100-proof authentic, Jamie Lee Thurston is the definition of an artist. With a baritone voice that is deep and rich, he delivers a tender ballad with as much heart and conviction as his rockin’ guitar driven up-tempos. Described as a “powerhouse,” Jamie Lee is an honest performer who puts it in gear and drives straight through.
Born the youngest of three and raised in New England, Jamie Lee is an artist by heritage. A third generation musician, Jamie Lee’s father was a renowned bandleader fronting a variety of musical groups in Vermont, his grandfather and great uncle played fiddle and his uncle played piano.
Jamie Lee made his first appearance performing on his father’s lap at the age of three. As a teenager, he worked as a roadie for his dad’s band; right after high school, he graduated to play guitar in the band. “As a kid there was always guitars lying around the house. I used to strap one on, turn the stereo up really loud and just bang on the thing. My dad’s guitar players spent some time showing me chords and riffs and I just kind of moved on from there.”
After years of playing in bars and clubs across the Northeast and Canada, Jamie Lee made a name for himself that stood alone. Opening for superstar country acts such as the Dixie Chicks, Sara Evans, Charlie Daniels, Mark Chesnut and Colin Raye, Jamie Lee was bitten by the Nashville bug. He began traveling to and from Nashville, TN for a number of years to test the waters and ended up making Nashville his home in 1997 after becoming a finalist in the True Value/Coca Cola Country Showdown and the Nashville Entertainment Association’s Country Challenge.
Appearing on Country Today (The Nashville Network) and the Charlie Daniels Talent Round-up, Jamie Lee’s songwriting abilities were noticed by EMI Music Publishing and he was signed to a writing deal, as well as a place on the Warner Bros. Records artist roster (2003.) He worked closely with well-known producer Chuck Howard to co-produce his first major label CD, but the project was shelved in the label’s corporate shift. Despite being lost in the shuffle, Jamie Lee stood firm and confident in himself and his music. “If it’s in you, it’s not something you can give up. It wasn’t an option for me to do anything else.”
Jamie Lee’s got the stuff that works to make him a career artist—he writes, sings, produces and performs his own music. Growing up listening to Lynrd Skynyrd, ZZ-Top, AC/DC, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, George Jones and Hank Jr., Jamie Lee is a product of classic rock and country. “The infusion of music that you listen to becomes you. No matter if it’s an up-tempo rocker or a slower ballad, my music is a reflection of where I’ve been, where I am going and ultimately--who I am”
Jamie Lee’s music is unfiltered. “I want to tell a story with lyrics that is easily interpreted…and that’s just the way I am. No one ever has to wonder what I’m thinking, because I just tell it like it is!” A veteran performer on stage, Jamie Lee is in control. As an entertainer and skillful guitar player, he’s magnetic. “I didn’t set out to make a sound. I just do what I do. There’s nothing contrived. I just do my thing.”
