Jackson Free Press

Alligator Records artist Jarekus Singleton wouldn't trade anything for his life's journey, as it provided him with the material for his new album, "Refuse to Lose," which remained on the Billboard Blues Album chart for three weeks, peaking at No. 7. With a history of life-altering occurrences, the Clinton-born songwriter had plenty of fodder for the 11 tracks on his latest entry into the evolving music scene—a scene that Mississippi bluesmen once again dominate.

"My music and my personal life are one now that I have taken on the blues as my life's work," Singleton says. "I now realize that they are really one and the same. Songwriting comes easy when you have a story to tell. I now know it's not all about me anymore. Especially since the birth of my daughter, Zoie, it's something much bigger. You know, all of the greats in the blues field have always said blues is a feeling. I now know what they meant."

Five years ago, the 30-year-old had a promising career ahead of him as a professional basketball player. He gained national attention while at the University of Southern Mississippi from 2002 to 2005 and his senior year at William Carey University from 2005 to 2006. Then, a serious ankle injury made it impossible for him to play sports professionally. Basketball was no longer an option.

"At 25 years old, the blues cut me," Singleton says. "Lying in that bed, I felt like that was the end for me. ... Thanks to God and the support of my family and friends, I was given an amazing second chance when I picked up that guitar, and the blues in me started to come out."

Many of his relatives played instruments and sang gospel music, so Singleton became interested in music at a young age, learning bass guitar before transitioning to electric. The more melodic guitar also allowed him to focus on singing.

"I didn't know it then, but God chose this path I'm on, and what a ride it is proving to be," he says. "As the old blues song goes, I feel like this music is going to take me from 'Spain to Tokyo,' and I can't wait to see what happens next."

Self-evaluation is central to Singleton's writing process and his progress as a musician. The guitarist's partnership with Chicago-based Alligator Records, his label since fall 2013, gives him the freedom to create and change as he sees fit.

"I'm constantly trying to improve my technique while developing a brand that fans can readily identify," he says. "I think Alligator is allowing me to experiment with the results of my introspection. I met Bruce Iglauer on Beale Street when I was competing at the International Blues Challenge, and he said he thought I had what it takes in this business. I felt proud that the founder of a premier label could shake my hand in a casual encounter and provide me (with) the opportunity of a lifetime just a year or so later."

Singleton points to famed Texas musician Freddie King and Derek Trucks, the Grammy Award-winning member of the Allman Brothers Band, as examples of how he wants to be remembered.

"(They) represent what I want to bring to this business because they both project compassion and confidence," he says. "Those are two pretty good attributes when you take the stage—to follow in the footsteps of my Mississippi ancestors in blues. I'm proud to feel what I think (Howlin') Wolf and Muddy (Waters) must have felt. That's why I refuse to lose."

Jarekus Singleton's "Refuse to Lose" is available now on iTunes and Amazon.com. For more information, visit artistecard.com/JarekusSingleton or find the Jarekus Singleton Band on Facebook.