Frank Ocean sings at his high school graduation in newly surfaced viral video

Christopher Breaux. Alma Mater. JEHS.

YouTube: Daymond Burditt.

A new video of Frank Ocean performing at his high school graduation ceremony in May 2005 has drawn the attention of fans and media outlets alike, racking up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and Reddit. The two-minute clip shows a 17-year-old Christopher “Lonny” Breaux on stage at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana, singing John Ehret High School’s alma mater (school song) while dressed in a cap and gown. It appears to originate from a digitized VHS tape produced by the school in 2005 and uploaded to YouTube by alumnus Daymond Burditt on June 22, 2022. To date, it is the oldest publicly available recording of Ocean performing any song in existence.

Previously, writing in his 2016 Boys Don’t Cry magazine letter, Ocean described his teenage years as “surprisingly [his] favorite part of life so far.” He spoke further about his high school experience in a 2012 Tumblr Q&A, when a fan asked him:

How was high school for you? Did you do well? Were you popular? Did you play any sports? Any crazy stories?

High school was a blur. I did ok, 3.2 [cumulative GPA]. Nothing special. I wasn’t popular. I did play a sport or two [track & field]. Crazy stories… uhh, I don’t know if this is crazy, but I set the [Louisiana] state record for fundraising, selling mail-order candy and shit to my neighbors. And I got into a fight last week of senior year over a card game and kicked a guy in his face so hard, I knocked his earring out.

Ocean also name-dropped his high school in the first verse of his 2019 single “In My Room,” rapping:

Look at my skills, running through blocks like 49ers / Forty-nine diamonds, stuffed in my bracelet / That cost a whop, that cost a whopper / And it ain’t new, I had a knot at John Ehret in my locker

The video and lyrics of Ocean’s 2005 graduation performance are displayed below.

John Ehret High School “Alma Mater”

Hail, alma mater
Hail to the Patriots
Thoughts of you always bring us near

Forever true to you
Our own red, white, and blue
We'll sing your praise, John Ehret High

Dear faithful followers
For e’re we’ll be to thee
Though we may part [?]

We’ll have your memories
We’ll have your friendships
To make us part of thee once more

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A two-minute clip is racking up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and Reddit, showing 17-year-old Chris “Lonny” Breaux singing John Ehret High School’s alma mater at his 2005 graduation ceremony. It appears to originate from a digitized VHS tape produced by the school. The new video is the oldest publicly available recording of Ocean singing to date.

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