Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Skelton
Hi Josh, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As I set in a soon to be closing (permantally) Portland Brew… Typing this up…. I think of endings…. and how the will give us a new begining At 19, I left home and never spoke a word. Never went back home 20 years ago…. Chaulked full of sabatures and jealousy. I had a voice, a voice like no other & a vibe. I needed to “set on the beach & let the wounds heal*” (Warren Oats). After packing a pickup and moving down to Hilton Head Island, in search for a better economy, and longing for a beach and warmer weather. My heart wanted to come back home. Knowing Nashville is a city based on a scene and how cool you can be I left the Palmettos’ Beaches & friends. A boy showed up with a southern draw & a suny beach vibe.
A man gave me some advice, ” let this city get to you.” I took that advice and continue keeping an open mind.
Making friends here, my looks and talents were noticed. The scene was cool and so was I, Really, PIZZA AT JACK WHITES BIRTHDAY! Invites to homes and stuidos.
Drinks were had and great times were had in all the INDIE HOT SPOTS. From the ROCK BLOCK and DOWNTOWN to 12TH SOUTH/MUSIC ROW to EAST NASHVILLE. Anywhere from THE OUTLAWS OPEN HOUSE PARTIES to Fem Indy Rock Bands Epic CHURCHYARD OUSE PARTIES.
I worked as a mechanic as well as bars and venues. I EVEN STARTED MY OWN COMPANEY. Drive… Drive is a story of competive commerce at its best. A vintage car technition.I considered myself an artist. After managing a VINTGE SPORTS CAR COMPANEY learning the office and management side of the companies I sought to finish my business degree. After a retirment of the President of the companey. & a compeditor leaving Nashville; the business clientell went the way of the compeditors. After not aquiring the LIONS SHARE I immediately started Drive and began to deliver the transparent top quality repairs that I saw the enthesuiest deserve. www.joshdrivevintage.com is a boutique brokering & repair companey. Drive even has experanced departments for your photographey and movie car needs.
My daughter, Alice is one of the biggest parts of my life. She is my little best friend. She has brought me happiness. We play, run, jump, & skip. I teach her, we learn, both together and from each other. I show her life in the city and she shows me the simple parts of life and what it takes to be a kid. (we have even been known to dress alike, matchy/matchy… like a little rock band.)
My movie/acting carieer continues steady. With roles. Modeling is a go with appearances on magazines. Singing, the talent I do best has been a challange… From druggings, to sabatoge, to even hypnosis. …Now the story…
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road… Has it been a smooth road? In fact it was not… Although appearing soon in the Nichole Kidman/Jamie Lee Curtis movie Scarpetta. (on Amazon Prime) it has been a long and widing road here in Nashville. From the time I was out on my west end balconey, and the legendary David Gram asked me to come downtown… I began to mysteriously forget things. Rohypnol, this city has a rohypnol problem. Rohypnol and dare I dare say HYPNOSIS. Jealousy from family left behind… To peolple unaware of the shere numbers of music and bands in Nashville. Literally forgeting and being sick to the point of missed open MIC sessions to the momment I screamed my LARYNX out of my fucking neck, in responce to the vioce dropped in my mind. Witnesses to the mystery figure continue to reassure me that their memories are clear and reassuring.
The side effects, in turn, affected my first profecional carieer. Again spearheading my idea to open Drive.
As the memories resurface…
I could only hope that talent… Music… in MUSIC CITY… will not ignor my hope for help in the recovery of my voice.
In responce I would like to think the INDIE FILM SCENE. Thanks for the rolls. Mac, Tyler, Viv, Aubry… To the latest film school role.(Chase/Sidney) PHOTOGRAPHERS IN NASHVILLE. Thanks for the magazine cover adds! Thanks for Liking my Bright Red Hair. Thanks for liking me. Thank you Shannon Million for pushing me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My Work, Firstly, Staying busy. Having a daughter is a job in itself. Alice is my Little Best Friend. Being a singer with a torn voice with an ambition that will not die. A handsome redhead, and an abitious mind. While memories of a ringing voice thayt can pitch anything from Michael Hutchence & David Bowie to a country vibe of Dwight Yolkem to a Baratone indie Vibe.
Again having been invited by such talent as David Gram, & Jacob Martin (Broadway) to Jessie Baker (ROCK BLOC… EXIT IN/3RD & LINSLEY) to promiced tracks by Singer Songwriter Paul Jenkins. I was even invited to an open mic night at BOWIES (Michelle litterally building a new indie scene putting mulitble bands together during the pandemic.
Health & determination is a must. I am at the Gym every day and exercise a full body set. Including carido I can bring it in around a hour. Eating healthy, Protines and vegatables, a friend Chef Joey Moltini is a text away for some profecional CHEF advice. Stay hydrated people!!!!! Water is key and a big thanks to the energy drink CELCIOUS. Thank you to all the coffee shops and the great evinvironment created, especialy PORTLAND BREW. Its a vibe!!!
My companyey, Drive is a Boutique automotive service for both the businessmen collector or the musician/celeberty, or anyone seeking a private expert mechanic for the exclusive classic car or truck. An authority and an expert in high end vintage sports cars. Drive is seeking a landing, a loan, and a hard launch!!! If all goes as planed i can put myself into a light steady workload, and fund my music and entertainment carieer, including finishsing my collage degree. Possibally write myself into a pink & orange TENNESSEE sunset.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The app that has helped me the most is INSTAGRAM. You can see the rise of all your friends. I have 3 accounts myself. We all know the inpact of FACEBOOK, that alone is the personal thesis statement of our lives. That and the competition of the Google Workspace plan including all of its helpful apps & Microsoft 365 along with its package of assisting apps. Those really helped launch both acting by gaining exposure, and the speed of the connections, quickining the turn around tiomes for rolls making transparentcy for us all. Including the fact that it easily puts you in touch with the collector car nitch which practcally saves you hours a day, turning a NITCH into a very dooable indstery.
Books: Growing up a Hunter S. Thompson fan, I really enjoyed the ” good fight” ideals of THE RUM DIARIES. The “NEVER GIVE UP MENTALITY” That Paul Kemp endured. That & Jen Sincero’s “YOU ARE A BADASS”. ‘ how to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life.’ Basically, I am not a ‘struggle builds charactier” kind of guy. We live in the future and I love it. I say fuck struggle. That is a bus I refused to ride. Okey so it picked me up anyway. I rode the damn thing. It reminded me of some of the tough times Jen spoke of in New York City. Between sheading stigmas and surounding yourself with positivity. The advice is key!!!
Podcast…. mostly ghost stories… Honestly a key sourse for insperation is our own NPR (WPLN-F,M 90.3 FM) The sunday set list like THIS AMERICAN LIFE… Ect. Stories about Living, Living is a must.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joshdrivevintage.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/being_josh_music_art/ & https://www.instagram.com/joshdrivevintage
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josh.skelton.12
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-skelton-26459a232/
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@joshskelton5189
