South African singer Larry Joe found in solitary confinement（隔离监禁）the peace of mind he needed to develop his talent. A producer helped him make a CD in a cell-turned-studio.
Joe, 31, can see only seven stars outside his window in a prison in Douglas, South Africa for housebreaking. But he has a guitar and a wild hope.
"I want to be a bright star. I want people, when they hear me, to see the darkness much less. " Joe said.
On December 1, 2008, one of South Africa's top musical groups, Freshly Ground, was in Douglas for a concert to mark World AIDS Day.
Joe was also invited to play in the support act. He stunned the audience. "Everyone was totally attracted. I was blown away because I hadn't heard a better voice like that before," Aron Turest Swartz, Freshly Ground's founder recalled.
When Joe was 13, his parents moved to Douglas. Being poor, his sister would tell him that she had a headache for bread, but he had nothing to give her. Joe made bad friends, who were always talking about stealing. Later, Joe slipped into crime to help reduce the burden of family. Finally, he was put into prison for housebreaking.
Prison could have broken him: his father died when he was in prison. So did Joe's 18-month-old daughter. Before prison, he'd see her in the hospital, medical tubes everywhere. Joe felt broken when she died. But it marked the time of his rebirth. He stopped pretending there was an excuse for his crime.
On December 13, 2010, the album he recorded in prison was timed for release.
He was paroled（假释）for good behavior after two years and 10 months. That afternoon, Joe gave a concert at the prison to celebrate his freedom.
It was time to say goodbye to his seven stars.
