Jackson Dean Co-Hosts 6/15-16

The co-host this wknd on Country Countdown USA is Jackson Dean, who is on the road now with Lainey Wilson. His debut song, “Don’t Come Lookin,'” went to #1. His most recent Top 10 was “Fearless.” He’s about to release some new music, and we get a sneak peak. Jackson also toured with Luke Bryan, Jon Paradi, and Blake Shelton.

Jackson is on the road this year with Lainey Wilson.  He says their first shows this year were in Australia. ”They were great. The Aussies are nuts.  She went out there and did the ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie,’ and they do the ‘Oy, oy, oy.’  It was so loud and they all do it. It was crazy.”

He says he’s known Lainey and her band for a long time. ”The first show we did with her was four years ago in Fort Smith, and they were still traveling in a van.  It was my first paid gig. She’s the same person I met four years ago.”

Jackson spent part of last year on the road with Luke Bryan. He says he was just 17 the first time he met Luke. ”I was asked to sing the national Anthem at Bass Pro Shops headquarters.  I was backstage, and I felt a hand on my shoulder, and he goes, ‘Hi I’m Luke Bryan.’  He scared the crap outta me.”

Jackson was born & raised in Eastern Maryland, not far from Brothers Osborne. ”They’re big boat folks.  Their dad led a band that also included their uncles. Everyone there knew they were talented.  They were already down here doing stuff by then. But I always admired them.”

 Jackson is working on some new music: ”I’m very excited about letting it get out there. We’ve been playing some of it on our headline tour. The response was really good. We expect to get it out in three months.  Hopefully.” The first taste of the new music is ”Big Blue Sky.”

One of his biggest thrills was having his song Don’t Come Lookin’ used in the TV series Yellowstone: “I’ve been watching Kevin Costner movies my whole life. Just watching it and know that’s my tune right there is so cool. But to have it be Costner the first go-round, what a thrill.  It was hard to contain.”

Jackson also has great stories this week about Jon Pardi, Chris Janson, Jelly Roll, Ashley Cooke, and Nate Smith.

NEXT WEEK: Carly Pearce

Tags: featured

Category: CO-HOST