The Countrytown & KIX Country Centre Stage Artist is Jon Pardi

Countrytown in partnership with KIX Country is proud to announce U.S. singer-songwriter, Jon Pardi as this week’s ‘Centre Stage’ artist. Every week we'll be shining a light on a single artist every week across all platforms including online features, airplay, and social support.

Born and raised in Dixon, California, Jon fell in love with country music (artists like Garth Brooks, George Strait, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Jr., among others) when he was a kid, aided by the presence of his grandmother's karaoke machine. He started singing at age 7, began writing songs at 12-years-old and joined a band when he was 14. After graduating from high school, he formed a duo with his friend Chase McGrew called Northern Comfort. After splitting in 2008, Jon moved to Nashville to attempt to break into the country music business while working as a lifeguard. 

He released his debut single Missin’ You Crazy in 2012, but it was his follow up, Up All Night that gave him his first country top ten. Jon released his debut studio album, What You A Song in 2014 and an EP the following year. He opened for acts like Alan Jackson, Kip Moore, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, and toured Australia with Brett Eldredge in 2019.

In 2016, Head Over Boots became his first number-one single and featured on his second album, California Sunrise. The following year, Jon took home the CMA Award for ‘New Artist of the Year’ and the ACM Award for ‘New Male Vocalist of the Year’. In 2020, he also released the cover album Rancho Fiesta Sessions, which included covers of various country and rock tracks.

After joining Brooks & Dunn for their album Reboot, he released the lead single from his third album, Heartache Medication, and its deluxe edition, released in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Heartache Medication peaked at #17 on the ARIA Australia Digital Albums Chart.

His latest offering, Mr. Saturday Night was released on September 2, 2022. Produced with Bart Butler and Ryan Gore (apart from his Long Way To Go collaboration with Midland – which peaked at #29 on the Countrytown Hot 50 Country Airplay Chart), the album features fourteen tracks steeped in losing, a little loving and what’s in between. The album, which also contains the single Last Night Lonely, was three years in the making.  

Of the album's title track, he said, "I feel like everybody wants to be Mr. Saturday Night at one point on the weekend and have a good time. But then you hear the song and – the way it’s so well written – it’s a sad song, but you don’t go there right away, because it’s also a fun song. That’s the thing about Mr. Saturday Night, it’s more than meets the eye. It’s all fun until you get to the chorus."

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Keep up to date with Jon Pardi, follow him on Facebook here.