Meet Varleton McDonald and Jackie Bland the parents of American Idol star We Ani. Are they still married? How old are they? What do they do for a living?
The answer unfolds as this article proceeds.
American Idol: Who Are We Ani Parents?
American Idol star We Ani was born to her parents Jacqueline “Jackie” McDonald and Mack Varleton McDonald in January 1999. Growing up, she had to endure bullying for her appearance and her speaking voice. “I didn’t look like anybody there,” We told the seventh-grade students, referring to her school in New York City. “Everyone was smaller, had straight hair and all looked similar. Here I am, who had big, curly hair, glasses, acne, and chubby.”
We’s speaking voice was high-pitched, but when she had a microphone in her hand and sang, she sounded like a different person. She persuaded her father, Varleton McDonald, to sign her up for music classes after school at the Harlem School of the Arts. She took classes in opera, musical theory, jazz, pop, and soul. By age 16, she was singing at the Apollo Theater, going up against other up-and-coming singers.
Back in 2018, the McDonald family made headlines when they came forward saying that they don’t feel safe in Paterson, New Jersey neighborhood.
At the time, We was spending time recording music, attending high-profile shows, and living her dream after placing third on NBC’s The Voice (2016). But, Jackie and Mack shared that they felt their dream slipping away as their level of comfort in their neighborhood continues to shrink because of crime and an alleged lack of police response.
The couple at the time of the interview had lived in the area for 19 years. “It’s not fair, it’s not right that we should be afraid,” Jacqueline said.
The couple claimed that whenever they have brought up problems, such as the Sunday car break-in that included a family member or the discovery of hypodermic needles outside their home, the police have been indifferent or dismissive.
“I understand they’re in Paterson, there’s a lot of activity going on,” Varleton said, “and they may be frustrated but that doesn’t stop them from having a level of professionalism so a person would feel welcome to share what’s going on.”
Meet Jackie Bland, We Ani Mother
We Ani’s mother Jackie Bland has very limited posts on her IG. But, one of the posts is about her daughter when she wished her daughter a birthday in January 2021. Jackie captioned the post, “Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!💋💝💚💙.”
In April 2022, while responding to a fan’s query about whether Jackie was also a singer, she featured her mom on her social. The mother-daughter duo then performed Killing Me Softly which proved that Jackie did have a phenomenal singing voice. She had captioned the post, “She was really nervousssss😭😂 she said she’s never doing this again lol GIVE MY MOMMA LOVE.”
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Jackie Bland Age
Jackie Bland, as of April 2023, is 59 years old. She was born in July 1963 and celebrates her birthday on 18 July.
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Jackie Bland Job
According to Jackie Bland’s IG bio, she is an entrepreneur and real estate broker. She is the founder of JaDon Realty.
Per her profile on Zillow.com, she has a total of 19 years of experience. Her specialties include “Buyer’s agentListing agentShort-SaleCommercial R.E.Property Management.”
Jackie had also worked as a deputy court administrator in Englewood.
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Is Jackie Bland On Instagram And Facebook?
Of course, she is. Here is Jackie Bland’s Instagram (@jacqueline.bland55) and Facebook (@jackie.bland.71).
Meet Varleton McDonald, We Ani Father
Dr. Varleton McDonald is the father of We Ani.
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Varleton McDonald Age
As of 2023, Varleton McDonald is reportedly 58 years old. He was born in December 1964.
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Varleton McDonald Job
Varleton McDonald worked as an education administrator. According to his LinkedIn, he is working as a part-time Consulting Field Director in Education at The Center for Educational Innovation. He is also serving as President and CEO of Maverick Youth Services NP since 2014.
Furthermore, Varleton has been working at New American Academy Charter School as Board Chair since 2012.
Varleton’s career began in 2004 as Principal at the NYC Department of Education. During his nearly 10 years in the organization, he served in other roles such as Senior Project Director for The NYC Parent Academy.
He worked at Teachers College of Columbia University as Principal Leadership Coach. From 2017 to 2018 he worked for Hempstead Public Schools as Deputy Superintendent. For six years from 2016 to 2022, he worked for REACH Educational Solutions, LLC as Senior Academic Facilitator.
Talking about his education, Varleton completed his undergraduate education in Communications at
Varleton holds from
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Is Varleton McDonald On Instagram And Facebook?
Yes, Varleton McDonald is on Instagram (@mac.mcdonald.7140). His Instagram profile is no longer available (@jgimac).
Related FAQs
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Where Do We Ani Parents Reside?
We Ani’s parents are residing in Paterson, New Jersey.
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How Many Kids Do We Ani Parents Have?
Including We Ani, Jackie, and Varleton have other two children. They have another 30-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son.
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Are We Ani Parents Still Together?
Yes, We Ani’s parents are still together. The couple has been together for 30 years and married for 23 years as of April 2023. Their wedding anniversary is on 18 December (married in 1999).
