There are few things that get people excited like a passionate performance of the Star-Spangled Banner.
Just ask anyone who watched Jackson Dean Nicholson, a senior at Arundel High School in Maryland, a few years ago.
We’re not talking about his performance on the football field, but his pre-game singing of the national anthem. He wowed the home crowd and thousands of people online.
According to reports, Nicholson realized no one else was ready to sing the national anthem before his school’s game. He could have let the school play a recording or let the crowd sing themselves.
But Nicholson did something different. Before the game started, he stood alone on the field with just an acoustic guitar and a microphone and sang the national anthem.
He quickly delivered one of the best versions of the U.S. national anthem we’ve ever heard. It’s no surprise that the video became a viral hit and has resurfaced in popularity time and time again.
The video was first uploaded in 2018, and the fact that it’s still impressive now shows just how well Nicholson can sing.
“It was very cool. I probably knew 90 percent of the people sitting in those stands, and they had no idea I was doing it until I brought my guitar out,” Nicholson told the Baltimore Sun at the time.
While he was playing as a senior defensive end during his five minutes of fame, music is Nicholson’s true passion. He has been writing and singing songs since he was a freshman and was working on his own album around the same time he went viral.
Since there’s already a famous actor named Jack Nicholson, he chose the stage name Jackson Dean.
Talking about his football career in 2018, Jackson said: “This is my last year, then I’m done. I’ve got until January, I’ll have all my credits done, and I only have to be enrolled for this semester. I got a waiver from my principal and she’s very supportive of what I do. I’m going to go for it.”
Good luck, Jackson!
We can’t get over how amazing Jackson’s performance was, and we want as many people as possible to see it.
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Vince Gill – Ain’t It Always That Way
“Ain’t It Always That Way” by Vince Gill is one of those songs that, rather than coming at you with a great boom, enters your heart slowly and stays there long after the last note dies. If you’ve ever thought back on the little ironies in life or the bittersweet quality of love, this song will seem like an old friend who really knows it.
Vince Gill’s gentle, honeyed voice carries us through the well-known highs and lows of life and love. This song is dedicated to all those who have had to confront the bittersweet reality that hopes and plans don’t always turn out the way they had hoped. But isn’t that simply the way life is?
With a genuine and moving performance, Gill expertly captures the complex facets of life’s unpredictable nature. The song seems to be a meditation on those moments when you realize that, believe it or not, the cosmos sometimes arranges things in a humorous way. This song finds its voice during those melancholy, dejected moments when you can’t help but laugh at how ridiculous everything is.
A simple yet heartfelt melody surrounds the lyrics, making it feel warm and inviting on a cold night. Because of the acoustic arrangement and Gill’s sympathetic performance, which seems like he’s speaking to you, the song feels more private and intimate.
What makes “Ain’t It Always That Way” unique is how relatable it is. Everyone has gone through moments in life when something we took for granted slips through their fingers and surprises us. But there’s a certain beauty to that unpredictable quality—a reminder that life is a journey with lots of twists and turns, and that’s okay. Rather than dwell in sorrow, the song subtly suggests the tenacity we all possess, even in the face of misfortune.
In the end, this song is a reminder that, in spite of all of its imperfections and surprises, each minute of life is precious. “Isn’t It Always That Way” offers comfort on the journey, regardless of whether you’re reflecting on missed opportunities, heartbroken relationships, or life’s inequalities.
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