Jason Jones-Raised in Wakulla County, Florida, just minutes south of Tallahassee, Jason Jones is the epitome of a small town kid with great big dreams.

“I remember growing up how a lot of my friends couldn’t wait to move out of the county and into the city or even another state. That never made sense to me. Even though there never was much to do, I loved life in Wakulla.”

Life was much more simple for Jason back in those days, but he can’t say it was ever easy. The son of a truck driver, Jason never spent much time with his father growing-up unless he was riding along in a big rig or working side by side underneath one. His parents divorced when he was just three years old. His mother’s move to Marietta, Georgia when he was six marked the beginning of Jason’s life on the road. He traveled back and forth from Florida to Georgia over the course of the next 12 years.

“The two hardest things I ever had to do back then were decide who to spend which holiday with and how long to stay gone. I hated being away from my dad, but I was torn when I had to leave my mom, my sisters, and my step-dad.”

Those times, though difficult, played a large role in Jason developing a love for country music. “Those trips would be long and boring on the way up to my mom’s place,” says Jason. “Dad never listened to the radio, but when I’d get in with my mom somewhere around Macon, Ga., we’d talk awhile and after that she’d never turn it off! She loved country music and I think that was a big part of why I came to love it so much. Riding up and down I-75, I discovered the music of Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Shenandoah, George Strait, Vince Gill, Garth Brooks, and many, many more.”

Jones says he begged his dad for an electric guitar, like the old Kent owned by his grandfather, but on Christmas morning, it was an acoustic, eighteen fret student guitar that showed up under the tree. “It wasn’t much to look at,” he laughs, “ but I played that little guitar until my fingers were sore and blistered, and every ear was sick of hearing me.”

In a year’s time Jason earned that electric he’d wanted so badly. He wrote his first song at fourteen and eventually started a band in high school that lasted for three years. Driven to pursue a more serious career in music, Jason found himself at a talent expo in Dallas, Texas, during his college years.

“I’d been writing songs all along, but I never really considered myself to be a writer. I wanted to make my folks proud and get a degree first.”

Jason was floored when he auditioned in Dallas with an original song. He not only made it into the top ten showcase that night, he went on to win several awards! Ultimately, this encouraged him to pack up his things and head straight to Nashville, where he would aspire to make a living as a singer/songwriter.

“Leaving my family and friends, my ambitions of finishing school, that was a tough call to make,” says Jason. “It took me a long time to get used to it. The interstates everywhere, the traffic, people walking right up in your yard asking for money; I was definitely overwhelmed at first.”

Jason paid the bills by waiting tables at a local music business haunt. He started singing demos for Nashville’s top songwriters, and parlayed that into some co-writing appointments. While singing a demo for Brett Jones, Brett became aware of Jason’s artist potential. Underneath his youthful appearance belied an older, more seasoned voice. In just nine months time, Brett helped Jason ink a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.

Writing songs full time and working on his artist career, Jason no longer needed to work at the steakhouse. While playing out in Nashville and surrounding states, he set himself apart musically from other current young vocalists. There is a rawness and a soulfulness about his voice, and his music. The covers he chooses for his sets are always reminiscent of his love for his small town upbringing. These songs coupled with his edgy and energetic original music has garnered Jason a loyal, ever-growing fan base. His passionate stage show keeps audiences on their feet until early in the morning.

“We play a ton of songs,” he remarks. “Anything from John Michael Montgomery and Merle Haggard, to John Mellencamp and Van Halen! I always try to keep my shows full of energy and keep our audience happy.”

Jason knows that these are all small, yet crucial steps in what can be a long and winding road to the fulfillment of a dream. It is this attitude, combined with his fresh musical instincts that will no doubt lead him to a very long and successful music career.

“To me, the most important of all things are those friends who stand by you through it all. There’s a lot of bumps on this road and it means so much to have people believe in what you do. I also know in my heart the good Lord is looking out for me and will continue to lead me to the right place and right time for my music career to really take off, he’s taken me this far.”