Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Daniel.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Jesse Daniel. I am a singer-songwriter and country music performer. I grew up in a small mountain town called Ben Lomond, California, located in the San Lorenzo Valley. Both my parents were very into music. Mom is a welder by trade, and my father worked in sales for a paint company. My dad is an incredible guitarist, and I grew up watching him and his band play shows. They played blues, rock & roll and some country, so watching them play really made an impact on me as a kid… I wanted to do that. Later on, as I grew older, I got into playing drums and guitar. I joined up with many different local and regional bands, playing mostly punk rock music. I loved it but was always called to classic country music. I ended up getting into heavy partying that is often associated with being a touring musician and eventually graduated to using drugs like opioid pills, heroin and methamphetamine habitually. When this happened, I lost everything I had, over and over again for a number of years, until my early-mid 20’s. Some of the time, I maintained jobs for a while but would always end up losing them in a bad way due to drug use.
Others, I was a homeless vagabond, selling drugs and sleeping outside. I lived in different states and towns and saw the best and worst humanity has to offer. Life was very turbulent in those years, and aside from the pain it causes those who loved me, I’m very glad I had those experiences because I would not be who I am today without them. Toward the end of my using career, I ended up in one of many rehab facilities… this one was in Oakland, CA and there was a man named Jerry Zeiger who would come by to play guitar for the patients like myself. I remember listening to him play as I was detoxing and in bad shape, but I was entranced by his playing. He sang old country classics from Hank Williams, Billy Joe Shaver and Emmylou Harris. I said to him, “Man, I wish I could do what you do…” and he said, “Why don’t you?”. Simple as it was, his words of encouragement started the fire that has resulted in the career I have today in music. Today, I live a clean and sober life. I am fortunate enough to have lived through those years and to be able to play music for a living. I have a partner named Jodi, who is the love of my life, and we write, sing, and work hard every day together. Everything I have today is a direct result of turning my life around and focusing my energy on what drives me. I am grateful every day to be here and to have the drive to live.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say it has been smooth by any means. I’ve fought hard to be where I’m at today. Too many to name, but life is good today!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a country singer-songwriter. Folks say that I am bringing back the “Bakersfield Sound” era in my own way, which is flattering, but I can’t limit what I want to do musically to that. I’m just a musician and music fan. I don’t know a life without it. I’m proud of my songs and the records I make. I put everything I have into them.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
There’s a book by John Joseph called The PMA Effect that is awesome! Changed my thinking for sure.
Contact Info:
- Email: jessedanielmusic@gmail.com
- Website: jessedanielmusic.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thejessedaniel
- Facebook: facebook.com/thejessedaniel
- Twitter: twitter.com/thejessedaniel
- Youtube: youtube.com/thejessedaniel
Image Credits
Molly Gilholm, Mellissa Payne
