Day Chicago newscast and promotional campaign. His music has also been featured across ABC, FOX, NBC, and WGN, played on Chicago radio, and heard in Kroger-owned stores across the country.

Those successes helped establish RJ's music as a natural fit for television, advertising, film, and branded content. His song “Haunted by My Past” was featured in the film The Assumptions, while other original music has continued to find placements across broadcast and commercial media. Expanding that side of his artistry even further, RJ contributed multiple original songs to the upcoming documentary Southshore Summer, created and recorded the film's original title track, and composed music for its score. The project highlights another dimension of his work as a songwriter and demonstrates his ability to create music specifically for visual storytelling.

RJ is also an active Voting Member of the Recording Academy/GRAMMYS, a distinction he has held since 2018, and continues to expand his catalog with new original music. He is currently preparing a consistent run of releases leading into his first full-length album, You're Too Positive, anticipated for 2027. The project represents the next evolution of the positive, uplifting message that has remained at the center of his music throughout his career.

While music remains at the heart of RJ's creative identity, his career has developed into something much broader. As an actor and theatrical performer, he has portrayed young Maurice White in Reasons: A Tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire and Smokey Robinson in The Real Housewives of Motown at Chicago's Black Ensemble Theater, in addition to appearing in The Other Cinderella. He later took on the role of the HardMan in The Choir of Man at Chicago's Apollo Theater before joining the show's national tour, performing for audiences across the country. RJ also appeared as Mitch Mahoney in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Indiana Repertory Theatre.

His on-camera career has grown alongside his stage work. RJ has appeared in commercial and advertising campaigns for recognizable brands, sports organizations, and companies including Chipotle, Amazon, the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Blackhawks, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Kraft Heinz, and others. These opportunities have allowed him to showcase the same personality, warmth, energy, and natural connection with audiences that define his live performances.

Sports have also become another extension of RJ's entertainment career. A lifelong baseball fan and player, he performs as a member of the Chicago Snowballs, a sportstainment baseball team that blends competitive baseball with comedy, crowd interaction, music, and live entertainment. The role brings together two longtime parts of RJ's life, athletics and performing, while introducing his personality to another audience.

RJ has also performed on major stages and at high-profile events, including a main-stage appearance at Summerfest in Milwaukee. His live résumé includes National Anthem performances for professional and collegiate sports organizations including the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, and UIC, as well as television performances on FOX Good Day Chicago, Daytime Chicago on WGN, and Later with Leon. His ability to move comfortably between original music, theatrical performances, national anthems, television appearances, and large-scale live events reflects the versatility that has become a defining element of his career.

That same commitment to positivity extends far beyond entertainment. RJ has performed and spoken at Obama Foundation events, Rainbow PUSH Coalition events, school assemblies, community programs, and anti-bullying conferences, using his personal experiences and music to encourage young people and underserved communities.

He ultimately transformed that mission into Positive Vibes Only, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization he founded to provide community outreach, youth programming, and creative opportunities throughout Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. Through charitable events, school initiatives, performances, and community partnerships, Positive Vibes Only gives RJ an opportunity to turn the message behind his music into tangible impact.

For RJ Griffith, music, acting, sports, and philanthropy are not separate pursuits. They are different ways of accomplishing the same goal: connecting with people and leaving them with something positive. As he enters the next chapter of his career with new music, expanded sync work, national-stage experience, acting projects, and the forthcoming You're Too Positive album, RJ continues to build a body of work defined by versatility, authenticity, and an unwavering belief in the power of positive energy.