Although there were a few “controversial” moments in the 65th Annual Grammy Awards program Sunday night, there were some awards that were more “acceptable,” and few people would deny one of the most deserving winners, Kitt Wakeley, who won a Grammy for Classical Compendium Album, “An Adoption Story.”

The album is the instrumental version of Kitt’s real life story, starting from being removed with his sister from their home at a young age and then separated while in foster care, taking comfort in music after being adopted, and building an extremely successful business before receiving recognition for the music he created himself.

Kitt is also the nephew of City of Seminole Emergency Manager Ernie Willis.

“I’m blessed to have been adopted by such an amazing family,” Kitt stated Tuesday. “My uncle Ernie was no exception. He was the cool uncle that I couldn’t wait to see on holidays or family events. He was another person who taught me the value of hard work and how to treat others along the way.”

Willis is obviously just as proud of his nephew, and the pride is obvious in his voice as he describes watching him grow into a successful businessman and successful recording star.

The story of Kitt’s amazing journey began when he and his little sister entered the foster care system when he was 5 and she was 4. The two moved from one foster home to another before they were eventually separated. He was later told she had died.

Kitt was adopted by Willis’ sister Linda and her husband Jack Wakeley when he was 8 years old. He grew up in Holdenville where, when he was in high school, he taught himself how to play the piano (mainly to impress the girls, he admits). He progressed to keyboards and synthesizers playing in various bands and opening for major acts such as Motley Crew. He began experimenting with mixing different music genres such as electronica and rock.

After earning a bachelor’s in Pre-Law and Sociology and a master’s in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma, he and a partner started a business called Medicorp. The company dealt with medical billing, consulting and cost reporting services. During this time he made a difficult career choice - selling his musical equipment so they could meet payroll and keep the startup business afloat. While music remained a hobby, Kitt focused on growing the business, which has become a market leader that is now the umbrella corporation, Valir Health.

After making a home recording of a song that was heard by some acquaintances in the music industry, Kitt was encouraged to create more. This eventually resulted in a solo album titled Cinematic Chaos, an entertaining mix of rock and electronica, in 2015.

Encouraged by the attention this release received, Kitt recorded a mix of more classical and rock music titled Midnight in Macedonia, featuring the Mecedonian Orchestra and choir. The album was released in 2018 and received rave reviews, numerous awards, and was streamed over a million times.

During this time Kitt received a call from a woman claiming to be his sister. He was skeptical, especially after learning she was African American, but he heard her out, and she shares some memories that nobody else but his sister would have known about. After believing she may have died, it is hard to image how joyous their reunion was after being separated for over 40 years. They were both shocked to discover they actually lived about a mile apart.

Kitt continued his musical adventures with another orchestral rock album, Sinners and Saints, in 2021. This album was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studio in London and included the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with guitar hero Joe Satriani and many other legendary musicians. Around this time, Kitt and his wife, Melissa, who have four of their own children, adopted three siblings to keep them from going through the same trauma he and his sister went through.

On Sunday he was awarded a Grammy for Adoption Story, the heartfelt instrumental interpretation of his moving story.