Maryland musician making a name for himself in country music

By Sarah Ridenour
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer

It’s not uncommon for a high school student to perform the national anthem before a school football games.

But not many people can say they’ve gone viral from it. Nor can they say they’ve just released their third album on iTunes and Spotify.

But 18-year-old Jackson Dean Nicholson is one of those few.

“I didn’t do it to go viral,” Nicholson said. “I just wanted a really good video.”

The video shows Nicholson, who uses the stage name Jackson Dean when he performs, standing on the 50-yard line of Arundel High School’s football field with a guitar in hand. He’s in his football uniform. His helmet sits by the microphone stand.

The crowd cheers when the announcer introduces him. It goes wild when he finishes the song with a long sustaining note while his teammates run onto the field holding a U.S. flag high.

But for about two minutes in between, the crowd is silent and all that can be heard is the guitar and Nicholson’s soulful, raspy voice.

Three days after posting the video to Facebook, radio stations WMZQ and WPOC discovered the video and played it on air. That’s when things really started to explode, Nicholson said.

“We were floored about the video and all of the opportunities that happened after that,” said Eileen Nicholson, Jackson’s mother. “I didn’t step foot in my office for about two weeks because we were so busy setting up interviews and travel. It was so crazy.”

It led to a lot of exposure for Nicholson. He appeared on Good Morning America and The Steve Harvey Show. His video was featured on The Ellen Show’s website. He performed the national anthem before the Redskins game at FedExField, which holds 82,000 people.

“I thought being in the local gazette was going to be the top of it,” Nicholson said, “but apparently not.”

The video featured a unique version of the anthem which Nicholson composed himself. This caught the attention of Scott Lehr, who is now Nicholson’s manager.

“I slid up in his DMs on Instagram and set up an interview,” Lehr said. “I was truly blown away by his sound and talent.”

In the midst of all of this, Nicholson was working on his third album titled “Ain’t No Saint,” which features six songs original songs.

“Jackson is an amazing songwriter,” Lehr said. “Him connecting and writing with some amazing people in Nashville will be a huge part in excelling his career.”

Nicholson co-produced the album with his drummer, Sean Mercer, who Jackson met while recording his first album “The Flood Zone” in 2015. It’s his favorite album so far, he said, because he’s had a lot of creative control over every song.

“I was there just about every day they were doing something, and everything came out exactly how I wanted it to,” Nicholson said. “There’s some really good stuff on this album.”

Nicholson began performing during his freshman year of high school.

“I learned a few songs and went to an open mic in Bowie,” Nicholson said. “I was there every week for about four months, and word spreads quick around there so people just kept coming in to see me.”

Nicholson’s parents have supported his dream of making it big with his music. They helped him find open mics and places to perform regularly.

“I know that this is what he wants to do now, and we would all regret not giving it a try,” Eileen Nicholson said. “He can always choose to do something else later if he wants.”

What started out as just open mics a few times a week is now a fully-booked schedule. Some of these shows include playing alongside bigger names in country music such as the band LOCASH, which he performed with in March.

“I got to perform at their album release party at the Fillmore with Sam Grow,” Nicholson said. “It was a full house so it was awesome.”

He will also open for Kane Brown at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland, a venue of 7,000. This will be his biggest crowd yet, aside from singing the national anthem at FedEx Field.

“Jackson is pure, raw talent,” Lehr said. “He has the power to open his mouth and belt out a note that will just blow you away. Jackson has the potential to become a huge star.”

For Nicholson, becoming a star starts with people outside the D.C., Maryland, Virginia area knowing his name.

“I want to walk into a room and people know who I am,” Nicholson said. “I have that around here, but I want others to know me and hear what I have to say.”