JTX Plans to party Boyne Falls like a rock star

May 17, 2009

JTX Plans to Party
Boyne Falls Like
a Rock Star

By Rick Coates 5/18/09

Could a new generation’s rock star named JTX upstage one of the biggest band stunts in Northern Michigan’s history?
It is hard to imagine that the visit by rock superstars KISS to Cadillac High School nearly 35 years ago would still have an impact on the community and those who were part of it all. But the visit by KISS is still considered one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll publicity stunts of all time. John Neff who helped to spearhead the event says that “a month doesn’t go by that I am not asked about that moment and yes, it still has a positive impact on Cadillac.”
Jump to 2009 and such a concept probably would be more acceptable... or would it? Well the students of this year’s graduating class at Boyne Falls High School thought so when they sent a MySpace message to up-and-coming rock star JTX (J.T. Harding) and invited him to speak at their graduation. His story and music have served as an inspiration for students.
JTX burst onto the international music scene a couple of years ago with his hit song “(I’m Gonna) Party Like a Rock Star.” On the surface, the lyrics of the song don’t suggest that JTX would make the best commencement speaker for young impressionable minds:
“I’m gonna party like a rock star, hit a bunch of strip bars. Wake up naked in a hotel room. Throw my TV out the window, smoke a bunch of endo. Anything to get my mind off of you. Find a telephone pole to wrap around my car, and party like a rock star.”

‘DREAM BIG’
The whole idea of seeking out someone other than a teacher or administrator to speak at graduation was presented to the students by Janie Giuliani, who owns the bowling centers in Gaylord and Cheboygan and is the class advisor.
“Sometimes when you grow up in a small town you have small dreams. I have been trying to teach these kids to dream big, so I posed the question to them: If they could get anyone, who would they want to come in to speak to them for graduation? And that I would help to facilitate it. They voted and it was a tie between JTX and Kid Rock. Well, JTX was the first to respond,” said Giuliani. “Without speaking a word he has already had had an impact. A couple of students have told me, ‘wow if you try hard from something you believe in you can make things happen.’ These students who were planning on sticking around after graduation are planning on college now.”
After JTX agreed to the request, students were excited at first only to have the request rejected initially by school administrators. But students pressed on lobbying school officials to reconsider and even considered boycotting their graduation if JTX was not allowed to speak. They asked school officials to allow JTX to submit a sample speech to Superintendent Gary Urman and the school board before a final decision was made.
“At first I started thinking maybe I am not the right person to be giving a commencement speech. I was thinking maybe the school officials were right,” said JTX. “If you think about it these types of speeches are given by war heroes, politicians or community leaders. Well, I went online and decided to do some research and when I read that Kermit the Frog gave a commencement speech at Harvard. I thought if Kermit the Frog is qualified so am I. So I agreed to write a sample speech and submit it to the school.”

MEETING AT THE TOP
As he was getting ready to fly to LA for recording work, JTX decided to delay his travel plans last month and instead of e-mailing the speech he would deliver it in person.
“I live in Detroit, so I jumped in my car on a spur of the moment and drove up to Boyne Falls and met with Mr. Urman and gave him my speech. He was very professional and very gracious,” said JTX. “He said it was nothing personal against me but his responsibility was to the schools and the community’s image. I didn’t call ahead of time, so the school board members were not there, so I was unable to meet with them. I left figuring it wasn’t going to happen and certainly understood and respected the position of Mr. Urman.”
Gary Urman advised school board members against allowing JTX to speak at the graduation ceremony on May 23. In a rare move, board members voted against the superintendent’s recommendation and by a 4-3 margin rock star JTX will be speaking to the Boyne Falls High School graduation class of 2009 this Saturday at 7 p.m. He is bringing his band and they will perform a concert at a private location for the students and parents after the graduation.
“I am thrilled that they reconsidered and now the pressure is on me, but I have been here before, and that in part will be my message to the students. They can accomplish what they want in life and overcome the pressures and challenges life puts in front of them,” said JTX.
“This is not about me, I am honored that they want me to be there, but this is about them. They are the real rock stars and I am going to let them know that. I am going to tell them that by graduating high school they are now stepping into the spotlight and that they should walk off this stage and tell the world ‘I’m going to live an exciting life and watch me go.’ In fact, now that they are now rock stars, I am going to encourage them to start wearing sunglasses all the time because their futures are so bright they gotta’ wear shades.”

HOW DID I GET HERE
JTX says he doesn’t want to give away everything he is going to say prior to addressing the students, but he plans to blend humor and inspirational words. It was what he did a few years ago when the troops asked him to come and perform for them in the Middle East. He obliged and the military flew him over where he performed at several military bases and spoke to the troops.
“They inspired me to write a song ‘How Did I Get Here,’ I write a lot of my songs based on the experiences of myself and others,” said JTX. “In many ways the song’s lyrics ring true for all of us because we find ourselves at certain stages in life wondering how we got here.”
For JTX his “how he got here” to Boyne Falls this weekend is, as he says, a story right out of a “Lifetime Movie.” He was born in Nashville and given up for adoption at birth. His adoptive parents were Larry and Kendra Harding. The Hardings had tried unsuccessfully for years to have kids and decided to adopt.
“Well sometimes after adopting, the parents get pregnant and that is what happened to them,” said JTX. “So I have two younger brothers and was very fortunate to be raised by great parents and be in a wonderful family.”
But when JTX learned at the age of 10 that he was adopted, he began fantasizing that he had a famous father.
“I use to tell people that my dad was someone famous,” said JTX. “I use to say I think he might be Burt Reynolds, or David Lee Roth was one I would use to impress girls in high school.”

FOOTBALL STEPDAD
His adoptive father Larry Harding was a star football player at Michigan State in 1956 and ’57 where as a tight end he helped lead the Spartans to a record of 15-3 over two seasons including back to back wins against University of Michigan and two Top 10 final season rankings (both years MSU was ranked number one for during the season). Harding would be drafted by the Rams but never played in the NFL, after a short stint in the Canadian Football League he spent time coaching college football (Vanderbilt in Nashville) before settling in Grosse Pointe and becoming an advertising executive.
JTX’s intuition that his biological father might be famous turned from a hunch to a reality.
“When I went to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career I was curious, but I had a great family so it wasn’t like I was looking. Then I saw an ad about adoption and the possibility that I could find my biological parents,” said JTX. “It turns out that my biological mother was looking for me and she told me who my biological father was. Turns out he wasn’t David Lee Roth, but it is pretty funny that he is famous.”
That famous father is actor and radio personality Jay Thomas who won Emmy Awards for his role on Murphy Brown, playing the role of Jerry Gold for 10 seasons. Thomas got his start as a radio personality and is best known for being the guy that Howard Stern replaced (the two are friends). Thomas appears occasionally on Stern’s program.
A few years ago Thomas returned to his roots and now hosts a daily show on Sirius Satellite. Prior to Murphy Brown he starred on Mork and Mindy and Cheers. He has appeared in numerous films, most notably in Mr. Holland’s Opus. Thomas will appear in three new films this year including the upcoming new Lindsay Lohan film Labor Pains.

AN EXAGGERATION
For JTX it has been great reconnecting with his biological father, and while he is riding the crest of stardom, life still has its struggles. Those struggles come out in songs, such as the lyrics to “(I’m Gonna) Party Like A Rock Star.”
“I was going through a break-up and expressing my feelings, I think those feelings connected with people. Because we all have different thoughts when we are in that break-up mode, so the lyrics were an exaggeration of my thoughts.
“I was making light of the feelings and some of that stuff was just thrown in there. I like writing songs that are social commentary. they are not condoning or encouraging people to act out. they are just reflective of thoughts or what is going on in the world.”
His songwriting talents are being discovered in Nashville and Los Angeles. Last year, Randy Owen, lead singer of Alabama ,had a solo hit with “Like I Never Broke Her Heart,” written by JTX.
“When I first heard this I thought it was one of the greatest titles I’d ever heard,” said Owen.”This is one of those great songs I like to wrap myself around and really get into. It’s one of my family’s favorite songs.”
Apparently the folks in the Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker camp also think JTX is a great songwriter. JTX has been out in California working on the new Uncle Kracker CD with Kracker and Kid Rock that will be released later this year and will feature seven songs written by JTX.
So why did a guy on the fast rock ‘n’ roll fast track answer a MySpace request from students from a small town in Northern Michigan?
“I have been all over the world but home is where the heart is, and for me that heart is Michigan. I will do anything for this state and these students were very convincing,” said JTX. “I love Northern Michigan too. I use to go to Lewiston all the time with my family and hang out at Tally’s and Garland.”

SUNSHINES BLACK
If the superintendent of Boyne Falls Public Schools and the school board members who voted no made their decision based on one song they should have listened to the lyrics of the JTX song “Sunshines Black”:
“My sister did real well in school. She got good grades and she had big dreams till she met a man from Augusto with money. Now she spreads her legs to make ends meet. She only calls the house when she’s been beat up. My mamma threw her out because she had enough and no one even knows where she’s at because where I live the sun shines black.”
It looks like the graduating class of 2009 from Boyne Falls High School is in for an evening that they will remember forever. School board members, Mr. Urman and anyone else who might be concerned; just be thankful that JTX is not bringing his former boss with him. See, JTX got his start in the music business as Marilyn Manson’s personal assistant.
JTX will address students, parents, staff and the community (open to the public, but seating is limited) Saturday May 23 at 7 p.m. in the high school gym. After the ceremony his bandmates and fellow Detroit rockers Carey Weaver on drums, bassist Brian Carney and guitarist Kevin Wilson will join him at a private party and concert for the students and their parents. JTX will join some of the students for a special appearance Friday May 22 on the Omelette & Finster Show on 97.5 or 98.9 from between 7 and 10 a.m. For a sampling of his music check out myspace.com/jtxmusic.