By Sydney Holder Riverbend News
R&B sensation and Live Oak native Jac Ross performed the National Anthem at the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals on Thursday, July 8, at 9 p.m. The second game of the finals against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns (2-0) was held in Phoenix, Ariz. and streamed live on ABC and ESPN.com.
The “It's OK To Be Black” and “Questions” singer writes music relevant for today, reminiscent of the powerful messages of Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye. Ross has a passion for music and never shies away from a crowd.
“I wasn't nervous; I am typically never nervous to sing in front of any amount of people,” Ross reflects on his performance at the NBA finals game. “But there was definitely a lot of energy in the room. There were about 19,000 people, so there was lots of energy and excitement that I got from that energy being able to not only sing the National Anthem at the NBA finals but also represent my small town of Live Oak, Fla., that felt really good as well.”
Under his musical stage name, Live Oak local Jeremiah Ross has proven that even coming from a small-town community does not mean you are limited in achieving your goals and dreams. He credits his success to the support of his hometown.
“Thank you for your unwavering support,” Ross said to the community of Live Oak. “You guys have known me from the time I was just a kid, until now. The support has not changed and I appreciate the love and I appreciate the opportunity you all have given me to grow with you guys.”
Ross has taken musical inspiration from great R&B artists of the past but reveals he gets his daily inspiration from his father.
“My day-to-day inspiration is my dad,” Ross said. “He is my biggest inspiration; the way he raised me, him working so hard, giving me discipline and allowing me to stay focused and hone my talent and craft without forcing me to partake in it. That inspired me ever since I was a little kid, and even every day I get up now to work, my dad is still such an inspiration to me and I am forever grateful for that.”
Though the COVID-19 pandemic might have slowed Ross when it came to touring and performing, his new goal is to reemerge into the limelight.
“My goal right now is to release my EP under Dark Child/Island Records. It has been a little bit of a challenge, but we are striving to, hopefully this summer, get back on the road. With this pandemic looking a lot better, hopefully, we can start traveling and hitting some more major cities.”
Jac Ross has platforms on multiple social media handles including, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, TikTok and more.