A line from one of Chris Janson’s songs says a lot about his style: “What’s wrong with rockers driving pick-ups -- Johnny Cash was wearing black before Sid Vicious.” The desire to blend two seemingly opposite worlds is at the heart of Janson’s sound, combining pure country with rock themes, a driving guitar, and his signature harmonica. His unique style is what caught the attention of Sony Music Nashville and lead to his signing with BNA Records.

The word ‘dichotomy’ also represents Janson in many ways – part small town country boy, part showman. At about ten years old, he started playing guitar with the help of his grandpa, Jay Bowling, who taught him three, chords -- and he took it from there. With that foundation Janson taught himself to play, and he never looked back. "Keep Your Hands To Yourself" by the Georgia Satellites was the first song he mastered, “a somewhat mature subject matter I will admit,” says Janson.

Born in Perryville, Missouri he grew up an only child for which he credits, his passion for music.” I was drawn to music and performing at such an early age” he recalls. “Perryville was a small farming community, and my family was typical of the town – not rich, not poor, just middle of the road. I pursued a variety of jobs throughout my childhood and teenage years to make extra money, from working at a sno-cone shack to training horses and even teaching at a veterinary clinic,” says Janson. “On the side I played music, performing in bars from the age of 11.”

After high school, Janson had to decide his next step. “I chose Nashville over college, even though I had been offered a full scholarship somewhere else. After spending three nights sleeping in my car, I landed a gig at Tootsies Orchid Lounge in downtown Nashville. After my first performance, the management of the legendary night spot, hired me to perform there, seven days a week, four shows a day for the next year,” said Janson. That’s what we call on the job training.

It was during a show at Tootsies’ that Janson’s burgeoning career took an unexpected twist. Movie director Jonathan Demme was in Nashville filming the Neil Young “Heart Of Gold,” documentary, saw Janson and offered him a small part in the film. The World Famous Tootsies Orchid Lounge has always been a place where record deals and movie deals have transpired and sports a wide ranging clientele. Janson said, “My shows at Tootsies eventually came to be frequented by celebrities, including Guns and Roses, Rob Reiner, Neil Young, and many others.”

Janson is a well-rounded musician. In addition to singing he plays guitar, harmonica, bass, banjo, piano, mandolin, drums, and dobro. As a songwriter, he has five songs recorded by other artists to his credit and he wrote and recorded the theme song for the Outdoor Channel television show "Hunting the Country with Mossy Oak.” He also has his own show with Mossy Oak, entitled "Mossy Oak's Hunting the Country with Chris Janson".

Since 2005, Janson has opened for the likes of Hank Williams Jr., Shooter Jennings, and Sugarland, and toured Europe as the lead singer of the “Moonshine” sessions. He’s shared the stage with Rodney Crowell, Velvet Revolver, Emmylou Harris, Trace Adkins, Hank Williams, Jr., and a host of other performers that span several musical genres. He credits a wide variety of artists as the source of his inspiration, individuals as diverse in their styles, from Hank Williams and Waylon Jennings to the Rolling Stones and the Black Crowes.

Janson is now on the road visiting country radio in anticipation of his debut single, which will be released in the spring with an album to follow in late summer.