Chicago native Tony Russell reflects on Emmy win, on growing up in West Side church
Chicago has a history of Grammy award winners, spanning genres.
One of this year's big Grammy winners is Kendrick Lamar. No, he's not from Chicago, but one of his band members is a west sider and the music director behind Lamar's half-time show at the 2025 Super Bowl.
Emmy Award winner Tony Russell, decked out in a tux and tie.
"I felt like a kid on the day before Christmas," he said. "I was excited and butterflies, you know."
Tony Russell, 45, a Chicago west sider in Los Angeles at the 2025 Emmy Awards.
"You know, I see this on TV all the time. Now, I'm sitting here experiencing it," Russell said.
Russell was the music director behind Kendrick Lamar's politically symbolic halftime show at last year's Super Bowl.
"I deal with the live stuff," he said. "Like making it translate live and bringing the whole feel to the live performances."
His creative talent earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Direction and a seat at the Emmys.
"I might as well say I was nervous, yeah, I was nervous," Russell said.
And by the time she got to the last part, Russell said he was zoned in.
"As soon as I heard ke…I was I was I was up on my feet," he said. "Walking up, my emotions are all over the place. Like literally tears ... I had stop my tears cause it was like the first time winning something this major."
The road to the Emmys began at Christ Tabernacle Church, Austin Community, home of the Thompson Community singers.
"When I was a kid. I was inspired by it. I was going to the recordings and the musicals every third Sunday," he said.
At 12, Russell picked up a bass guitar and taught himself to play so he could join a church band.
"I learned my notes from sitting behind the organ," he said. "It's just. I got a voice with it. I can express any feeling I want with the bass."
A teenage Russell honed his skills in traveling bands and graduated from an alternative high school in North Lawndale. Thirteen years ago, he started playing with Kendrick Lamar, but his musical roster includes many others, from Stevie Wonder to Jay-Z to Snoop Dog to Usher.
"For me, it's funny cause I feel like people just seeing the work that I've been doing anyway," Russell said. "It's a certain respect come with it now."
Doing the work keeps Russell traveling around the globe.
"We've been everywhere except China and Russia," he said.
When he's home, he's at First Corinthian Missionary Baptist in Lawndale. It's his family's church, where he serves as the musical director.
"This is my foundation. So I built my house on a great foundation," he said.
During his acceptance speech, Russell made a point of acknowledging his faith, family, and his city.
"This is for the kids. This is for the next me, or somebody who don't figure they don't qualify for this. Yes, you do, you qualify, and that's what I meant by that," he said.