Daily Inspiration: Meet Jess Ford

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess Ford.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I moved to Nashville 20 years ago with a new home, Mortgage payment and no job. I decided, if I was going to be away from my family and my fiance’ in Tennessee. I was going to go “all in”. I would never have a “regular job” again. I was bound and determined to use my voice to make money if it was the last thing I did. I decided to teach voice from my home, build a business from scratch and get out there as much as possible. I taught lessons till 9PM at night. I took every client who needed me, every day of the week. I joined cover bands and toured the South with 4 stinky dudes in a Van, taking turns driving all night, sleep deprived, so unsafe, but somehow we made it to next gig. I was going to sing no matter what the cost.

It cost me my fiance’. It almost cost me my home, my Mom had to bail me out a few times. It cost me financial hardship, credit card debt, it was a struggle but I was growing and unstopable. I played every writers round, I wrote songs with the worst and the best. I played the music row game when music row was actually “music row” and not demolished Publishing Companies and high hotels. I made some of the best friends I’ve ever made and we are all still friends today. We did the grind and suffered together.

Mike P used to pay me to come and sing demos and I paid him to make my songs into music. We hung out a lot and did a ton of music together, we built a firm friendship. That time we spent in the studio was very important time together, where I could record my voice and see what was working and what wasn’t. I didn’t know what my sound was but I was gonna find out. I moved to Nashville to sing Country music, but realized that maybe I wasn’t Country enough? Herky Williams, the President of ASCAP at the time took a meeting with me. He listened to my songs and said “We don’t need another Martina McBride”. I was shattered. This could have been my break, my moment. I was rejected. I was a belter and they already had one. Looking back, I see why, I wasn’t unique enough, I hadn’t found my true voice yet and sound but I could perform better than the best of them and I knew I was a good singer. It would take me years of grinding and searching to finally find me.

in 2008 I was broken, depressed, lost, angry, exhausted and scared. I was alone and tormented. I had sold my soul to the devil trying to “make it” and was paying the price for it. This lead me, desperately, to find Jesus. I became a born again Christian on November 9th and my life was about to change dramatically. No more bars, no more shady music characters for me. No more distractions, I finally knew what I was supposed to do with my life, sing for Jesus! I found my calling and purpose!

It wasn’t without more disappointments and struggles ahead, but now I was walking with God, and my strength was in the Lord, BUT I had to navigate that. I had to figure out what that meant and looked like. I always tell people, the minute you become a Christian the devil is going to send 7 crazy deceptive people to you who “sway they are believers” to test your faith. It was so hard and I didn’t know much about God, but I knew I was saved, I had new strength that I never had before. I was going to keep moving forward.

My x-fiance’ and I were reunited in 2014 through the Cancer and illness of his Mother. I went to go see her when I was visiting family in CA and this reunion reignited my relationship with my now husband. Quickly I moved back to CA.

I did end up getting into a “secular band” for 8 years called KARMACODA when I moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area. We won tons of awards together and it was a really fun project but I began to notice a darkness and pull away from God that I couldn’t explain or ignore and I knew God was pulling on my heart to leave the band and give him my voice, FINALLY.

In September 2024 I called Mike P and we began doing music together again, but this time, it’s Christian music. It’s music from my heart and the songs are pouring out of me. There’s no desire for fame anymore, I just LOVE singing for Jesus and if people listen and like it I’m thrilled! My goal is to be known for my boldness in Christ, this is my legacy. It took me until I was 50 years old to do it, and I’m so happy where I’m at, I’ll never go back.

As a Vocal Coach, I’ve coached more than 18 American Idols, 3 on The Voice and so much more. My teaching career 20 years later is HUGE in every way and God has blessed me beyond my imagination and you know what? He’s not done! let’s GO!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Never a smooth road but a relationship with Jesus makes everything so much better!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I write and release music under the name Jess Ford. It is Praise and Worship sometimes with a tinge of Country, sometimes a ting of soul flavor, I’m just being me

What makes you happy?
JESUS FIRST OF COURSE! Beyond that, first year of COVID my husband and I purchase a completely broken down home that need everything on 12 acres on a lake. The “Lake House” is the BEST and we will live there one day. Making music with Mike P again makes me happy, we are having fun. My husband makes me happy, my cousins on the Ford side, being back in their life again, what a gift and I cannot forget my Cavalier King Charles, doggies make me happy. I have 3

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jessfordofficial.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just.jessford/?next=%2F
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessFordOfficial
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicafordmusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JessFordOfficial
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jessfordofficial
• Other: https://jessicafordvocalstudios.com/