Childhood & Early Life
He was born Jason Aldine Williams on February 28, 1977, in Macon, Georgia, US. He later adapted stage name Jason Aldean changing the spelling of his middle name and dropping Williams.
He comes from a broken family; his parents parting ways when he was just 3 years old. Thereafter, his mother brought him up in Macon. He used to stay with his father in Homestead, Florida during summer. He has a sister and two step-brothers.
Jason got attracted towards country music after watching Country Music Awards (CMA) on television which motivated him to tread the path as a singer. He got associated with the house band at the Macon nightspot Nashville South at 15 years of age.
After his high school, Jason, along with and his band, was helped by his father to perform at ‘Truman State University’ located in Kirksville, Missouri.
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Career
Jason started writing songs along with band member, Justin Weaver. In1996, he recorded an eight song CD and made efforts to sell these at different shows. He performed some of his self-written songs at the show ‘The Buckboard’ staged at Atlanta nightclub in 1998.
American record producer Michael Knox, the then executive of song-publishing company ‘Warner-Chappell’, discovered him at an Atlanta show and helped him with a song-writing contract with the company. Following this, he moved to Nashville on November 1, 1998.
For the next few years, Jason struggled with his music career. Meanwhile, Lawrence Mathis became his first manager.
As nothing fruitful was coming so Jason made up his mind to return back to his hometown, but around the same time he was signed by the independent label ‘Broken Bow Records’ in 2005 that opened a new chapter of a thriving musical career in his life. He went on to release all his seven albums through the label.
On July 26, 2005, Jason released his eponymous album that topped the US Billboard Top Independent Albums chart and ranked #6 at the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart. It was produced by Knox who eventually produced all other albums of Jason. His debut single ‘Hicktown’ formed part of the album.
The album ‘Jason Aldean’ received platinum certification from RIAA. Since its release, Kevin Neal has remained his agent. Jason was bestowed the title of ‘Top New Male Vocalist’ at the ‘ACM Awards’ in 2006.
His second studio album titled ‘Relentless’ released on May 29, 2007 and debuted atop the US Billboard Top Country Albums and peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Independent Albums chart. The album garnered gold certification from RIAA on October 4, 2007 and later in September 2012 RIAA certified it platinum.
By this time, he turned to Clarence Spalding’s artist management company ‘Spalding Entertainment’.
His third studio album titled ‘Wide Open’ that released on April 7, 2009, debuted at number 2 on the US Top Country Albums chart. It peaked atop the US Billboard Top Independent Albums chart while made it at #4 at the US Billboard 200.
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‘Wide Open’ received platinum certification from RIAA. Three of its four singles namely ‘She's Country’, ‘Big Green Tractor’ and ‘The Truth’ topped the Billboard country singles chart.
Basking at the success of his first three albums, Jason went on to release his fourth studio album ‘My Kinda Party’ on November 2, 2010 that became a huge hit soaring his popularity even further. It debuted at #2 on the US Billboard 200 as well as in the Top Country Albums chart and later peaked at the top of the latter and also at the US Billboard Independent Albums chart.
‘My Kinda Party’ received 3X Platinum certification from RIAA and a platinum certification from Music Canada. Three of its five singles ‘Don't You Wanna Stay’, ‘Dirt Road Anthem’ and ‘Fly Over States’ reached atop US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
He collaborated with songwriters like Neil Thrasher, Wendell Mobley, David Lee Murphy and Jason Sellers among many others who wrote the songs of ‘My Kinda Party’. Among these ‘Don't You Wanna Stay’, marks his collaboration with Kelly Clarkson who contributed as female vocalist in the duet song.
‘My Kinda Party’ fetched him ‘Album of the Year’ award while ‘Don't You Wanna Stay’ garnered ‘Musical Event of the Year’ award at the CMA Awards in 2011.
The album also received a Best Country Album nomination at the 54th Grammy Awards on November 30, 2011. The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night saw Jason performing at the prestigious event.
His fifth studio album ‘Night Train’ was released on October 16, 2012. This album also marks his collaboration with several songwriters. The single "The Only Way I Know" from it that he recorded with Eric Church and Luke Bryan topped the US Billboard Country Airplay chart.
'Night Train debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200, and the Top Country Albums chart and received 2× Platinum certification from RIAA and platinum certification from Music Canada.
On October 7, 2014, his sixth studio album ‘Old Boots, New Dirt’ released and debuted at number one spot both on the Billboard 200 and the Canadian Albums Chart. It received platinum certification from RIAA on December 8 that year.
His seventh studio album ‘They Don't Know’ released on September 9, 2016 also debuted atop the Billboard 200 and peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Independent Albums and US Billboard Top Country Albums charts.
His upcoming eighth studio album about which he declared in March 2017 is planned for a late 2017 or early 2018 release.
Personal Life & Legacy
Jason married Jessica Ann Ussery on August 4, 2001 with whom he has daughters, Keely, born on February 14, 2003; Kendyl, born on August 20, 2007.
He filed for a divorce from his wife on April 26, 2013.
On March 21, 2015, he married Brittany Kerr and on May 22, 2017, the couple declared that they are expecting a baby boy.
Jason co-owns ‘Buck Commander’, founded in 2006 to develop hunting products.
