For Big Loud Texas traditionalist Jake Worthington, country music is in his DNA. The La Porte, Texas native was raised on his grandfather’s porch performances of Ray Price, Merle Haggard, and George Jones, and soon picked up his own Gibson acoustic to realize the breadth of his soon-to-be-classic, wide, and wild voice. Now, Worthington breathes fresh life into dance halls, beer joints, and ballrooms from Texas to Tennessee with his 13-song, self-penned debut, Jake Worthington, recent Miranda Lambert collaboration “Hello Shitty Day,” and “I’m The One (feat. Marty Stuart).” Captivating the masses with his honky-tonk stylings, the singer-songwriter has brought two-step anthems to venues across the country, opening for Lambert, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, Riley Green, Pat Green, Hank Williams Jr., ERNEST, Ian Munsick, and more. Worthington is also a sought-after duet partner across the Nashville landscape, including guest spots on Brooks and Dunn’s Reboot II on “I’ll Never Forgive My Heart,” HIXTAPE: Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE with Reba McEntire on “Is It Cold In Here,” ERNEST’s 2023 extension FLOWER SHOPS (THE ALBUM): Two Dozen Roses on “Heartache In My 100 Proof,” and more. “I believe in country music as much as I believe in my next breath,” Worthington declares, and “blame it on my raising, but I think there ought to be room for country in country music.”