There are very few things that get the blood flowing quite like a passionate rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner.
Just ask anyone who watched the performance of Jackson Dean Nicholson, a senior defensive end at Arundel High School, Maryland, a few years ago.
Jackson Dean Nicholson surprised everyone when he sang the national anthem before a game. No one was prepared for it, but luckily, everyone loved it.
We’re not talking about his in-game performance, mind, but rather his pre-game delivery of the national anthem. Since no one else was ready to sing it, and he didn’t want a recording to be played, Jackson decided to sing it himself.
In 2018, the video of him singing went viral on the internet. He wasn’t a professional singer and only had an acoustic guitar, but Jackson gave one of the best versions of the U.S. national anthem ever heard.
“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 ’til I brought my guitar out,” Jackson said at the time.
Music wasn’t new to Jackson, also known as Jackson Dean. He had been writing and singing songs since his freshman year and was working on his first album when the video went viral.
In 2018, Jackson mentioned that it was his last year playing football, and he was planning to focus on his music career. He expressed his gratitude for the support from his principal.
“I’m going to go for it,” he said.
Best of luck, Jackson! We can’t get enough of that performance, and we hope it’s just the beginning of great things for you.
