Jerrod Niemann Stands Up For Jason Aldean And 'Frees The Music' At PS22
As Jason Aldean found out this week, celebrity has its downside, and not all public attention is the kind a person necessarily wants. But he also found out that he sure has a lot of friends.
When the "My Kinda Party" singer was caught in a less-than-savory moment with American Idol contestant Brittany Kerr, many of these friends came out of the woodwork to support him during what is surely a trying time for the married-with-children musician.
One of Jason's buddies is fellow country artist Jerrod Niemann. Jerrod has been extra busy this week getting the word out about his brand-new album, Free the Music. But during a conversation with the morning show team at Detroit station WYCD, he took the time to stand up for his friend.
“I obviously heard about Jason," Jerrod told WYCD. "And the truth is, everyone makes mistakes. And what made me definitely proud of him was when he came out and talked to his fans and just said, 'Hey, this is the truth, I made a mistake, I’m going to work through it with my family.' Instead of just saying, 'Oh that’s not true, this didn’t happen.'"
As Jason Aldean wrote in a statement this week: "The truth is that I screwed up. I ultimately ended up embarrassing my family and myself. I'm not perfect, and I'm sorry for disappointing you guys. I really appreciate being able to work through this privately with my family and for all your continued support."
Jerrod felt that that was a strong, positive move. "He was honest, and I really respect that. And I’m sure he feels horrible." But, says Jerrod, "it sounds like he’s on the right track.”
As mentioned, Jerrod Niemann has had a busy week this week, thanks to the release of his brand-new album, Free the Music.
With an instrumental mix that includes horns as well as guitars and piano, it's not your typical country album by any means. And you can get a sense of what you're in for based on the cover image alone.
The cover "encompasses what the album has on it," Jerrod explains to WYCD. "We're letting the music out, letting the people in."
And as for what's inside? "It was fun to dig through and pay homage to all eras of country music," Jerrod explains in another interview, this one with Riverside, Calif. station KFRG. For instance, he says, "the pedal steel guitar, which we all look at as the epitome of country music, wasn't even invented until 1948." Before that, horns made regular appearances in the music of such greats as Tex Williams and Bob Wills.
Whether Jerrod will single-handedly bring trombones and trumpets back into country music remains to be seen. In the meantime, as he explained to the KFRG team, he's doing his best to bring as much music as possible to kids--including donating a piano and drums to the students at PS22 in New York, where he had the honor of performing this week.
”Having a chance to meet and perform with PS22 was like no other experience," Jerrod explained. "Those children have so much talent and passion for music that I am so inspired and proud to be their biggest fan.”
- Kurt Wolff, CBS Local
