Congrats to Jack Ingram, winner of the ACM Top New Male Artist. I’ve seen Jack perform live for roughly twenty years and am very proud that he’s getting well deserved recognition for his music.
“It’s been a long road to stand in front of as the new male vocalist of the ACM. Dreams come true, never give up,” Jack stated in the press conference backstage after winning. “I’ve put in a lot of miles and a lot of hard work and I’m proud of the work I’ve done.”
Jack Ingram was featured the night before the awards at the Academy of Country Music’s New Artists’ Party for a Cause, performing “Measure of a Man” and “Love You.”
(photos by Jarrod Vrazel : ACountry.com)
At this point, Jack Ingram knows a thing or two about what is and isn’t country music. While he’s a new face to some, he began his career over a decade ago in the hardscrabble honky-tonks and dancehalls of Texas. He quickly earned the respect of his peers -not to mention his heroes. Waylon Jennings called him “an incredible talent,” while Billy Joe Shaver pronounced him “one of the best performers around.” Nonetheless, Ingram bounced between independent and major labels, none of which exposed him to the masses. A critic’s and musician’s favorite he mostly remained until Ingram partnered with manager George Couri of C.S.E. who recognized the power of Jack’s appeal and continually-growing fan base. The decision to sign with Scott Borchetta and Big Machine in mid-2005 completed the team – and the hits started coming. “All the label situations I’ve been in before, I don’t think everyone at the company believed it could work,” he figures. “This time, there was no question.” It was a question, however, that took five years to answer. Ingram’s last studio album, Electric, hit stores in 2001. During the subsequent process of building his audience, and finding a new home at Big Machine, Ingram went through significant changes in his life, reflected now on This Is It. “It’s been a whole life cycle since I put out a studio record. I’ve become a father, three times over, and have experienced the seismic shifts associated with that – coming to terms with yourself, the central figures and the defining moments in your life.” he says. “My records in the past paralleled my growth and maturity and This Is It is a further reflection of that. This is what I’ve been going through and what I’ve been doing.”
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