Stephenville local, Jon Young will take the Larry Joe Taylor Fest stage to perform his soulful blend of Texas Country and Rock.

Young believes that his music does not fall into a single box.

“(It’s) not quite country, not quite rock and roll,” Young said. “I write from my soul and enjoy many styles of music.  I think that sums it up a little better. Whatever genre it ends up being, I think my ear for detail makes for some good listening.”

Young began singing when he was very young. He contributes the birth of his love for music to his mother. She introduced him to the bands of her youth that had a huge impact on him and inspired many future artists.

“My mother is a singer as well and I grew up listening to her singing along with the Beatles, ELO and various other 60’s and 70’s bands,” Young said.

Young has never given up on his drive for music. Although it was not always his main source of income it has always been a significant part of his life.

“I’ve always loved music. Growing up, it became my escape and then my passion,” Young said. “I’ve never stopped writing and even when I was working doing something else, I usually had a band. All these years of interactions and experiences lead me to where I am today!”

When Young was only 14 he began writing and started his own band, Young remembers this time fondly.

“We were called ‘Burnout’. High school bands were always pretty fun,” Young said. “We all took it way more seriously than we should have, but that was just part of the magic.”

Young’s current band is full of local flavor. His three bandmates include two Tarleton State University students and one music professor. He expressed his thankfulness for them and explained what a blessing he believes they are in his life and to his music.

The singer attributes a lot of his early knowledge about the music industry to a local band.

“Growing up in Stephenville, there were just a few local bands that were planning and playing shows around,” Young said. “These early shows ended up being pretty epic and I made friends with a group called ‘Affliction’. ‘Affliction’s’ first shows set the bar for what the rest of us could do! This is before PA systems were widely owned and we would literally hook up every speaker and amp that we could find to make one massive system. Our bands eventually shared a member and rehearsal space. I learned a lot about the industry from all of those guys and I’ll always have warm memories of those days.”

Jon Young is known for his ability to play a variety of genres. He credits this to his parents who surrounded him with great music from many diverse artists.

“My tastes are too wide to really list in a way that didn’t just become a history of my different musical phases,” Young said. “I think it can be best summed up with my parents. My dad is a hard working cowboy type that always enjoyed Texas swing and traditional country, while my mom graduated from high school in 1969 and was more of a Beatles and Elvis fan. I’m right in the center of Bob Wills and the Beatles. I love it all.”

When asked where he loves to play the most, Young said Lubbock.

“There is a club in Lubbock called ‘The Blue Light Live’,” Young said. “The staff are some of the coolest folks on the planet. The audience is really into music and they serve a shot called a ‘burner’. You now have enough info to have a pretty killer time should you ever find yourself in the hometown of Buddy Holly.”

Young hopes to one day play the historic, Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, TX.

“It’s got such a neat history! I feel like it’s a sign that you’ve made waves,” Young said.

As LJT is almost here, Young is very excited to be back.

“Seeing old fans, making some new ones and making the rounds to the campfire jams,” said Young.

Luckily for fans Young and his band will be releasing new music late this spring.

“We should be going back into the studio in May,” Young said. “This one has some teeth! I’m excited to get to work and show it to you all!”

Fans with a three day LJT ticket can see Jon Young and his band on Thursday, April 25 on the Hydro Pros Stage in the T-Birds Garage Pub.