Steel Magnolia Singer Discusses His Road to Success

Life hasn’t always been easy for singer Joshua Scott Jones of duo Steel Magnolia. He faced plenty of hardships before he saw any success, more than most who pursue a career in music. Yet he was still able to beat the odds and make it to Nashville.

 

“I was homeless for a day," he told The Boot. "I found an apartment real quick. I hitched a ride to Los Angeles on a Semi, it's something out of a movie, I'll tell ya. I was playing my guitar on the street and some guy named Ken from Kansas City, Mo., I'll never forget that, walked by and started playing with me. He was also a comedian, and he said, "Man, you can drop your bags at my place if you want." I thought, 'Here's my in.'"

 

After getting two jobs, Jones split rent with Ken and slept on the floor of their tiny apartment with nothing but a towel for three-and-a-half months. Luckily, after four months in L.A., he was able to make it to Nashville and met his girlfriend and the other half of Steel Magnolia, Meghan Linsey.

 

When he got there, he had to “get creative” to find ways to play his music.

 

"I used to practice piano at Belmont University, that's where I learned to play piano, actually," Joshua admits. "I'd sneak over there and go in the piano practice rooms for hours. I wrote quite a few songs on piano in there. People would come in and I'd be like, 'Hey, I'm a teacher here' or I'd say something ridiculous so they'd leave me alone. I used to live across the street from campus, that was really a perk."

 

Now Jones can put those stressful days behind him as his duo Steel Magnolia has become quite successful. Steel Magnolia is currently on tour. For tour dates and more information about Steel Magnolia, visit www.bigmachinerecords.com/steelmagnolia/.