J. Mack Slaughter Jr. (born December 28, 1983) is an American emergency medicine physician, former actor and singer, and nonprofit founder. He began his career as a performer, including as a member of the boy band Sons of Harmony, before appearing in television and film. He later studied neuroscience at Texas Christian University and medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He founded the nonprofit organization Music Meets Medicine, which provides musical instruments, lessons, and related activities to children receiving treatment in hospitals.
Early life and education Slaughter was born in Fort Worth, Texas.
He attended Fort Worth Country Day School and subsequently Texas Christian University (TCU), where he studied neuroscience. He graduated from TCU in 2009 summa cum laude.
While at TCU, Slaughter's interests shifted from entertainment toward medicine. His decision to pursue medicine was influenced in part by his experiences with family members working in healthcare and by his mother's treatment for breast cancer. He subsequently attended the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he earned his medical degree in 2013.
He completed his residency training in emergency medicine at UT Southwestern and Parkland Hospital. He was a member of the program's 2016 graduating class.
Entertainment career
Music Slaughter began performing as a child and became involved in music during his adolescence. As a teenager, he joined Sons of Harmony, a boy band assembled through a Dallas radio promotion. The group performed in the late 1990s and early 2000s and appeared on concert bills with established performers. It also toured with Destiny's Child and opened for other performers.
After the group disbanded, Slaughter moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting and music. His transition from music into acting led to television roles and eventually to a feature-film appearance.
Acting Slaughter made television appearances in the early 2000s. His credits included roles in What I Like About You and Family Affair. In 2003, he was cast as Keith in the WB sitcom Like Family, appearing during its 2003–2004 run.
In 2004, he appeared as Arthur in the feature film Fat Albert, a live-action comedy based on the animated television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. The film starred Kenan Thompson and was directed by Joel Zwick.
His acting career was relatively brief. After several years in entertainment, Slaughter shifted his professional focus toward medicine and returned to Texas to pursue medical training.
Medical career Slaughter became an emergency medicine physician after completing his medical education and residency at UT Southwestern. The university lists him among the alumni of its emergency medicine residency program, with the class of 2016.
His clinical work has been based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. His experience in emergency medicine has subsequently informed his public educational work, including his use of digital media to explain medical conditions and emergency care to a general audience.
In addition to clinical practice, Slaughter has contributed to medical literature. In 2017, he and emergency medicine physician Lynn Roppolo published the case report "Screaming your Lungs Out! A Case of Boy Band-Induced Pneumothorax, Pneumomediastinum, and Pneumoretropharyngeum" in The Journal of Emergency Medicine. The report described a case involving the development of several forms of extra-alveolar air following forceful screaming. Both authors were affiliated with the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the University of Texas Southwestern/Parkland Health & Hospital System.
Music Meets Medicine In 2008, while pursuing his undergraduate education and preparing for a medical career, Slaughter founded Music Meets Medicine, a nonprofit organization that combines music with activities for children receiving hospital treatment. The organization grew from his interest in music and his experiences with illness within his family. Music Meets Medicine provides musical instruments and music lessons to children and teenagers in hospitals and organizes opportunities for patients to participate in music. Its programs have included live jam sessions, individual instruction, instrument donations, and the development of spaces where hospitalized children can engage with music. The organization has worked with children's hospitals in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. In 2018, Music Meets Medicine partnered with Kidd's Kids to raise funds for a therapeutic arts room at Children's Medical Center Dallas. The space was intended to provide patients with access to musical instruments and music-related activities. Slaughter has described the purpose of the program as providing hospitalized children with an opportunity to participate in creative activities and temporarily divert their attention from medical treatment.
Medical communication and television Beginning in 2020, Slaughter expanded his public communication activities through online video and social-media platforms under the name Dr. J Mack. His content focuses primarily on emergency medicine and general health information.
He appeared on The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd, a television series hosted by Dan Aykroyd.
In 2026, Slaughter appeared as Dr. J Mack Slaughter in the TLC reality medical series ER: Caught on Camera. He is credited as himself in the series, which documents emergency medical cases and includes commentary from medical professionals.
Slaughter has also appeared in media involving singer and television personality Kelly Clarkson.
Medfluencers Slaughter later became involved with Medfluencers, a company focused on healthcare creators and medical communications. He was among the company's co-founders alongside physicians and other professionals working in medical communication and technology.
In 2026, Medfluencers was acquired by HealthCentral.
Philanthropy He and his wife, Rebecca, established the Slaughter Family Arts Awards, a program associated with Music Meets Medicine that recognizes arts participation among students in the Fort Worth community.
Personal life Slaughter married his wife Rebecca Shaw on March 30, 2013. Together they have two sons and one daughter.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes 2004 Fat Albert Arthur
Television YearTitleRoleNotes 2002 What I Like About You Kyle 1 episode 2003 Family Affair Ethan Kane 1 episode 2003–2004 Like Family Keith 23 episodes
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