Popular New Orleans Personality and Founder of the Parlay X Media Platform, Reaux Fareal (born Roosevelt Wright, III), celebrates his 50th Birthday today.
Reaux has been a public figure in Louisiana since he was 7 years old as the Kid's Corner Writer in the Monroe Free Press Newspaper. He went on to become the youngest Full-Time Radio Personality in the State of Louisiana at age 13 in 1990. His radio career spans across multiple cities in Louisiana, including Monroe, Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. Today, his radio show 'Club Parlay' airs on multiple stations throughout the Gulf Coast region.
"It's still hard for me to believe I am 50 because I still feel 25," Reaux said in a room filled with fans and supporters at a New Orleans community event.
Reaux attended Southern University, majoring in Mass Communications, and he has explored every area of the field throughout his life. From Radio to Print Media and even into filming. He has directed more than seven Reality Shows, has been featured in an HBO Series (Treme), MTV, Fox News, Fox Sports, and on the TBN Network. On stage, he has performed in more than 40 stage plays around the country, including Oliver Twist when he was 12 years old.
"I have pursued every single goal I have set in life and for the majority of them, I have been successful. But, even when things don't go as planned we learn so much from the experience and it builds us for the next mission," he explained.
Reaux has been a huge voice for New Orleans as an Activist and notable Spoken Word Artist. His signature piece, "Amazing" has been performed more than 500 times around the country and earned him two National Awards through the National Baptist Convention. Born the eldest of Civil Rights Activist and well known Pastor, Rev. Roosevelt Wright, Jr., Reaux grew up understanding the importance of using your voice as a positive tool to build others. He led outreach ministries in Shreveport and in New Orleans and has been affiliated with several churches around the state as a consultant to help reach his generation.
At times, Reaux has been very controversial. The evolution of hie appearance has always been questionable within the Christian Community. "I have always been eclectic. The God I serve is not in a box. People have had issues with my tattoos, piercings, hairstyles, attire.. You name it. I have heard it all," he chuckled as he explained, "If I can't be myself, then you won't get the best version of me. Most people are content with presenting a counterfeit version of themselves. I'm not one of those people. I am forever evolving and I embrace it with pride."
In 2010, Reaux was diagnosed with mild Vitiligo. "It was depressing. I took it very hard. Every day the pigmentation of your skin changes and you never know what to expect," he said about his ongoing struggle with Vitiligo. Today, he is much stronger talking about it and offers his voice as a beacon of light for others who may be having a tough time coping with it.
As a singer, Reaux has released 7 albums spanning across R&B, Afrobeat, Spoken Word, Gospel, and Reggae. He has popular music recorded with rappers Boosie and Mystikal, amongst others. "I wake up singing. I love to sing and I would do it all day if I could. Music is truly the universal language and through music we can definitely improve the world." Not only has he been a successful singer but he has also written five published books, including, The People Next Door, which was featured on several Popular Book Clubs, Blogs, and even on Amazon.
In 2017, Reaux founded the Parlay X Co. He used his influence to help pay off the tuition for HBCU Students around the country. "I think the Parlay Foundation is the most important platform I have built," he proclaimed. The Parlay Foundation (Parlay's Non-Profit) has helped to pay off the tuition for more than 200 HBCU Students since 2017.
The platform grew into a community of artists, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and interested supporters all over the world, growing to more than 20,000 downloads with more than 4M in-app views in its initial online platform, which launched in 2021. In 2026, Parlay X was re-launched to expand the platform into a hub with more than 50 different mobile solutions within one app. Parlay X includes three radio stations, a Hair Hub, A Church Link, a built in system for riders to book drivers in their city, a complete ticket outlet for local and National events, a system for writers and musicians to promote and sell their work, and it's own built in social community.
"I'm good at a lot of things but the area I actually do my best work in is Fatherhood," he said. Reaux is the Co-Parent of two sons, Cadence and Ethan, who both help run the Parlay X platform. "Being a father is the absolute best thing to ever happen to me." He resides in the Algiers Community on the New Orleans Westbank, yet his voice is respected all over the world.
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