Just the beginning

Jackson Capps’ musical career began with a Christmas present when he was 8 years old. Now, nearly a decade later, the Trussville teen is making a name for himself as an up-and-coming country artist. 

Capps, who was recently nominated for the Bama Country Male Artist in the 2017 Alabama Music Awards, hopes to share his music with the world.

“I’m inspired by pretty much three genres of music: traditional country, rockabilly and blues,” Capps said. “So that kind of ties into the music I make, and I just call it American Music.”

Capps’ influences range everywhere from George Jones and Jimmy Rogers to Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, and his style recently caught the attention of the Nashville-basedJack and Joe Show. 

“It’s Jack Key and Joe Carter,” Capps said, noting that Carter has also managed artists such as William Michael Morgan. “And so, I signed with them a couple months ago.”

Until recently, Capps said, he was managed by his mother, Tonya Capps, who is a teacher with Trussville City Schools. 

While Capps affectionately called her “The Momager”, her influence in her son’s career began much earlier, when she noticed him playing with her fiancé’s guitar at age 8.

After Tonya bought her son a guitar of his own for Christmas, she quickly realized that his interest was more than just curiosity. “I don’t know why, but I just knew then that he had some kind of future in music,” Tonya said.

Capps began taking lessons, and at age 12 he performed at the Grand Ole Opry. Under the management of his mother and stepfather, Ken, he has played at venues throughout Birmingham and Nashville. He has performed alongside artists such as Marty Stuart and added the mandolin to his list of musical abilities.

In addition to the support of his family, Capps said the Trussville community has always shown an interest in his art. 

“Trussville has just always been so supportive of my music and been so, just, sweet to include me in festivals,” he said, adding that he has enjoyed playing at local events like the Cahaba River Shrimp Boil.

According to Steve Pennington, Capps’ vocal instructor, this is only the beginning. “He will have a career in music,” Pennington said. “It’s just what he wants to do with it.” 

Pennington noted that, regardless of Capps’ performance schedule, he never misses his Monday vocal lessons. 

“That’s a great, great trait,” he said.

For Capps, that diligence pays off when he’s in front of the crowd. “When you have a good crowd, it really makes for a special night,” he said, stating that it’s his favorite part of the job. 

Although he eventually hopes to sign with a record label and release his first album, Capps is mostly concerned with continuing to make music that people enjoy. “I just want people to be able to feel something when they listen to my music,” he said. “And I just want to continue playing shows and sharing my music.”

While 10 years ago Capps was only beginning to play the guitar, he is now looking forward to a promising musical career. And 10 years from now? “I know where I want to be,” Capps said. “I want to be on a world-wide tour and selling records that people like.”