Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson.Photo:Paras Griffin/Getty
Paras Griffin/Getty
Fate brought Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson together a few times before they realized they were destined to be partners.
After a few times seeing each other out, Jackson and Sherrod officially got introduced when her real estate mentor sent a contractor to help her on a house she was flipping in Newark, New Jersey, in 2004. Unbeknownst to her, the radio DJ she’d been crushing on was also a contractor and builder.
The couple tied the knot in 2010, and have since welcomed two children together, making them a family of five with Jackson’s daughter from a previous relationship.
“He taught me balance,” Sherrod said of her husband in an interview withEssence.“He taught me how to love with your whole heart.”
Here’s everything to know about Egypt Sherrod’s husband, Mike Jackson.
Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson.Paras Griffin/Getty
Both Sherrod and Jackson had history in the entertainment business and in the real estate industry when they met, so working together on both made sense for the couple.
“Life gets messy,” Jackson said in a teaser for the show, and Sherrod added, “But getting into your dream home shouldn’t be.”
They got married in 2010
Mike Jackson and Egypt Sherrod.Paras Griffin/Getty
Sherrod and Jackson tied the knot at the West Mount Country Club, on top of Garrett Mountain in New Jersey on Sept. 11, 2010.
Sherrod and Jackson enlisted the talent of some musical friends for the wedding, with Q Parker of R&B group112singing Luther Vandross’ “Here and Now” as the bride walked down the aisle.Coko of SWVperformed the girl group’s hit song “Weak” at the reception.
“I turned into bridezilla,” Sherrod toldEssencein an interview after her wedding day. “I just wanted everything to be perfect. My mom shook some sense into me. She said, ‘Say a prayer.’ "
“She brought me closer to God,” Jackson said, speaking about Sherrod. “She just makes me stronger with that feeling. It’s easier for me to speak about the spirit now.”
He’s a DJ
Mike Jackson and Egypt Sherrod.Carol Lee Rose/FilmMagic
Carol Lee Rose/FilmMagic
“From the moment I knew what two turntables were, and the effect the right song could have on people, I was hooked,” Jackson toldShoutout Atlantaabout his earliest memories DJing.
Jackson’s DJ career is what initially allowed him and Sherrod to cross paths back when she was working as a radio personality. At their wedding, Sherrod honored her husband’s musical side with a surprise groom’s cake shaped like a turntable.
He’s a builder and woodworker
Mike Jackson.Moses Robinson/Getty
Moses Robinson/Getty
Jackson is well-versed in the business side of real estate, but he’s also a talented builder and woodworker. In an interview withYahoo, Jackson revealed that he started doing construction as a kid with his grandfather and uncle.
“I would always be on their job site because they had a construction company. Then I transitioned into working for a local 28 in New York City, and then here in Georgia owned my own company, Jackson Draper Renovations, all the while back then DJing and doing them both at the same time,” he shared.
Jackson startedJackson Draper Renovationswith business partner Mark Draper in Georgia in 2020, offering house and individual room renovations, painting and handyman services.
Their meet-cute took a few tries before it landed
“I saw her backstage, and the light was literally only on her. From that moment on, I knew she was my wife. I told the security guard to let me back there, because I needed to talk to someone,” Jackson admitted.
Sherrod said that when he approached her, she thought he was “running a line” on her. She admitted she did find him attractive but she was focused on her “inner work” at the time, so she didn’t pursue him. But six months later, the two crossed paths again at the Puerto Rican Day parade in N.Y.C. Both Sherrod and Jackson were on different floats for their respective radio stations.
“I’m on my float with my friend, and I look over and I just see pecs! I didn’t recognize him at all,” Sherrod said, adding that she convinced her friend to walk past his float with her.
Jackson said he didn’t ask for her number because he “didn’t want to get shot down [again]” in front of Sherrod’s friend.
“That’s what’s so amazing about it. Each time none of it was set up,” Jackson said of all their chance meetings.
They worked on a house together before they dated
Despite both working in the music industry and having a few run-ins, Sherrod and Jackson didn’t start getting to know each other until a real estate situation brought them together.
“I knew Mike as DJ Fadelf, but we weren’t dating or anything like that because I never wanted to date a guy in the entertainment industry, but he was already a real estate broker as well,” Sherrod toldYahooabout their intertwining careers.
“I did not know that he was a contractor until one day I was flipping a house in New Jersey and my mentor gave me a referral, and it turned out to be Mike’s company, and that’s how we both realized that we had dual careers,” she continued.
“So, I actually ended up saving her on a rooftop with her foot stuck in a hole cause she tried to do some DIY project, you know. So, I went from being the DJ to saving the day in construction,” Jackson shared, reflecting on the first of many renovation projects they collaborated on.
He’s a dad to three daughters
Mike Jackson, Egypt Sherrod and their family.Mike Jackson Instagram
Mike Jackson Instagram
Together, Sherrod and Jackson have welcomed two daughters:Harper Skye Jacksonand Kendall Rae Jackson.
Kendall Rae was born on Jan. 12, 2012. The couplewelcomed their second daughter, Harper Skye, on Feb. 7, 2019. Jackson is also dad to daughter Simone Nikole, from a previous relationship.
When the couple revealed their third child would be a girl, Jackson joked about having all daughters.
“I guess God said, ‘Son you’ve been doing a good job thus far, let’s keep it going.’🤷🏾♂️😂,” Jacksonwrote on Instagram alongside a video montageof clips of him with his older daughters. “I just kept seeing all that took place with [Harper’s] sisters, and thought, ‘I’m excited to do it again.’ ”
For Mother’s Day in 2023, Jackson posted a sweet tribute to Sherrod. “To say we’re lucky to have her in our lives would be an understatement,” Jackson wrote about his wife onInstagram.
“She’s a force to be reckoned with, a visionary, goal getter, business owner….ALL WHILE BEING AN AMAZING, INVOLVED MOTHER,” he continued, adding, “The girls and I love you unconditionally.”
source: people.com
