Jason Michael Carroll | |
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Background information | |
Born |
Houston, Texas, United States |
June 13, 1978
Origin | Youngsville, North Carolina, United States |
Genres | Country |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 2006–present |
Labels | Arista Nashville |
Associated acts | Don Gehman |
Website | Official website |
Jason Michael Carroll (born June 13, 1978) is an American country music artist. After being discovered at a local talent competition in 2004, Carroll was signed to the Arista Nashville label in 2006, releasing his debut album Waitin' in the Country that year. This album has produced three consecutive Top 40 country hits for him on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts: "Alyssa Lies", "Livin' Our Love Song" and "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead". Carroll's second album, Growing Up Is Getting Old, has also produced his fourth and fifth Top 40 hits. Carroll and Arista Nashville parted ways in February 2010.
Carroll grew up in a religious household in Youngsville, North Carolina. His father was a conservative Christian minister who viewed modern music as sinful and would not allow any secular music played in the home, or even on family trips in the car. His father went so far as to spank him when he found a copy of Billy Ray Cyrus' "Achy Breaky Heart" in his bedroom.
In 2004 encouraged by his mother, Carroll won a local singing competition, WRAZ FOX 50's Gimme the Mic. During this same period, Carroll had finished writing "Alyssa Lies." Carroll says he struggled to the point of getting migraines for a year and a half before finishing the song. By the summer of 2005, Carroll was a regular along Nashville's Music Row. He later signed with the booking agency Monterey Peninsula Artists Nashville and entered a recording agreement with Arista Nashville.
Carroll's debut album, Waitin' in the Country, produced by Don Gehman, was released on February 6. In its opening week, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Charts. With first-week sales of 57,608, and a Billboard 200 pop chart entry at No. 8, Carroll had once achieved both the best unit sales and the highest pop chart debut by a new country male artist since Billy Ray Cyrus in 1993. The debut single from Waitin' in the Country, entitled "Alyssa Lies", reached No. 5 on the Hot Country Songs charts. It was followed by "Livin' Our Love Song" which peaked at No. 6. The album's third single, "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead", was released in early 2008 and peaked at No. 21.