The Heart of Country Soul - Jackson Young With the release of Jackson Young’s first EP in a two-EP set, Once You Go Jack (Rising Redemption), Jackson is honored to have collaborated with industry great, former Allman Brother, Johnny Neel. This EP has a sound for everyone’s ear, with songs that bring a captivating new twist to country music. Jackson has always journeyed on the road less traveled. Being a gypsy from childhood, Jackson wasn’t always the cowboy he is today. Country music wasn’t his first love, because groups like NWA, Ice Cube, and Doctor Dre told the story of Jackson’s childhood. Even though times were tough, and life was hard, Jackson learned to appreciate all diversities and cultures. “Character outweighs color. Judge by character instead.” Merle Haggard sings about turning twenty-one in prison doing life without parole. That’s the path Jackson was on until fate stepped in and he was sent to live with his grandmother in small-town USA. Suddenly, Jackson’s world was turned upside down, and when country radio was the only station his boom box antenna picked up, he began to see a side of himself that he didn’t even know existed. “You have two choices in life. Being what everybody says you’re going to be, or being yourself.” As a Green to Gold pre-law student at Vincennes University, Jackson won the Pacemaker Paddle Award for Leadership and Campus Involvement, and found brotherhood in the Sigma Pi Fraternity. The tragedies of 9/11 motivated Jackson to head toward an entirely different and admirable direction; to stand for justice in another field. He left college and went “active duty” as a member of the Army 101st Airborne (Air Assault). “I originally wanted to become an attorney; more specifically, a Supreme Court Justice.” While stationed at Fort Campbell, Jackson was teased for his constant singing and humming to himself around the base. It wasn’t until one night on leave in a small bar in Nashville that Jackson finally put his army brothers’ teasing to rest. Getting up on stage, Jackson blew away his friends with his incredible singing ability. “You have to understand the relationship between soldiers, the comedic relief and the jabs. But, when the guys actually reacted positively to my vocals and performance, it sparked my interest in seriously considering a career in music.” After his departure from the military, Jackson took odd jobs to make ends meet. The 6’3” tall, 210 lb. Jackson would have never thought that answering an ad for a dancer would lead him down another path in life. Trained under a three-time world champion, seven years later, Jackson became one of the top teachers in Ballroom, Latin and Swing. “Wear lots of shoes; you never know where they’ll take you.” Transitioning from the dance floor to the runway, Jackson landed a modeling contract with Manny’s Ready to Wear, and also became the face of the national campaign for Rooter Man. He is now the face and image of a number of romance novels including “Legend Awakening” and “All Smoke No Fire” written by New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Randi Alexander, with a dozen more covers scheduled in the future. “Whether it’s music, dance, modeling, acting or film making, I’m in love with the work and the creative process of the art.” Jackson Young has been down many roads, some good and some less travelled. These experiences led to what you know as the Once You Go Jack EP, Rising Redemption. All of the music on the EP has not only been co-written by Jackson but has been lived by him. While his journey has taken him from the battlefield, to the dance floor, and in front of the camera, what remained a constant throughout his life was his music. “I just feel like I was destined to be an entertainer; there’s a beast in my soul that feels satisfied when I’m in front of a group of people performing.”