An American Guitarist and Country Music Singer: Jason Aldean - Essay Example

Jason Aldean Jason William Aldean, professionally known as Jason Aldean only, is an American guitarist and country music singer born in Macon, Georgia in 1977. Barry and Debbie, his parents, divorced when he was barely three years old. His mother took him custody, lived with him in Macon, Georgia, and attended Windsor academy. He would spend summer with his dad in Homestead, Florida (CMT). Aldean has recorded four albums, two certified platinum and one gold. Aldean has quite achieved recognition with six of his singles hitting the number one position in the Hot Country Songs chart, and another seven ranking top ten in the chart. Aldean’s musical career was nurtured by both his parents, but his father was the most supportive. When Aldean was on summer vacation in Florida, his father would draft the guitar chords on a paper to show him how he would place his finger on the guitar chords. Aldean would practice with the guide of the notes all day, enhancing his guitar skills with time. After work, his dad would join him in playing the guitar, teaching him along the way. With time, Aldean would simply listen to a song and play along it. He gained a lot of knowledge about songs in this manner. Thanks to his mother, Aldean got his first big break musically at the age of 14 years when he performed at the television station VFW in his hometown (CMT). According to him, they had to drag him out of the stage as he had been attached to the performance. This was the birth of his music passion in singing country music. The following year, Aldean joined a band called ‘house band’, which was stationed at Nashville South. By the time he graduated from high school, he had bought a car with the proceeds from singing and his future was pointing to a professional career in country music. Aldean’s career was now shining bright. His first self-titled album, Jason Aldean, was a great success. The album, produced in 2005, had three top ten songs in the Hot Country Music chart, including the hit single Why, Hicktown, and Amarillo Sky (LLC 2). The album also includes co-writes with John Rich of Big and Rich group, and Big Kenny. The album earned Aldean nomination for the song and video of the year at ACM 2006, and he was nominated ‘Top New Male Vocalist’ in 2006 Country Music Academy Awards. This album was certified platinum by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2007 after selling over one million copies. Relentless, his second album, was released in May 2007. The album has contributions from producer Michael Knox. The album has twelve songs, with the title single in number three. The album made it to number four in the US country music chart, but did not become successful like his first one. Nevertheless, RIAA certified it gold. It included tracks like Johnny Cash, Relentless, No, Back in this Cigarette, and others (LLC 6). The album is considered as the lowest selling in the US and Canada. In contrast to his first album that had a rural pride setting, this album appears to concentrate his energy on failed relationships. Tracks like ‘who’s kissing you tonight’ have theme of broken relationships. His best song in the album about laughing then crying is out of the broken relationship theme. Nonetheless, Aldean portrays his versatility in the song about not every man lives. Aldean’s third album, Wide Open, release was in April 2009 with the single “She’s country”. The album produced three straight number one singles including “Big Green Tractor” and “She’s Country”. The album bought him back his success in country music singing. On the same year on August, he produced a DVD titled Wide Open Live and More. In analysis, the album touches all the clichés in the country music book without the systematic appearance. It includes songs about little country girls with big city dreams, laments on his ways, his green tractor, and love songs for the girls and the country. This album has many rock elements. This album is not too soft, neither is it too risky. It is a perfect shot in the middle of the road between the two extremes. His fourth and recent album tops all his music work. “My Kinda Party” seems to reclaim his glory in the country music kingdom (Gilbert & Aldean 4). The album has assured his residence at the number one position in the radio charts for a straight twelve months and running. He has also bagged the album of the year award at the Country Music Awards Ceremony in 2011, along with the top male artiste of the year and the duet of the year with Kelly Clarkson. The album has a variety of music genre, including a rap-country segment with Ludacris on “Dirty Road Anthem” (Gilbert & Aldean 6). The rap track combines the hip-hop fans and the country music enthusiast to an energetic flow. The album was certified platinum in its first phase of sale. The album incorporates intriguing melodies and storylines, most of which revolve around the small town themes. Work Cited CMT. Jason Aldean Biography. Retrieved on 10-11-2011 from http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/aldean_jason/bio.jhtml Gilbert, Brantley & Aldean, Jason. My Kinda Party: Piano, Vocal/Guitar, Sheet. Alfred Publishing Co, 2010. Print. 5-8 LLC. Jason Aldean Albums: Jason Aldean Video Albums, Wide Open, Relentless, Wide Open Live. General Books LLC, 2010. Print. 2-24. Two pages Through the help of his father, Aldean and his band got shows around Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. His education was compromised, as he had to choose between another four years of school, or playing in the clubs, a decision that he says was not difficult. He opted for playing in the clubs. Together with a member of the band, Justin weaver, Aldean started writing songs. As he was playing one of his original written songs in 1998 at The Buckboard in Atlanta, Michael Knox from Warner Chappell Song Publishing Company recognized his talent and approached him. He moved to Nashville, the music city, on November 1998 after signing a record deal to write songs for the company. Nevertheless, Aldean did not get off a smooth running start to his music career. He took up several record deals that failed before he could get a successful recording deal with the Broken Bow Records in 2005. In 2001, Aldean married Jessica, his high school girlfriend, and they were blessed with a daughter on 2003, Valentine’s Day. Jessica got a job with a bank in Nashville and encouraged him to continue trying. His father and Michael Knox also provided him with encouragement. His last attempt to get a record deal at Wildhorse Saloon was not successful as the talent scouts he had been promised did not turn up, but he met a manager, Lawrence Mathis, who would change his music career path. Mathis liked his performance and they agreed on six months for his their partnership. One month and a week later, Aldean got a with the Broken Bow records. The four albums have established Aldean as a champion in the country music area. He is unique in a relatively familiar industry, using the same themes but coming out differently from the rest of the pack. Aldean believes that being creative is about coming up with new things. According to him, the difference is achieved by creating new styles and themes in the country music field. He illustrates this by his collaboration with a rap artist to do a rap-country song, whose reception rewards his efforts. He says that those who succeed are the ones who figure the evolution and change according to it, and that makes them great. From his taste of music to what he does with his recordings, Aldean exhibits all signs of diversity. Aldean is unique in his music production tactics too. He has always worked in his own mindset, tackling challenges and opportunities in his terms. At the Broken Bow, he was allowed to work with his own producer, Michael Knox, and a band of his own selection. The band has Tully Kennedy as the bass player, Kurt Allison as the guitarist, guitarist Adam Shoenfeld as the Studio core, and Rich Redmond as the drummer. The results of his individuality are evident on his fourth album. Tracks in the album have a ring of familiarity about them mixed with a touch of originality, with a smooth tingling lick at the end of his lines. His honesty applied to the common themes in country music songs also proves his uniqueness. Finally, the guitar sounds are unique in their genre, so familiar with the country music class but with unique genre. Read More