CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- A
Charleston Airman will be the opening act Friday for the Nashville Star
tour stop at the Charleston Performing Arts Center.
Staff Sgt. Jayson Johnston, 315th Aircraft
Maintenance Squadron, secured the gig after he emerged the victor in a
field of 100 competitors June 16 in a local singing competition based on
the USA network’s television series. The program is a nationwide talent
search for country music artists.
“There was a lot of competition,” Sergeant
Johnston said, “but I was there to win.”
Sergeant Johnston, now working as an air reserve
technician, spent 10 years on active duty before joining the Reserves.
During his time on active duty, he was selected for Tops in Blue, the Air
Force’s premier entertainment group. He said this experience helped him
grow as a performer.
“Tops in Blue contributed a ton to my career,”
Sergeant Johnston said. “It gave me stage legs. I had never played in
front of thousands of people before and I was lucky enough to have this
opportunity. I can’t give enough credit to Tops in Blue.”
Not only does Sergeant Johnston get to perform the
opening act tonight, but he also won several other prizes, including a
demo deal with Sony.
“There’s no promise for a [compact disc],”
Sergeant Johnston said. “It just means that someone at Sony will listen
to my music.”
Overall, he won about $5,000 in prizes, including an
all-terrain golf cart, a recliner and a $500 gift certificate from Honda.
Sergeant Johnston, originally from Freeport, La.,
started singing when he was about 18 years old. He said he played the
saxophone for about 8 years before deciding he would rather sing.
“I’ve always liked country, but I actually
wanted to sing rock,” Sergeant Johnston said. “But I’ve been told my
whole life I was meant to sing country and it seems to have worked out for
me.”
Sergeant Johnston said he would pursue a career in
music, if given the opportunity, but for now, he will remain in Charleston
with his wife and daughter.