Cres O'Neal

Cres is definitely a woman of many hats. She started her political career as a LBJ Fellow on Capitol Hill. A few of Cres' accomplishments are her service as Executive Director of two non-profits; and, a co-founder of the Buffalo Coalition Against the Death Penalty, and The Benedict House - one of the first HIV/AIDS transitional homes in the country. She was, for several years, Western Regional Director for the New York Civil Liberties Union. She has served on numerous national and international boards, including the United Nations Association for the National Capitol area. Cres is currently the owner of WCJS Radio, and host/producer of the talk show, Jazzin Em Up With Cres O'Neal. She is also the creator of two charities: My Baby Needs Clothes, which was started in 2004, and The Andrew and Mary P. O'Neal Cares Project, which started in 2013. It was while in Buffalo the music bug resurfaced. She became actively involved with several big bands, and played with such artists as Boyd Lee Dunlop, Al Tinney, Art Anderson, and Zaid Alee. She was frequently seen performing at the Colored Musicians Club — a club that hosted the likes of Count Bassie, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington. Over the years she has performed with such artists as David Berger, David Friedman, C.C. Winans, and the Chieftains. Theater credits include: Studs Terkle's Working as Lucille Page, Sharon Atkins, and Maggie Holmes; Beehive as Aretha Franklin; The Pajama Game as Gladys Hotchkiss; Guys and Dolls as Adelaid; West Side Story as Anita; Sweet Charity as Helene; Hexegon; David Berger's production of Donald Byrd's The Harlem Nutcracker; George Faison's production of King; and Your Arms too Short to Box With God to name a few. Other credits include: Washington Performing Arts Society, Men and Women of the Gospel

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