JT's a natural-born music producer; he can play everything from Bootsy Collins to Bach. He may not dance like Kendall or sing like his secret love Simone, but he can hold his own in their trio Encore.

Tessa is a risk-taker unafraid of the next challenge or adventure. She's the "Soul Train" dance coordinator with an excellent sense for talent who believes she can save every wayward dancer in her care.

Gerald, an established gangster and club owner who hasn't lost the hustle, is an alpha dog who'd rather scare you than kill you, but he isn't afraid to do the latter, either.

Kendall is a crazy-talented singer, dancer and teenage dad who longs for success. As he works to rise, he grows jealous of his sister's ascent.

Simone is a rebel. She's a glass-half-full dream-chaser who's determined to find musical fame.

Extremely wise yet cautious, Brianne is the head of the Clarke household and mother of Simone and Kendall. She recognizes her children's talents but is wary of the heartache life as entertainers could bring them.

Delores is the gel of the Cornelius family. While Don is in Los Angeles, she holds down the fort back home in Chicago.

Formidable, flawed and fascinating, Don is a man who has failed at every job he's ever had until the birth of "Soul Train," the creation he loves but which threatens to tear him away from his family.