T. J.’s Secret: Telious Jr.?

“I could tell you but then we’d have to take your camera.” Yesterday American Morning co-host T. J. Holmes seemed somewhat embarrassed when his CNN colleague and personal doctor, Sanjay Gupta, revealed his first name “Loutelious” to the AM audience. In an undated Blip TV “My Urban Report” interview, T. J. had a similar reaction when asked what the “T.J.” stood for and whether it was a secret.”  Breaking into a huge grin, T. J. put his right index finger to his lips, bowed his head and closed his eyes: sounding like a Southern gentleman mafioso, he replied, “I could tell you but we’d have to take your camera….It’s kind of a family nickname. So, yeah.”

As Sanjay indicated, apparently, T. J.’s first name is Loutelious. If the reader distrusts Sanjay (or the author), please consider the following facts. Less than five months ago, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that T. J. and Marilee Fiebag would “tie the knot in March in Memphis: Later, according to the Commercial Appeal (dated March 2, 2010, at midnight), a certain Loutelious Holmes, Jr. and Marilee Fiebig obtained their marriage license. And, for that lingering doubting Thomas, remember, T. J.’s hometown is West Memphis, Arkansas (just across the Mississippi River from the aforementioned Memphis, TN) and T.J. said that his father was the principal of his hometown high school: the principal of West Memphis High School was Loutelious Holmes, Sr.

As to T.J.’s middle name, it is Ann according to Wikipedia (and T.J.-following sites such as the Black Snob and Black America Web appear to confirm that fact).

Pertaining to the “secret” of T.J.’s sobriquet, did Black Snob commenter Karen H. provided the answer? She claimed that she attended college with “Loutelious Ann Holmes, Jr., of West Memphis, Arkansas, [who was] better known as TJ or Telious Jr.” T. J. said that his monikner was a “family nickname.” Sounds like Karen H. may have well nailed it.

Tags: American Morning, Black America Web, Black Snob, Blip TV, CNN, Loutelious Ann Holmes, Marilee Fiebig, My Urban Report, Sanjay Gupta, T. J. Holmes, West Memphis, West Memphis High School