Big Dreams and High Hopes: Focus on Jack Ingram
Texas country fans familiar with Jack Ingram were amazed when they first discovered he had been given the Academy of Country Music’s award for Best New Male Vocalist in 2008. They were all wondering why it had taken so long for him to get some recognition.
But Jack Ingram wasn’t surprised a bit. Fans in Texas who were heading to and from work every day were getting the word through a heavy radio rotation, but that, said Ingram, wasn’t the case in other markets. Another issue he was facing was being labeled as Texas country instead of being labeled just Texan.
“You know, nobody ever asks Willie Nelson if he’s country or Texas country,” said Ingram. “Everybody knows damn well where he’s from. From the beginning, even back when I first started, that was my thing, of course. I’m from Texas and, yeah, I play country music, whatever that means.”
As with any story that begins on Music Row, Jack Ingram suffered some setbacks and rejection, but because of his tenacity he finally got the break he needed through Scott Borchetta and his newly created label, Big Machine Records.
“I just won’t ever quit,” said Ingram. “I didn’t really choose this, you know. Music is something I have to do and I know I’ll never quit. I have to write songs, and for whatever reason it’s in my blood. I just knew this was something I had to do. It was always a matter of how big I could get, you know. It just keeps me going.”
What kept him going became the inspiration for his album, “Big Dreams and High Hopes.”
“Big Dreams and High Hopes” is Jack Ingram’s eighth studio album and third release on Big Machine Records. The album was released on Aug. 25, 2009 and includes the singles “That’s a Man,” “Barefoot and Crazy” and “Barbie Doll.” “Barefoot and Crazy,” was one of his first singles to reach the Top 10’s on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His first Top 10 single was, “Wherever You Are.”
And while Jack Ingram’s had some hits and awards to go along with his dreams and high hopes of cutting some awesome records, what he really hadn’t counted on was breaking one.
That’s right — he’s also in the Guinness Book of World Records.
While promoting his latest CD, Ingram shattered the record for “Most Consecutive Radio Interviews in a 24- Hour Period.” While the previous record was 96, it didn’t compare to his total of a whopping 215 that covered not only the U.S., but Canada, Ireland and Australia as well.
And while he’s in pretty good company musically, he isn’t so sure about his fellow record-breakers.
“I don’t know if I’d call it a highlight,” said Ingram laughing. “I remember seeing the dude with the longest fingernails, the guy with the most cigarettes in his mouth, the tallest guy, the fattest guy, the fattest twins on motorcycles, stuff like that,” he paused and then laughed. “Yep.”
CONCERT INFORMATION:
Jack Ingram is playing at the Spencer Theater this Saturday, March 12th at 7pm.
Learn more about the event here!
For tickets call 575-336-4800 or visit the Spencer website today!
—Eric Woods