We recently connected with Jon Worthy and have shared our conversation below.

Jon , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

About 3 years ago, I became a full time musician. I took the leap after working a corporate job for 8 years while simultaneously pursuing my music career. I come from a family where it’s normal to have a well paying job with benefits and know where your source of income is coming from. Money has always been extremely important to my family and particular me, so it was scary to take the leap and not know when and where my income would come from. I had the foresight to save a lot of money from working a corporate job so I knew I would be ok for a while, but to truly be in a spot where no one will pay you money unless you get asked to do a gig or production for someone is pretty scary. Fortunately over time I’ve gotten to the point where I feel like my clientele while very small is still somewhat consistent and allows me the ability to keep doing music. But there’s always that thought in my mind, “should I get a corporate job again? am I going to keep making enough money to survive?” And so far during the first 3 years I have been fortunate enough to keep making enough money and continue this journey.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been in Nashville for 11 years now which is crazy to write down! During that time I’ve been in several bands, played hundreds of shows across the United States and all over the world. I am getting close to 3 years of being a full time musician. I make a lot of my money from producing songs for other artists, singing other peoples songs, and helping in any capacity with crafting songs for people. I also have had some decent success in the tv/film world with getting songs I’ve written/produced placed in to various tv shows. I’ve had my songs on Netflix, Hulu, USA, FOX, Peacock, NBC, Amazon, and more. I am also an artist and I constantly release new music. In 2024 I released my 4th full length album which included my first vinyl release. And in 2025 I have already released 2 singles with a 3rd on the way at the end of April. 2025 will have a lot of songs that are collaborations including Minno and FAMA.

I think what I am most proud of is the fact that I’m still going and doing music. I have been burned out on music so many times in the last 5 years. And to keep pushing forward and finding ways to make money and get better at the craft is an accomplishment. I’m certainly not where I always dreamed I’d be or where I want to be which is touring the world playing sold out shows, but I am making a living doing music and there’s something to be said about that.

I want people to know that my music comes from a place deep down in my soul. Life is often difficult and we go through so many highs and lows. I write about those emotional rollercoasters and try to capture that emotion with my music as well.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Prior to the pandemic I was primarily a touring artist. I would do a lot of DIY weekend runs. I’d book all the shows myself, get local bands in other cities to join me at venues in their cities and try to play as many shows as possible. Often times I would make very little money, but I also had a full time job during this period that would make up for not earning much on the road. Heading in to 2020, I had over 70 shows booked through August. And then of course the pandemic hits, all the shows get cancelled and on top of that I lost my job. At this point I was feeling pretty low. However, I downloaded Ableton and taught myself how to record and produce music. And over the course of the last 5 years, I have turned that avenue of music in to my main money maker. I never would have imagined that people would pay me to make them music, but here I am.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think getting to create something like music is almost magic. Someone can send me a simple guitar and vocal or even just a vocal and then a lot of times I will be hired to turn that in to a full fledged song that someone will hopefully listen to and enjoy. Being able to do that is pretty cool and it certainly beats the days when I entered numbers in to excel for money lol. I also love the freedom that my life currently has. I usually work a few hours in the morning, eat lunch then go on a walk. Then work some more in the afternoon, then the gym, some dinner, and then maybe a few more hours depending on my schedule. I get to travel a lot, I get to set my own schedule, I don’t have to answer to anyone on a consistent basis. It’s a very freeing lifestyle.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jonworthythebends.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonworthymusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonworthymusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JonWorthy
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jonworthymusic?_t=ZT-8vNOKCtl6Ao&_r=1

Image Credits

Photos by Brent Mcquillin and Adam Settle.