Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jason Welsh. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jason, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Through lifes ups and downs I’ve learned to move forward and keep on going no matter what. I was born premature and spent the fist 9 weeks of my life in an incubator next to my identical twin brother Joey.
My grandparents raised us and was very active in the Baptist church. My Papaw was a minister and so for most of My childhood I was in a church whether it be while He was preaching or in the family gospel band.
I went to live with My Mom at the age of 15 and soon joined the military along with My twin brother at the age of 17. I got married at the age of 18 and divorced at 20.
Met My next wife and the mother of My three children in 2001 and got divorced again after getting injured during at combat tour in Iraq in 2008 because I was not the same man that she married.
The VA put me on a huge amount of medications and soon I was addicted to Opiates. After them taking them away due to them being addictive I turned to the streets and found Heroin, Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Fentanyl.
I was soon shooting IV drugs all day every day and wound up homeless many times as My addiction took over every aspect of my entire life.
I overdosed 6 times on Fentanyl laced Heroin in the spring of 2017 and once more on Methamphetamine in the fall of that same year. I wound up in a five day coma after shooting up 3.5 grams in a matter of 45 minutes trying to kill myself.
I survived many suicide attempts and even some homicide attempts by one of my ex girlfriends in Colorado.
I went to Rehab and learned how to deal with my emotions and how to love myself again before attempting to love anyone else. Once I knew the real true me once again I fell in love with my now Fiancé Debbie Cooper and have 6 years clean and sober now.
I even bought my own house with the help of my VA home loan after being use to being a strung out homeless military veteran.
At Rehab at Wilmington Treatment Center in North Carolina I found My music again through their music program and would perform for the other patients throughout the 35 days I was inpatient there.
I learned that My higher power had kept me around for a amazing purpose to not only tell my story through public speaking but also through my music.
I have a great music career and have released a 13 original song album called Write the Wrongs and also released 3 other Singles about my experiences and life.
I have won multiple awards and been featured in many magazines, newspapers and Television News Articles.
You ask how did I find My purpose?
I found My purpose through living many many lives within this one life.
My purpose is to be a Lighthouse in the darkness to those who are lost and going down a path of self destruction like I did.
My purpose is Music… it is telling My story so that others may know that they are not alone. Through addiction, through combat, through attempts on my life almost being murdered, through everything that has been throwed my way I have been resilient and stood tall and strong.
Today I’ll make sure that I follow my purpose so that I can keep making it another day…
With Music
My Story ; is not over yet…
It’s only just begun…
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As a professional Musician I am blessed and honored to be able to have you the audience members trust me with a journey through song. Emotions and Memories are being made while I metaphorically take your hand for a little while and lead you down a adventure throughout my life experiences.
It is a very special opportunity for me to get to experience the Rollercoaster that encompasses my music. For You to let Your worries and issues of the day just melt away and just be there in that exact moment.
I hope that you will go to my official website at www.renegadejasonraywelsh.com for the full schedule of my band and I as well as everything and anything that you would want for our music.
We just released a new song on December 11th 2023 called Life Sentence about cleaning up your past and how it feels like a prison sometimes.
It as well as my other original songs are available on all major digital download and streaming platforms wherever you get your music from.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Though My military service I learned a great work ethic that even if you don’t feel like getting up, dressing up and showing up that you still need to do it because that is what your meant to do. Never quit ever.
Through My Drug Addiction and Homelessness I learned that there is nothing in this world worth not accepting the great gift ever given to any person… that is the gift of Desperation. There is Transformation Through Determination and if You can see past all of the bad things and not play victim then there is literally nothing that you can’t accomplish in this life.
And finally last but not least find something that puts a fire inside of you. Mine just happens to be perfirming and writing music. Whatever you feel passionate about do that because that is the best drug on the planet it’s a feeling like none other.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
My Fiancé Debbie Cooper showed Me that there was a better way to live. She ahowed Me that I never have to settle for anything and that no matter what I am never alone ever.
Debbie was my Lighthouse when I was in My darkest night. She helped me out of that darkness and remember that there is a life worth living out there.
Without her I would be dead…
Without her I would have never have learned My true purpose in this life.
She is My solid rock upon what I have built My new better life’s foundation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.renegadejasonraywelsh.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/realjason.welsh
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jasonraywelshmusic
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/jasonraywelsh
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@renegadejasonraywelsh5982?si=nNsyz20ZSUop6s5z
Image Credits
Debbie Cooper
