Guest Stars Pauletta Washington as Rachel Franklin Steven Gregory Norfleet as Cecil Franklin Marque Richardson II as King Curtis Keith Arthur Bolden as Recording Studio Man Amanda Warren as Melba Parks Stacey Sargeant as Dinah Washington Robert Glasper as Art Tatum Co Starring Sydney Hunter as Young Carolyn Aubriana Davis as Young Erma Tyler Richardson as Edward Drake Strickland as Young Cecil Braelyn Rankins as Clarence Willie Repoley as Tom Dowd Todd Allen Durkin as White Salesman Steve Alderfer as Tommy Cogbill Skylar Denney as Reporter #1 Darryl Handy as Church Patron Anthony M. Walker as Reporter #5 John Crow as Reporter #2 Melvin Evans Jr. as Parishioner #3 Tyler Colfer as Jimmy Johnson Ryan Cameron as Pervis Spann Toheeb Akinola as Fan #2 Mimi Faust as Reporter #4 Dorothy Sanders as Parishioner #2 Arle Michel as Church Matron Arielle Morgan as Fan #1 JP Lambert as Spooner Oldham Justin Livingston as Jeff LaKeta Booker as Charlece Adam Rivette as Rob Ryan Anthony Williams as Ken Laxton Daniel James Baldock as Roger Hawkins Brad Hills as Reporter #3 Tierre Turner as Elderly Male Parishioner Jermaine Dupri as Rodney Jones Challedon "shy" Saltor as Marcia Edloe Blackwell as Parishioner #1 Alex Collins as Rick Hall