WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jason Michael Carroll's first foray onto the country charts was a deeply troubling song about child abuse.
Told from the father's perspective, "Alyssa Lies" culminates in Alyssa's death and the father's terrible task of telling his little girl about it.
For a larger, high resolution image, click HERE |
Very heavy stuff, even for country music.
"It's been going on almost two years since Alyssa," Carroll said by phone from Nashville, "and people still tell me personal stories about what happened to them. It's been amazing, the connection, but it does get tough at times, hearing those stories."
The song was inspired by a poem written by a friend, Carroll said. "I thought, how strong would a song like that be if I could write it? Then two days later I saw a story on the news and I thought, 'OK, somebody, somewhere is trying to get me to write that song.'
"It took me over a year and a half to finish it. I believe a lot of songs are out there waiting to be written and they choose the avenue of how they get here, and if you force the idea you may mess up what the song is really supposed to be about," Carroll said.
Pondering the power of music wasn't something Carroll learned at home.
In fact, Carroll's father, a preacher, didn't let him listen to anything but gospel music growing up.
"It is kind of funny that I'm singing the kind of music that in my home was classified as the devil's music," he laughs.
"I was about 15 years old when I first got exposed to country music.
"Going home from church with friends on Sunday, the dad would look at me over the seat back and say, 'Jason, don't tell your parents what we're about to do,' and then put a country station on. That's where I got my first taste of country music.
"When my dad found a tape a friend made me of Billy Ray Cyrus singing "Achy Breaky Heart," he said he wasn't going to have that kind of music in his house and it was one of the worst spankings I can remember."
Today, Carroll's parents, now divorced, are proud of his success. "Now they believe I'm doing what I was born to do."
Carroll's career, driven by a successful debut album, three hit singles, and a slot opening for country music's Wonder Woman Martina McBride - the tour stops at Cruzan Ampitheatre in West Palm Beach Saturday night - shows no sign of slowing down.
Not that he'd let it.
"Honestly, you have to continually build your milestones. You can't just be happy where you're at."
Janis Fontaine writes for The Palm Beach Post. E-mail: jfontaine AT pbpost.com
