The sixth annual Overdrive-Red Eye Radio Trucker Talent Search received more than 50 entries from talented truckers who love to sing. A panel of judges reviewed all the entries, and Overdrive featured 10 top contenders before the judges selected three finalists.
Those three finalists — who will compete live for the contest’s grand prize at The Great American Trucking Show in Dallas in August — are: Jason Henley, Ken Freeman, and Taylor Barker.
The first-place winner receives a full professional recording session. The contest will be emceed by trucker and recording artist Tony Justice, who will also perform during the event. Here are their three entries and a brief backstory on each finalist:
Jason Henley of Jemison, Alabama
Company driver, Indigo Fluids
Has been trucking for 15 years
What is music’s significance to you? My favorite part about singing is bringing people together. Singing is a therapy and a connection to the spiritual realm for me. I have started writing thousands of songs but have only recorded a few. I’m a much bigger fan of playing live and playing with new musicians than I am of writing and recording.
How do you keep music in your life with a career like trucking? My wife, her mother-in-law and I — as well as a host of longtime friends — are a part of the musical community in central Alabama. We open our home up to host musical events as well as practice for my band. We have about 20 acres and are currently working on building a stage in the field and creating a boutique private music venue. We’d eventually like to make it into a regular festival a couple times a year, as well as doing other work such as weddings and photography.
What’s your daily haul like? I drive regional and am my company’s main over the road driver, hauling industrial cleaning products in a tanker. I leave out early Monday morning and return on Thursday afternoon.
