James Earl Jones, Voice of Darth Vader, Lived In A Michigan Ghost Town

One of the most iconic voices in cinematic history passed away yesterday at 93.  James Earl Jones is most known for voicing Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise ("No, I am Your Father") or Mufasa in "The Lion King".

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But he also had a prolific career outside of movies, which resulted in him receiving two Tony Awards (four nominations), two Primetime Emmy Awards (eight nominations), and one Oscar nomination.

Mississippi to Manistee, MI

But many might not know that James spent most of his childhood here in Michigan. Born in Mississippi, his mother moved him to Manistee, Michigan and he was adopted by his grandparents. He spent his life on his grandparent's farm in Dublin, located just outside Manistee, raising livestock.

The trauma of the move left him with a stutter that caused him to be unable to speak until high school. He attended a one-room schoolhouse and communicated through handwritten notes until high school. His English teacher at Brethren High School helped him overcome his stutter. Yes, the man known for his booming voice used to be virtually mute.

In his autobiography, he had this to say:

The move from Mississippi to Michigan was supposed to be a glorious event. For me it was a heartbreak, and not long after, I began to stutter.

Looking for his old home will prove difficult. Dublin, a small town even when James lived there, is now considered a ghost town, and the house James grew up in is only a foundation with pine trees growing out of it. You can view the ghost town below.

University of Michigan

However, not all of it was bad. After overcoming his stutter in high school, he attended the largest university in Michigan: The University of Michigan for pre-med. However, he failed his pre-med exam and switched to drama instead (time has shown that was a very good move).

Upon graduating from the University of Michigan, James moved to New York City and found the success we all know him for today. You can read all about his time living in Michigan in his autobiography Voices and Silences.