Biography
Desi Singh grew up in a showbiz family. His mother, known as Jean Brazil, was a descendant of renowned New Orleans voodoo queen, Marie LaVeau, and was a member of the Katherine Dunham dance company, and later became a well known psychic on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. Desi's father, Desragh C. Singh, known as Jackie Singh, was a nightclub singer in some of the most famous Chicago, Illinois nightclubs on the south side of the city, and also appeared as "the desiccated man" in one of the opening scenes of the movie "Water World", with Kevin Kostner, in which Desragh tries to barter his long white hair and beard for hydro.
Desi spent most of his time growing up on the streets of Chicago, Illinois, where as a youngster he was a loner with few friends and a reputation for being able to handle himself in a fight and getting into trouble with the law more than once.
He began making movies on Super-8 film with his two best childhood friends, Ernesto Aviles, and Luis Gonzales, at an early age and later attended Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois, where he sought to refine his film making skills by studying film making and directing under Gaylon Emerzian, and acting for the stage under Dale McFadden. Without having finished high school, he had to promise that he would get his GED before graduating from Columbia. Unable to afford the high tuition fees, Desi eventually left Columbia College before graduating, believing he had learned all that he needed, but wishing he could learn more. Though he did go on to attain his GED as promised.
His varied work history has ranged from truck driver, restaurant manager, Chicago fire fighter, U.S. Marine, nightclub bouncer and eventually led to Desi working in the Rowdy Herrington film, "Gladiator," where he gained his much coveted sag card and met one of his martial arts idols, Benny 'The Jet' Urquidez.
Desi decided it was time to change his life and pooled all his savings from working three jobs at the time, jumped on his motorcycle and left Chicago in 1991 on a five and a half day journey to Hollywood to pursue his life long goal of becoming an actor and filmmaker in Hollywood, and has been there ever since, making those goals come to fruition.
