Jason+Aldean

The Jason Aldean Story This is a story about a man who came very close to giving up just before he became a major Country star. He was dropped after signing two separate recording contracts (CMT). He was trying to support his wife and child and was preparing to leave Nashville to return to his hometown (Sing365). This is the story of Jason Aldean. Jason Aldine Williams was born February 28, 1977. His parents, Barry and Debbie, divorced when he was three years old. After their divorce, he lived most of the year with his mother in Macon, Georgia. In the summer, he would visit his father in Homestead, Florida (AceShowbiz). His father played guitar and could sing. He was responsible for Jason’s interest in music. He took his son to concerts, such as Kenny Rogers and the Gatlin Brothers, beginning when he was about 7 years old. His favorite group was Alabama. When his father would go to work during the day, he would leave Jason a diagram of guitar chords for him to learn while his father was gone. They would play together at night. Eventually, Jason could listen to songs and be able to play them after hearing them several times (Sing365). At age fourteen, Jason told his mother he was ready to perform on stage, after watching the Country Music Awards on TV. She got him an opportunity to play at the local VFW; there were about 10 people in his first audience. He then joined the house band at the nightclub Nashville South. By the time he graduated from high school, he had decided to make music his career (CMT). “ ‘ Once I graduated, I wanted to get out and start playing and traveling around. I just couldn’t see going to school for four more years. It was hard enough to get out of high school. I went to school basically because I had to and because I wanted to play baseball. That was about it. So it was a decision whether to go to college on a baseball scholarship or play clubs, make money and meet girls. It wasn’t a hard decision for me to make’ ” (Sing365). His father helped book his son’s band into places in several states, first in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, then in other states on the east coast. He began writing music with one of the members of his band, Justin Weaver. They recorded an album with 8 songs. He preformed several original songs in 1998 in an Atlanta nightclub. At the age of 21, he was approached by a song publisher and signed a contract to write for Warner-Chappell publishing company. He was not sure what a song publisher did, but moved to Nashville in 1998, when he was 21 years old. Soon afterwards, he was offered a recording contract but it did not work out. He signed with a second label, but the recording sessions kept getting postponed, and in 2000, he was dropped again (CMT). In the next three years, nothing much happened with his career. He married his high school girlfriend August 4, 2001. She got a job working at a bank and encouraged him to continue his music career. They become parents on Valentine’s Day, 2003, when their daughter, Keeley, was born. But his songwriting contract was expiring and nothing else was working out. The last disappointment came when he played at the Wildhorse Saloon and the label talent scouts did not show up as promised (Sing365). “ ‘ I went through a time when I was depressed and didn’t know what to do….By the middle of 2003, I was frustrated, and I was moving back home. I had already applied for some jobs back in Georgia. I was just kind of at that point where I felt like I was beating a dead horse. I knew that if we moved home, that was probably going to be it with me and music’ “ (Sing365). But even though the scouts did not come that night, Jason was approached by a manager named Lawrence Mathis. He asked for six months to work with Jason. Only several weeks later, he signed a recording contract with Broken Bow Records. It took five long years, but he had finally made it in Nashville (Sing365). “Jason Aldean’s Broken Bow debut showcases a singer with a burnished honky-tonk tenor that resonates with emotional honesty. And it introduces country fans to a truly polished song craftsman. Although still in his 20s, Jason Aldean already has a wealth of performing experience. He was raised on country music from the time of his birth” (Sing365). His contract with Broken Bow Records was the start of a successful career and placed him in a league with other famous singers and songwriters. Since 2004, Aldean has released three albums. Two million copies were sold of the first two recordings. He has had several number one hits and various award nominations. His third album, “Wide Open” was released in 2009. About the album, Aldean says, “ ‘Wide Open is the only way I know how to live…I don’t do anything half-ass, and you never have to guess on where I stand on things. I’m pretty much an open book. I understand there may be hitches along the way, but if I’m in, I’m in no matter what’ “ (GACTV). The Jason Aldean story is a story about a talented man who kept trying even though it looked like his dream would never come true. With the support of his family he was able to finally taste success after years of disappointments. His story gives hope to everyone who has ever had a dream of success.