No goal was ever achieved without hard work and perseverance. It is this dedication and struggle that make that much success sweeter. People often get bogged down by the challenges they encounter on the way to achieving their goals. Only those who dare to overcome them with hard work have managed to live their dreams. Music sensation and YouTube star Jonathan Paul Smith is one such example who showed the world that talent and hard work are the recipes for success.
The 26-year-old musician, singer, songwriter, and composer started his journey at the age of 19. Growing up in New Orleans, Jonathan was aware of the soul-soothing melodies of country music. He was not just like any other music enthusiast who loved listening to music through his headphones plugged into his ears, though. Rather, he had an ear for sounds that most people considered noise. Since childhood, he was fascinated by the natural sounds that reached his ears, like dripping water, buzzing bees, gusts of wind, and many more. Heavy traffic was even music to his ears.
As he grew up, his love for natural sounds culminated in a passion. When he was introduced to the world of sound and its possibilities by a friend who was working at a dubbing studio, Jonathan discovered his life’s meaning. From then he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He moved to NYC, the heart of diverse music culture, and underwent intensive music composition training to inch closer toward his goal.
Coming from a typical background and with no financial support from his family, Jonathan’s passion became a burden. He had to work 8-hour-days after college delivering pizza just so someday his dream could become a reality. Life got harder when he could not pay his rent for several months and had to live on the streets, where he spent many nights sleeping on empty park benches. As heart-wrenching as it may sound, Jonathan’s artistic soul enjoyed the experience. It exposed him to so many natural sounds, like the chirping of birds and the humming of flies. His mind absorbed everything, filling his heart with ecstasy.
After struggling with poverty for years, Jonathan finally managed to ink a deal with a popular music label for their live shows. At 21, he made his debut performance to a live audience in NYC, which turned out to be a huge success. It put an end to Jonathan’s financial struggle as offers kept on coming in. He started performing live every weekend at elite parties, clubs, and festivals.
His career in the music industry started taking off, making him a sought-after artist at live shows. However, this soon came to a halt in 2020 when the pandemic hit. It definitely crumbled economies, but it also had a devastating impact on artists’ careers. Jonathan was left jobless for months as most of his shows were postponed or canceled.
Just when he thought his career was pretty much over, he discovered the endless opportunities of social media. In October 2020, he released his debut single “Times Will Change” on YouTube, which got more than 2 million hits in a month. A series of back-to-back hits followed, making Jonathan more famous than he ever was.
He is now gearing up for his next release, which has something unique and exciting for his audience. He will be unveiling the release date soon across his social media handles.