Meet Paul Juneau of Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Juneau

Hi Paul, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Good Evening I’m so sorry that it’s taken me a lil longer than I would have liked to get back to you.

My name is Paul Juneau and currently my family and I are on a cross country trip living in an RV! It’s been a wild ride so far. I am beyond grateful to have played and entertained in establishments from New England down the East Coast and now west to here in Nashville. I guess the story starts in a lil hospital in Louisiana. The youngest of three son’s I was not one to be ignored. My brothers were really talented athletes and let’s just say I wasn’t as blessed lol. My grandmother actually got me into theater early and that carried on into my middle school years where I had the best teachers that cultivated a love for the arts that obviously left a mark! Chorus was like my safe space a place where I didn’t get yelled at for being loud (full disclosure I was quite the talker). I pretty much knew music was going to be a huge part of my life from there. Once we hit high school it was off to the races with as many things I could, vocally! Show choir, select chorus, ensemble, theatre, and even squeezed in some percussion in the band! After graduation I went to college for music education. After jumping a few majors I landed on musical theatre performance. That’s where I met my wife! She became my world and soon we welcomed my first son. I left school and went to work! I worked at a Honda dealership off and and on for most of my 20’s. They were so good to me I probably worked every position there except sales lol. Where we were living at the time had a volunteer fire department and I was craving a social environment. Lil did I know it would ignite a passion in me for service to others. I studied and graduated the fire academy and received my Cardiac Emt. I worked private ambulance for a few years sometimes multiple services in the same week. 120 hour work weeks were a common thing during the early years. The paramount of my world was to get hired onto a paid full time fire department. Not only is it a great job to raise a family as my second son was just born, but it’s the closest thing to being a real life superhero. Gosh do I miss it. I had to retire disabled from the job due to a major spinal cord injury. Man this literally had me on my back for a few years. Four spine surgeries, hundreds of steroid injections and enough pain killers to drop a horse. I fell hard into my own mind. I lost my purpose. Being a firefighter/emt was who I was. I loved being known for that. Sadly that was gone. I just kind of lost who I was. I found myself steadily self medicated. I became mean, ornery, closed off and distant. I stopped enjoying my time with life. I started contemplating that life wasn’t worth it. My kids reminded me just how much they needed me and helped me realize I needed help. With the support of my wife and family I made the call to a mental and substance abuse rehabilitation center catered to firefighters. It was here that I learned that I wasn’t alone and that there are tools and resources for folks like me going through hard times. The center is where music really started to ignite my soul. I loved it! My wife and I played music in churches and nursing homes off and on over the years with a fantastic christian group back home but it was never my number one priority but now I was finding myself NEEDING music. It was a way to decompress, ground, and meditate all in one. I went head first and worked my tail off. Free gigs for everyone!! Just to get my name out! I was able to create a new sense of self, stronger, happier, grounded. This was the status quo for a while until the wife and I started dreaming bigger. We had a crazy hair brained idea to sell everything we own, buy an rv, and travel the country. And that’s just what we did. We left in August of 22 and have gone from Maine to Georgia and spent a few months in Florida! We have kept moving since. Well until Nashville that is…. My buddy told me about open mic auditions at Tootsies for The Honky Tonk School down on lower broadway. I mean an opportunity to play THE Tootsies stage was too cool to pass up! I arrived super early ordered myself a sandwich and was first in line for the audition. The band played for an hour then started being us up! They called my name, heart racing I went up grabbed the mic and gave Tennessee whiskey everything I had! Afterward Scott (Collier) said “hey man want to work an acoustic shift and see how you do?” That was almost a year ago. Gosh I’m so grateful for each gig because I play music with some of the most talented people on the planet

So that’s my story so far. 😊

Paul J. Juneau
[email protected]
401-206-1417

https://www.facebook.com/journeywiththejuneaus?mibextid=LQQJ4d

https://www.facebook.com/pauljuneaumusic?mibextid=LQQJ4

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRV4s2hj/

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Smooth is not a word I would use lol. We’ve always kept up a good pace regardless of how steep the hill got. However life has thrown some heavy obstacles our way. My wife and I have lost two children to miscarriages, we’ve crawled out of bankruptcy. We’ve actually lost each other a couple of times too. We’ve always decided to survive together. Especially lately as she has been diagnosed to with two cancers and had emergency surgery to successfully remove them (she’s such a baddie). It’s been a ride for sure.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I work at Rippy’s on Broadway 1st shift 10a-2p a few times a week. I love the crowd especially because the kids can come check out the Honky Tonks and get the lay of the land! I imagine one of these kids will be back here one day playing this hallowed street.

My greatest accomplishment are my kids for sure!!! They’re what make me most proud!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Thank you for this opportunity

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pauljuneaumusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pauljuneaumusic?igsh=MXFuZ3F4NDF1Y3BzYg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/pauljuneaumusic
• Twitter: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRV4s2hj/