Flashback, February 13 2011, a small room at the LAX Marriott. It’s late in the day on that Sunday afternoon, and around 30 people are sitting on hotel chairs, facing Jason Manns and Jensen Ackles. Jensen is nervous. Like, glass of whiskey, nerves rolling off him, feel it in the air kind of nervous. This is the first time he’s done something like this. Sure, he’s sung a verse or two on stage in Rome, a harmony in London, backup on a couple of friend’s albums. But this? Not this. Not sitting down in front of a group of fans to perform a jam session. An actual set of songs. He tells those of us gathered on this special day, that he’s not a musician, he’s not a singer, he’s an actor who just likes to pick up a guitar and sing a little with friends. We all smile, and laugh, his nerves are crazy adorable, and we know he can carry a tune, we’ve heard him a bit. But then he closes his eyes, tilts his head back and launches into Rock n Roll and the Radio. I swear, time stopped for a moment, and every hair on every arm stood upright. Jensen couldn’t just sing, he could SING.
Flash forward to Vegascon 2015, and I was there, 3 rows from the front, when Jensen belted out his first full number on his own at the Saturday Night Concert. It was Sister Christian, and he rocked it. I can still feel the energy that engulfed the auditorium. The love that bounced off the walls as we watched this guy standing in front of us, starting to find his feet out there on the stage. The rock star blossoming before our eyes. The promise of the performances to come.
Now here we are, October 18 2019 and Jensen has released his first album. A collaboration with his buddy, singer songwriter Steve Carlson, of original songs the pair penned together and recorded in Austin.
I wonder what 2011, beanie wearing, whiskey drinking, nervous as all get out Jensen would have said if anyone suggested this was in his future. I’m pretty sure he would have said, “Nah, I’m not a musician, I’ll leave that to my musician friends.”
Jensen, you are a musician.
Thank you for trusting us with your journey.
Radio Company’s first album is now up for pre-order. The single “Sounds of Someday”, with Jensen on lead vocals is available to download immediately with pre-order.
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