Jason remembers getting his first guitar when he was five years old. He didn’t know the chords to songs he wanted to play, so he just made them up and played and sang to anyone who would listen. “My mom always told me that she supported me 100%. I was sold from the first applause.” Living in East Tennessee in the small town of Oneida, music was a regular part of his life. When Jason found he could easily express his emotions through writing and singing, he pursued his dream of sharing his deep feelings with others. through music. Growing up as an only child, his good memories are of having fun in the woods and playing his guitar, drums and baseball. A favorite memory is getting up early in the summer and going fishing with his grandfather. In contrast Jason faced some dark times in his life when he was on the rocky road of addiction and came close to taking his own life. “I struggled and battled alcohol addiction for several years. On September 20, 2013, I found myself in a desolate field with a loaded pistol in my hand ready to end my life. I received a text from my mom that stated, ‘Maybe you should change your ways.’ At that point I dropped the pistol and asked God to take away all the pain and show me how to get out of the deep depression I was in. Later that day, I checked into a treatment facility where I began to rediscover who God made me to be.” Standing beside him through the good and bad, his parents have made a big impression on his life. Jason’s music is raw and real. What is important to him now is to deeply connect with others who are hurting, to let them know they are not alone and to share a message of hope. Jason has lived the life found in the lyrics of his EP “Letting Go.” “Letting Go” was written during the lowest point in his life. “This Broken Heart” is about realizing no outside source alone could fix what was going on inside him and asking God for help. “I’m Gonna Live” is about wanting and finding a way out of addiction and pain. Not having to continue living in the past and being consumed by detrimental strongholds is Jason’s message of “It’s A New Day.” “The best lesson I have learned is that God loves me unconditionally despite all the things I have done.” Through his music, Jason pours out his heart. His core values are honesty and perseverance. The message he conveys is that we all struggle and come from different walks of life, and we are all looking for the same thing — to be loved and accepted. Life can be tough and no matter what we are going through, God loves us and is waiting for us with open arms and unconditional love. “The best advice I could give to anyone is to love God, love yourself and love others.” Jason’s music library is an eclectic blend of country, rock, pop, christian and rap music. “I am a lyric connoisseur so to say. If the words hit me and I can relate to it, then I will listen to it.” He has been and is still strongly influenced by Travis Tritt because of the passion and soul in his vocals, as well as the songs that Jeremy Camp, Chris Tomlin and Casting Crowns are releasing. Aside from writing music, Jason likes being outdoors in the middle of nowhere by the water. He says, “there is no better way to escape the chaos of the day-to-day life.” Close to his heart are organizations he learned about as he struggled with addiction: Alcoholics Anonymous, ManyFaces1Voice and Celebrate Recovery. “Now, I know the importance of sharing what you are feeling because it truly does help people see that they are not alone. Today, I am simply giving back what I was freely given.” On stage Jason is not much different than he is in day-to-day life, usually wearing jeans, a button down shirt, a baseball cap and boots. While he continues to enjoy giving a high energy performance with his band, his favorite thing is to get an acoustic guitar in his hand and share his story. Jason likes to think of fans as family. “ I open my heart to them and hopefully one day I can sit down and they can share their heart with me. I feel this is what music is all about —bringing people together.”