People that have shine

When the clerk locks the Film Equipment Room that night, the gear comes alive. Cameras, lights, microphones, cables, tripods wake up and start shooting their own film, a musical on which for the first time, they are the stars. They shine with their own light, but always careful not to be seen by humans.

Shine Service tells the incredible life story of Robert Person, a.k.a. "Percy," an 82-year-old, African American shoe shiner. Percy began shining shoes in 1947 with a small shoe stand on Nashville's historic Jefferson Street and currently owns and operates Shine Service in the historic downtown Nashville Arcade. He is a Nashville icon and has touched the lives of many people, including professional athletes and high-profile public officials.

The journeys of trans and non-binary young adults leading up to a big life event. In each episode, Lucas Silveira and Richie Shazam, along with mentors and role models, guide someone who is trans or gender non-conforming as they explore their inner identity and passions, which they convert into authentic self-expression and the ability to "Shine True."

Meet the men and women who make their living cleaning our shoes. From New York to Tokyo and beyond, The Art of the Shine travels the world to give you an insider’s view of this overlooked profession. People around the world have turned to shoe shining to provide for themselves and their families. These are their stories.