Jayne Kennedy

About Jayne Kennedy

Who is it?: Actress, Producer
Birth Day: October 27, 1951
Birth Place:  Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Other names: Jayne Kennedy Overton
Education: Wickliffe High School
Occupation: Actress model sportscaster television personality producer writer philanthropist
Years active: 1969–1990
Title: Miss Ohio USA
Term: 1970–1971
Predecessor: Marlynn Singleton
Successor: Karen M. Haus
Spouse(s): Leon Isaac Kennedy (m. 1971; div. 1982) Bill Overton (m. 1985)
Children: 4
Awards: NAACP Image Award – (1982) Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Body and Soul)

Jayne Kennedy

Jayne Kennedy was born on October 27, 1951 in  Washington, District of Columbia, United States, is Actress, Producer. Jayne Kennedy (born Jane Harrison on October 27, 1951 in Washington, D.C.) is an American actress, model and sportscaster.Jayne was crowned Miss Ohio USA 1970 (she was the first African American woman to win the title), and was one of the 10 semi-finalists in the 1970 Miss USA pageant. It was rare for an African American woman at that time to be in the contest. While starting her modeling career, she met Leon Isaac Kennedy, who was a DJ and a struggling actor/writer. They fell in love and married in 1970. Motown's Smokey Robinson served as best man at the wedding. They moved to California to pursue careers in acting. During the 1970s, she had over 10 notable TV guest appearances, and roles in seven movies. In 1978, she was one of the first women to infiltrate the male-dominated world of sports announcing with a role on The NFL Today.In the early 1980s, she produced exercise videos; however, she was later diagnosed with Endometriosis. She and Kennedy were divorced in 1982; she married actor Bill Overton in 1985. In spite of the prior problem with endometriosis, they have three daughters, Savannah Re (b. Nov. 20, 1985), Kopper Joi (b. May 17, 1989) and Zaire Ollyea (b. Sept. 15, 1995).
Jayne Kennedy is a member of Actress

Does Jayne Kennedy Dead or Alive?

As per our current Database, Jayne Kennedy is still alive (as per Wikipedia, Last update: May 10, 2020).

🎂 Jayne Kennedy - Age, Bio, Faces and Birthday

Currently, Jayne Kennedy is 73 years, 1 months and 25 days old. Jayne Kennedy will celebrate 74rd birthday on a Monday 27th of October 2025. Below we countdown to Jayne Kennedy upcoming birthday.

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Popular As Jayne Kennedy
Occupation Actress
Age 73 years old
Zodiac Sign Scorpio
Born October 27, 1951 ( Washington, District of Columbia, United States)
Birthday October 27
Town/City  Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Nationality United States

🌙 Zodiac

Jayne Kennedy’s zodiac sign is Scorpio. According to astrologers, Scorpio-born are passionate and assertive people. They are determined and decisive, and will research until they find out the truth. Scorpio is a great leader, always aware of the situation and also features prominently in resourcefulness. Scorpio is a Water sign and lives to experience and express emotions. Although emotions are very important for Scorpio, they manifest them differently than other water signs. In any case, you can be sure that the Scorpio will keep your secrets, whatever they may be.

🌙 Chinese Zodiac Signs

Jayne Kennedy was born in the Year of the Rabbit. Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Rabbit enjoy being surrounded by family and friends. They’re popular, compassionate, sincere, and they like to avoid conflict and are sometimes seen as pushovers. Rabbits enjoy home and entertaining at home. Compatible with Goat or Pig.

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Biography/Timeline

1951

Jayne Harrison was born October 27, 1951 in Washington, D.C., to machinist Herbert Harrison and his wife, Virginia. Harrison attended Wickliffe High School in Wickliffe, Ohio. She represented Wickliffe High School at the American Legion’s Girls State mock-government program and was elected as a senator to the American Legion’s Girls Nation program in Washington D.C. where she won the office of Vice President of the United States and was sworn into office by then VP Spiro T. Agnew. While still in high school, Kennedy was crowned Miss Ohio USA in 1970 (she was the first African American woman to win the title), and was one of the 15 semi–finalists in the 1970 Miss USA Pageant. It was rare for an African American woman at that time to be in the contest.

1971

In 1971, Kennedy and her then-husband Leon Isaac Kennedy moved to California to pursue careers in acting. She began with a stint on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In as a Dancer. She traveled as one of the Hollywood Deb Stars on Bob Hope's Bases Around The World Christmas Tour that included stops in Vietnam, Thailand, and Cuba.

1978

In 1978, she won national acclaim as one of the first women to enter the male-dominated world of Sports as an announcer on The NFL Today. She went on to be the only female to ever host the syndicated TV series Greatest Sports Legends.

1980

Kennedy has been on the covers of Ebony, Jet, and Essence magazines numerous times. In the early 1980s she wrote, produced and starred in the Love your Body exercise videos and produced the first in-flight exercise in the sky program for American Airlines, A Aerobics, at the same time, she also had worked as a corporate spokeswoman for Esoterica, Jovan, Revlon, Fashion Fair Cosmetics, Bankers Systems, Butterick Patterns and 6 years with Coca-Cola's Tab and Diet Coke. Beginning in the 1990s, Kennedy moved away from the limelight to spend more time with her family.

1985

A year after high school, Harrison met Leon Isaac Kennedy, a DJ and a struggling actor/writer. They married in 1971. Motown singer/songwriter Smokey Robinson served as best man at their wedding, they later divorced in 1982. In 1985, Kennedy married actor Bill Overton. They have four children: his daughter Cheyenne (1982) and their three daughters Savannah Re (b. November 20, 1985), Kopper Joi (b. May 17, 1989) and Zaire Ollyea (b. September 15, 1995).

2019

Kennedy won the NAACP Theater Award for Best Producer along with her current husband Bill Overton for their production of the highly acclaimed staged musical, The Journey of the African American. Kennedy is also an Emmy Award winner for her coverage of the Rose Parade and was nominated for an Emmy for her coverage of the news feature on Soldiers on the DMZ in South Korea for NBC’s Speak Up America in 1980. Ebony Magazine announced as "One of the 20 Greatest Sex Symbols of the 20th Century," and in the 1980s, Coca Cola USA named Jayne Kennedy "The Most Admired Black Woman in America".

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