Samuel E. Jackson, Sr was born in Houston, Texas on Friday, December 5, 1952. Growing up and having lived in two distinct areas of Fifth Ward gave Samuel the opportunity to attend both Crawford Elementary School (1957-59) and Langston Elementary School (1959-65). It was at Langston Elementary where Gloria Edwards gave Samuel (age 6) his introduction to music after joining the school Glee Club in the fall of 1961. In the fall of 1962, while continuing his Glee Club experiences, Samuel began learning to play the violin – which he continued through his semester of graduation (Spring 1965) from Langston. From 1965 to 1968, Samuel attended and graduated from Marshall Junior High (HISD) where he switched from violin to cornet at the behest of his band director, John Miscoe. It was during his three years at Marshall Samuel learned to play the trumpet, write his first transcriptions for trumpet and earn his first medals for superior rating at the U of H sponsored Solo & Ensemble Contest. In the middle of his third year at Marshall (67-68), Samuel used his newly learned trumpet skills (and his self-taught arrang-ing skills) to join a cover band – the first of his many professional experiences that continued through 1972. As member of sundry cover bands during the time between 1965 and 1972 and including several single engagements through 2010, Samuel performed with or for a few familiar artists that include Nancy Wilson, Clarence Carter, Candi Staton, Al Green, Millie Jackson, The Whispers, Bobby Bland, Vernon Garrett, Major Lance, The Ojays, The Chilites, Ronnie Dyson, Joe Simon and the Masters of Soul. During the three years (1968-1971) at Jefferson Davis High School, Samuel learned to play and arrange jazz under the direction of M. Holmes McNeely.. He ended his senior year (1970-71) as the Panther Band President, Stage Band student conductor/arranger, a three-year Honor Society member and the recipient of acceptance letters from Rice University, North Texas State University, the Julliard School and Texas Southern University. Following an introduction to one of his three most influential and lifelong mentors, Benjamin J. Butler, II, Samuel began his seven-year "residency" at Texas Southern University in the fall of 1971. From 1971-78, he was an active member of a number of renowned performing groups: "the internationally famous, OCEAN of SOUL Marching Band. (Benjamin J. Butler, II, director) The Texas Southern University Concert Choir, (Ruthabel Rollins, director) The Texas Southern University Opera Workshop (Ruth C. Stewart, director) The University Jazz Ensemble (The Third Ward Vibration Society) (R. Lanny Steele, director)

 Under the constant guidance of professors Henry Ewell, Howard Harris and R. Lanny Steele, Samuel had and seized the unique opportunity to fine-tune his arranging skills at TSU with the OCEAN OF SOUL and TSU Jazz Ensemble as "always available" performing groups. Samuel experienced many never-ending phases of development during the TSU years under the watchful eyes of his other two life-long mentors: Campbell "Skeets" Tolbert and Conrad O. Johnson, under whom he learned the art of developing high school jazz bands.Receiving the Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.) upon graduating from Texas Southern (c/o 1978), Samuel immediately began his 34 year teaching career - always trying to give back all he received from his teachers, instructors, professors, mentors and life lessons. On August 13, 2011, Samuel received his Master of Education Administration from Lamar University. Samuel (officially) retired from Houston ISD on Friday, June 21, 2013. Along the way he shared with a few students: Summer Jazz Workshop (1973 to Present) Grissom Elementary (1976)Lockhart Elementary (1976)Southland Elementary (1976) Turner Elementary (1976) Kashmere High School (1978-79) Sam Houston High School (1979-81) and (1995-98) Texas Southern University (1981-92)Westbury High School (1992-1995) Worthing High School (1998-01) Madison High School (2001-07) Jefferson Davis High School (2007-13)

 Samuel has maintained affiliation in a number of organizations that include: Kappa Kappa Psi – Gamma Omega Chapter (1972) Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia – Kappa Delta Chapter (1972) Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. – Delta Theta Chapter (1973) American Federation of Musicians, Local 65-699 (1971)Texas Bandmasters Association (1978) Texas Music Educators Association (1978) ​