For Chef John Wood, the plan was to rap, get a music deal and conquer the world of entertainment. He did all that—just not in the way you’d expect.
“I had been rapping, I want to say, from 13 to 21. I got a deal with Universal Music Group at 19, right out of high school,” says the St. Louis, Missouri, native. “I actually went to college trying to further my fan base once I got the small [music] deal. But, I got myself into a situation where I got caught with a little weed and ended up getting on probation…I didn’t have to do any jail time; it was a horrible slap on the wrist, but that pretty much made me lose my [music] deal.”
A Career Turning Point
Though he still wanted to pursue a career in entertainment, Wood’s probation officer gave him the choice of either going back to school or getting a job because, as he was told, “rap is not paying your bills.”
While trying to figure out what to do, Wood happened upon a television commercial featuring a culinary school. “I thought this might be some type of sign,” he recalls. “I always felt me and God have a buddy relationship. So I said, ‘Is this what you’re telling me to do?’ And the next day, I looked up in the phone book the nearest culinary school that was around. I spent a whole day visiting the culinary school to see what they had to offer. Mind you, at that time, I couldn’t boil water.”
Coming from a family that celebrates with food, Wood admits he was blessed with many memorable meals—thanks mainly to his grandmother, who created magic in the kitchen with her cooking.
“I was so spoiled by her food. I knew what good food tastes like, but me, I wasn’t too much past [making] Ramen noodles,” he admits. So, he went off to find a school that would get his culinary skills up to speed.
By Jocelyn Amador
