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London Calling Podcast Yana Bolder
Artist Jake Worthington’s grandfather — his most significant influence — spoke of country music moments from decades ago in reverential tones that the 27-year-old performer had no other choice but to pursue success in the genre.
“I’m fueled by hanging on to dreams,” Worthington, a Big Loud Records-signed native of LaPorte, Texas told The Tennessean before his July 21 Grand Ole Opry debut.
His rural-born grandfather, who died recently, was a religious man who loved fishing and dreamed of excelling as a songwriter as country music experienced its 70s and 80s global boom.
By 17, Terry Worthington’s grandson was a cherub-faced second-place finalist on The Voice’s sixth season whose performances of Keith Whitley’s soulful country ballad “Don’t Close Your Eyes” impressed both judges and fans.
Country music’s 15-year journey in the early 2000s into male artist-driven and beat-laden pop benefitted the financial status of the genre and elevated its place in the industry. However, for artists like Worthington — and others — wholly inspired by the genre’s heyday, it felt like they were gaining mastery in talents that mainstream was leaving behind.
In the era of country’s most recent mainstream boom, however, artists like Brooks and Dunn’s Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill and Marty Stuart have proven timeless.
When asked about Worthington during Stuart’s recent Late Night Jam event at the Ryman Auditorium, all three, without fail, grin with an almost childlike curl and express the same sentiment.
“If I was betting on anybody in country music, I’d put all my chips on this guy,” said Stuart. “I love him and I believe in him, he’s the real deal.”
Before receiving a standing ovation for his Opry debut, Worthington finally smiled as broadly as that trio of country icons.
“You can’t put that feeling into a bottle, but I’m going to damn sure try to put it on some records,” he said.
Worthington’s tenor emerges from his broad chest and round belly like warm, slow-poured whiskey on a humid evening. It’s the type of instrument that, when layered over a steel guitar and accompanied by a waltz tempo, feels — in a manner deserving of praise by Dunn, Gill, Stuart and more — like music undaunted by time.
“Believing you can play and sing the stuff I play and sing requires much more than a belief in yourself,” offered Worthington.
Worthington’s self-titled album has been out since April. Champions of his work like fellow Big Loud-signed establishing stars ERNEST and HARDY have featured him on tracks including the latter’s 2021 “Hixtape” track “Jonesin'” and the former’s 2023-released “Flower Shops” deluxe album track “Heartache In My Hundred Proof.”
The number of talented artists thriving, but not mainstream aware, who use such homespun colloquialisms is why Big Loud co-founder and CEO Seth England told Texas Monthly that the label desired to dive into the “appealingly authentic” space between a boom in Americana’s rootsy stylings and mainstream country’s growing pop market.
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A time has again arrived for country to create sounds that, as England notes, don’t “pussyfoot” with the genre’s timeless traditions.
“Frank Sinatra, George Jones and Muddy Waters weren’t autotuned. I’m not, either. We’re singing from our hearts and souls,” said Worthington flatly.
“Everyone worried about the production, though,” he said. “I was stressed, initially, because I hadn’t seen the proof from Joey that he could create my type of traditional country record. But he’s hyper-sensitive to learning how to smartly let the fiddles, steel guitars and vocals — especially when they’re being played by people like [Musicians Hall of Famer] Paul Franklin — shine and make the best music possible. We discovered a perfect marriage.”
“It’s time to go deeper into the vein,” says Worthington about what he has coming next.
“According to my grandfather, Frankie Miller’s (1959-released) ‘Blackland Farmer’ should be a number one hit today, tomorrow and forever. I might need to cut that in his memory. One day I’m gonna wrap my teeth around sitting down and recording, producing and getting that out there.”
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