If Jason Aldean and Adele had a lovechild it would be Jaclyn North. "She has the reminiscent free spirit of Janis Joplin" (Suzzane Skinner – SoGood! Entertainment) and Chuck McKinley of KKUS in Tyler, TX put it best when he described Jaclyn's style as a "controlled, reckless abandonment."
Jaclyn began to perfect her style singing at the Garland Opry, where LeAnn Rimes performed in her early years. At age 16, Jaclyn appeared in the premiere production of country singer Larry Gatlin's musical Look Homeward, Honky Tonk Angel. She moved to Nashville shortly afterwards.
Remaining true to the work ethic of her upbringing, Jaclyn drafted a plan to gain the attention of someone who could help her to attain her dream. She auditioned for American Idol winning her audition on the first try and making it all the way to Hollywood where she performed on the Kodak Stage. While she did not win the ultimate prize, she cites the experience as one that helped her to mature and taught her valuable lessons. In Nashville, she has spent the past few years writing and working her way up the ropes with established writers such as Dean Dillon ("Amarillo By Morning" + multiple George Strait #1s) Will Rambeaux ("Wild One"), Sherrie Austin ("I Didn't"), Jon Randall ("Whiskey Lullaby"), Ashley Monroe ("Hell on Heels"), Wayne Kirkpatrick ("Boondocks"), Gordon Kennedy ("Change the World"), J. Fred Knobloch ("If My Heart Had Wings"), Steve Williams ("Redneck Yacht Club"), John Wiggins ("Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off"), Allen Shamblin ("I Can't Make You Love Me"), Scotty Emerick ("How Do You Like Me Now", "Beer For Me Horses"), Rodney Clawson ("Amarillo Sky", "Lost In This Moment", "I Saw God Today"), Jerrod Neimann ("What Do You Want"). She continued honing her craft and performing at the World Famous Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, festivals such as South By Southwest, Key West Songwriters Festival, and Wildflower Festival and has performed on the same stages with Daughtry, Jerrod Neiman, Leann Rimes, Little Big Town.
On January 13, 2011, Jaclyn's hard work paid off. She was voted Texaco Country Showdown's Best New Act In Country Music when she performed as a finalist at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. She was one of five finalists out of over 50,000 nationwide contestants to perform winning 'best new act' and the $100,000 prize. LeAnn Rimes hosted the evening that was taped for television broadcast in the Spring of 2011.
If steely determination and talent will prevail, then Jaclyn North is a name that will soon be on the lips of a lot of music fans. One of her songs pretty much sums up her attitude toward life, business, and attaining your dream. "Never Give Up".
