Milton Kirby
By Milton Kirby | Truth Seekers Journal | Artis Profile Series
Man With No Hometown, A Voice With No Boundaries
Jay Freeman likes to say he’s “the man with no hometown.” It’s not a gimmick — it’s a truth shaped by movement, memory, and the Mississippi soil that raised him in pieces. Born in Pittsburgh, Mississippi, with family roots stretching through Blue Hill and the heart of the Delta, Jay grew up in a world where history wasn’t something you read — it was something you lived.
“I moved around a lot,” he said. “Mississippi played a major role in my upbringing and my influences.”
Those influences the blues, the juke joints, the working‑class grind, the echoes of Civil War history, and the voices of the elders who called him “Free” all stitched themselves into the artist he is becoming.
A Runner‑Up With a Winner’s Mindset
At the 2026 Soul Country Music Star Awards regional competition in Memphis, TN, Jay walked away as runner‑up. But he didn’t walk away defeated.
“I actually felt good,” he said. “Even in losing, I was noticeably improved.”
What makes that statement remarkable is what came next:
From last year’s competition until this year’s, Jay picked up his guitar only six times. Not because he didn’t care but because he works 55 to 57 hours a week as a blue‑collar laborer.
“I struggle with balancing work life and the arts,” he admitted. “A lot of artists don’t like to talk about it, but bills have to be paid.”
Still, the stage called him back. And when he stepped onto it, the audience noticed the growth. The judges noticed it. And Jay noticed it in himself.
A New Plan, A New Discipline
Now, he’s done with the excuses.
He’s done with the hesitation.
He’s done with the fear of being original.
“The confidence of being original that’s what I’m working on,” he said. “I relied too much on backing tracks. I should’ve shown them I can really play.”
Because yes — Jay can play.
He started learning guitar in 2020 during quarantine, sitting alone for hours, teaching himself chords and progressions.
His first song?
A Charlie Pride classic.
“His baritone was close to mine,” Jay said. “It made it easy to learn.” He studied Pride’s phrasing, tone, and emotional delivery until people started asking him, “Did you write that?” That’s when he knew he was onto something.
Choosing Songs, Choosing Identity
For the competition, Jay chose songs that reflected both his roots and his range.
The first was a crowd‑pleaser, something familiar, something that honored where he came from.
The second was a chart‑topping hit that showed he could move with the times.
The third song – the one he wanted most – didn’t make it to the stage.
His tuning was off.
The backing track didn’t line up.
And he refused to deliver anything less than his best.
That moment taught him something:
He can’t rely on tracks.
He has to rely on himself.
Lessons From the Judges
Jay spoke with the judges after the show including Kirk Jay and others who know the grind of rising from obscurity.
“They gave me real advice,” he said. “Background stories, how they got over the curve. They told me what I did well and what I needed to work on.”
One judge pulled him aside and told him she was proud of him, proud of his tone, proud of his courage, proud of his presence.
That stayed with him.
Prepared, Analytical, and Hungry
Jay doesn’t answer questions like someone guessing his way through a dream.
He answers like someone who has studied himself.
Someone who has replayed every moment.
Someone who is building a blueprint.
“I analyze everything,” he said. “Every action, every consequence. I think through all the possibilities.”
That mindset is going to carry him far.
What’s Next for Jay Freeman?
He isn’t chasing every contest – but he’s open.
He’s researching.
He’s preparing.
He’s sharpening his voice, his guitar work, and his stage presence.
“I came a lot stronger this year than last year,” he said. “And people noticed.”
He plans to keep that momentum going.
The Juke Joint Spirit
Jay has already played at the historic Unicorn Café a juke joint‑style venue outside Canton, Mississippi, where blues legends once sharpened their craft.
“I’m at home in juke joints,” he said. “That’s my space.”
He’s also played in local spots where the crowd didn’t expect a young Black man to sing country — until he opened his mouth and changed the room.
“I love when people say, ‘I knew him when he first started,’” he said. “That’s a good feeling.”
The Man Behind the Music
Jay has lived many lives:
- factory worker
- EMT
- hospital tech
- blue‑collar laborer
- artist finding his way
Each life gave him something; discipline, empathy, perspective.
He carries all of it into his music.
“I put it into a beautiful light,” he said. “So people can understand what I see.”
A Call to the Community
Jay is ready for more stages.
More juke joints.
More night spots.
More opportunities to grow.
If you know a venue looking for a rising country‑soul artist with grit, heart, and a voice shaped by Mississippi’s red clay and working‑class truth – Jay Freeman is ready.
Closing Note
Jay may call himself “the man with no hometown,” but his story is unmistakably rooted — in Mississippi, in resilience, in the blues, in country, and in the quiet determination of a man who knows he’s just getting started.
Next year’s Soul Country Music Star Awards won’t catch him unprepared.
He’s coming back.
He’s coming stronger.
And he’s coming with something to prove.
Jay Freeman in his own words
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