Jon Michaels of Lexington has been named the winner of NBC’s “Quest for the Best Today Show Jingle” contest. He performed his jingle along with the other two finalists live on the show on Jan. 29. Sixteen-time Grammy award winning producer David Foster listened to the three jingles and declared Jon’s the winner.
Jon says, “I was shocked when he turned to me. I was pleasantly surprised.”
Jon first learned of the contest when a friend suggested that he enter. Then he reached out to another friend, Dinah Brien, from Seattle, Wash., who had been a frequent songwriting collaborator in Nashville. They worked on the lyrics together using FaceTime. “In researching the history of the Today Show,” Jon says,
“I learned they were celebrating their 61st anniversary in January. So we decided on the catchphrase ‘After more than 60 years we’re still here, today.’”
Jon created an audition tape in his kitchen of him singing and playing his guitar, and several weeks later, he received a call from the Today Show telling him he was one of three finalists chosen to appear on the show.
“The best part of this experience has been the sincere outpouring of love and support from family, friends and people spanning a 20-year career,” Jon says.
“Just knowing how much people truly care about and support me has been amazing.”
Jon’s songs have been recorded by Clint Black, Ray Herndon, Tracy Lawrence and Ty Herndon. He has performed with Michael McDonald, BJ Thomas, John Sebastain and the Kingston Trio and was a regular musical guest on the national PBS cooking show “Christina Cooks.” Jon is currently a financial advisor residing in Lexington with his wife Jeannie and their 5-year-old daughter, Jennings.
