The Apollo Theatre is entrenched in Black music culture and Brooklyn resident Billy Mitchell has witnessed that superstar history during the last 60 years. He’s called “Mr. Apollo.” A charming storyteller, his impact has earned him the official title of Apollo’s Director of Tours, In House Historian and Apollo Ambassador.
These roles have taken him to be featured on the 2021 Grammy Awards announcing the Best Rap Award to Beyonce and Meghan Thee Stallion, hosting the Apollo Sirius Radio Show and even personally escorting First Lady Michelle Obama on a private tour of the Apollo.
Although he’s been surrounded by the showbiz glitter, Mitchell never forgets his difficult childhood growing up in Mount Vernon. “My parents had 14 children. When we lived in Mount Vernon, we were the poorest family,” he said. “I remember in Mount Vernon, people used to point at me and my family when we walked down the street.” At one point the family was homeless and he spent time in foster care. His mother moved some of the children, including Mitchell to the Bronx…