Ivory Donnell Melton was born July 12, 1953, the sixth of seven children to Eulia D. Martinez Melton and Mack Melton. The family relocated from Kingsville, Texas to San Antonio, Texas in 1958. He attended the public school system in San Antonio graduating from Fox Tech High School in 1971, due to the closing of Phillis Wheatley High School where he attended before graduating.