Most musicians train their entire life to hone their talent and their musicality, but Jay Ernest’s talent was born on the road. With years of experience traveling and playing music, he has mastered his craft as a formidable performer, making a name for himself in the entertainment industry as a respected musician.
Born on January 11, 1975, in New Ulm, Minnesota, Jay Ernest planted his roots in music as a trained singer from grade school through college and started touring at the age of 20. Nowadays, the road is his stage performing at various live shows with massive crowds. Over the course of his entire music career, he has performed at over 4,000 live shows touring in various countries such as the USA, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Ukraine, Denmark, Japan and China.
In 2006, he established his own record label called Jayder Records, where most of his projects are marketed under. He is also the producer of the female-led country band, The Jensen Sisters, who are famous for their songs such as “Yellow Frames,” “Son of an Outlaw,” “Beat of a Bad Habit,” and many more.
Jay Ernest is currently touring with Church of Cash, a tribute band with the express purpose of honouring the indelible legacy of Johnny Cash. Road-tested and always road-ready, The Church of Cash is celebrating the soul of American music. He has four studio records for Church of Cash, the fourth record “Flowers for June” being released on October 22, 2021.
Currently, the esteemed performer and musician extraordinaire is keeping himself busy by co-writing a new musical with his good friend Tom Pickard entitled Folsom Prison Experience, a live multi-performer tribute to Johnny Cash and his historic 1968 concert at Folsom Prison in California. The project is currently in pre-production and will be performed for the first time in early November 2021.
“The many years of travelling and playing have carved me out to be a formidable performer. My natural ability is in my musicality, but where I believe my strong point to be is in being entertaining,” shared Jay Ernest. “With all this experience on the road and making records, I have been helping younger artists find answers in the music world and producing records.”
There is nobody else doing it quite like Jay Ernest. He is highly motivated in continuing his music career, and he isn’t showing any signs of slowing down any time soon. His remarkable work ethic has allowed him to cement himself in the industry, garnering attention from fans worldwide.
“No other Johnny Cash Tribute tours as hard as I do or put out as many records as I have. My dream is to be the best Cash tribute in the World,” shared Jay Ernest with passion. The man has truly dedicated his entire life to music, and it shows with each brilliant performance that he puts out. His love and admiration for Johnny Cash as an American icon and musician has influenced how he approaches music and life.
In the near future, Jay Ernest plans on having three solo albums done in five years, along with recording a Church of Cash single at Sun Records. He also plans on taking the musical Folsom Prison Experience on the road with the hopes of getting it all the way to Broadway in the foreseeable future.
To know more about the amazing Jay Ernest, follow him on his Instagram account.
