Jordan Davis’ music career takes him across the U.S. and the world, but he never forgets home. The LSU Alumni Association recently named Davis the 2022 Young Alumnus of the Year, an experience the 2007 graduate calls “humbling.”
Davis is now a singer-songwriter based in Nashville. In November, he received his first Country Music Award (CMA), winning Song of the Year for “Buy Dirt.” The song, featuring Luke Bryan, made it to No. 1 on the country music charts.
And Davis isn’t done. He recently released two new singles, “Part of It” and “Midnight Crisis,” featuring Danielle Bradbery. His new album Bluebird Days, released in February, is the follow-up to his 2018 debut release Home State. He’ll tour internationally with country musician Thomas Rhett this year, and has a few headlining shows of his own on the books. (“Hopefully I’ll be getting back to Louisiana,” Davis says.)
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The Shreveport native pulls much of his musical inspiration from his Pelican State upbringing. He says the Sportsman’s Paradise is the best out of the 50 states.
“Louisiana just has a different energy, and I think the people from there are really, really proud of it,” he says. “It just kind of flows out of them.”
Davis’ love of songwriting began at home. His uncle, Stan Paul Davis, wrote music for country star Tracy Lawrence. And his father, also a songwriter, provided inspiration and motivation for Davis to try his hand at the craft.
“We always knew that there was a way to make a living writing songs,” he says. “So, there was always country music going on around the house.”
While Davis is categorized as a country musician, he’s taken inspiration from artists outside of the genre to create a sound all his own.
Artists like John Prine, who Davis calls “the best songwriter who ever lived,” inspire Davis’ work along with the works of rock ‘n’ rollers like Tom Petty, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Black Crowes. He says hip-hop and R&B stars like Lil Wayne were also strong influences.
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And on the heels of his chart-topping year, he’s on his way to making a legacy of his own.
“It’s really hard to kind of wrap my head around some of the things (I’ve gotten to do),” he says. “It’s truly a couple of pinch-me moments after another.” jordandavisofficial.com
This article was originally published in the March 2023 issue of 225 magazine.