Talk:Jarekus Singleton/Temp

Blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Jarekus Singleton was born in Clinton, Mississippi on July 11, 1984. Refuse To Lose is his first nationally and internationally distributed album. It was released on Chicago-based independent blues record label Alligator Records on May 6, 2014. England's Blues & Rhythm called Singleton "a great, new blues talent…young, original, soulful and intense…superb, blistering guitar." According to Living Blues magazine, "Jarekus Singleton is making some serious blues noise...blending modern-day blues and emotionally intense soul with melodic, hot-toned lead guitar, funk-seasoned rhythms and hip-hop flavored lyrics."

Singleton played bass guitar at age nine at his grandfather's church. He was tutored in music by his uncle. Other family members also played and sang gospel music. Singleton switched to guitar and began to concentrate on his playing and his singing. He first heard blues music at 15, and has named B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan among his biggest inspirations. He also listened to rap artists including Jay-Z and Twista and country artists including Brad Paisley. Also during this period, Singleton developed his basketball skills, later becoming a top-seeded college player for Southern Mississippi University and William Carey University. An ankle injury derailed his basketball career and he began concentrating on music full-time. He performed original lyrics as a rapper, but soon began to combine his blues music with his original lyrics.

The Jarekus Singleton Blues Band formed in 2009, with the band members drawn from the musicians he played with in church. In 2011 Singleton self-released the album Heartfelt and sold it at live performances and online. B.B. King's Bluesville channel on SiriusXM Radio played three songs from Heartfelt in regular rotation. He won Guitar Center’s “King Of The Blues” contest for the state of Mississippi. In 2012 he received the Jackson Music Award for Blues Artist of the Year, as well as the award for 2013 Local Entertainer of the Year. In 2013, The Jackson Free Press named him as Best Local Blues Artist.

He competed in the International Blues Challenge (IBC), an annual contest produced by the Blues Foundation inMemphis, in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. At the 2013 IBC, he was scouted by the president of Alligator Records, Bruce Iglauer. Singleton signed with Alligator in the fall of 2013. In October of 2013 and January of 2014, Singleton and his band recorded for Alligator at PM Music in Memphis. Iglauer and Singleton co-produced.

Singleton performed at the Mississippi Stage at the Chicago Blues Festival in 2012 and 2013. He appeared at South Carolina's Lowcountry Blues Festival and Festival of Discovery in 2011 as well as many other festivals in the South and clubs throughout Mississippi. In January 2014, Singleton signed with Charlotte, NC's booking agency Blue Mountain Artists. He played the Springing The Blues Festival in Jacksonville Beach, FL in April of 2014. He is booked to perform at a number of blues festivals in the summer of 2014, including The North Atlantic Blues Festival, Cincinnati Blues Festival, The PA Blues Festival, The Heritage Blues Festival, The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, The Blues At The Beach Festival and the Mighty Mississippi Blues Festival.

Discography

 * 2013 Refuse To Lose (Alligator)
 * 2011 Heartfelt (Reakdogmusic, LLC)

Honors and awards

 * Selected as the 2013 Best Local Blues Artist by Jackson Free Press.
 * 2013 Jackson Music Award for Local Entertainer of the Year
 * 2012 Jackson Music Award for Blues Artist of the Year

Current members

 * Jarekus Singleton – Guitar, Vocals
 * James Salone - Organ
 * Ben Sterling - Bass
 * John "Junior" Blackmon - Drums & Percussion