Born on a cold winter day in January, 1977 to mother Terry and father Steve, Adam Jacobs was bound for something "different." Growing up in a small, washed up steel city near Warren, Ohio. Steven Jacobs was hanging onto a job as a heavy equipment driver in one of the areas only remaining steel mills, while Terry stayed home and raised both Adam and his brother Ben. Ben was just a short 9 months older than Adam which made for a trying time for Adam cause even though he was only 9 months older Ben was a big kid. Even today Adam stands a mere 5 foot 9 inches weighing 155lbs soaking wet, while Ben is easily 6 foot 2 inches and weighs 240lbs. "They fought like any other pair of brothers would and it led to many emergency room visits, when Adam pushed Ben from their rooftop hide-out, in retaliation of Ben throwing him into a bonfire the week earlier. There certainly was never a dull moment in the Jacobs household." Remembers Terry.
As Adam grew older he became literally addicted to sports. His first love was baseball. Adam would spend hour's everyday throwing a racquetball against the side of the house, only breaking for dinner and a neighborhood pick-up game. He was such an athletic little kid that he successfully lobbied his parents to lie about his birthday so he could enter pee-wee baseball a year early with Ben. Adam quickly earned a reputation as the kid who never let a ground-ball by. He was great under pressure and bathed in the attention his athletic ability earned him. When Adam was 8 he was blessed with a younger brother Zachary. Who incidentally, Adam constantly tortured and teased in hopes that he could make him tough enough to endure life. Today if you ask Zach about Adam he'll have nothing but praise but when they were kids, they were at war.
When Adam was 12 his parents got divorced. Terry took a job at the local movie rental store while Steve moved into his ailing parent's house just a few miles away, but enough distance for Adam to start experimenting with more grown-up issues on his own. The distance between Ben and Adam grew as well as Ben turned to hunting and fishing, while Adam played soccer, basketball and baseball. By high school Adam was a well known kid with almost unlimited boundaries. He started on the varsity soccer team as a freshman, which was full of what would be called the "town hoodlums." Because of Adams tenacious athleticism and ability to take a beating, he became a star on the soccer field. Quickly ushered into the world of alcohol and
marijuana by his older teammates, Adams love of weed developed.
All through high school Adam spent most of his time away from general population, because of his frequent visits to in-school suspension. Learning from an early age Adam used his words to pierce his combatants first, then his hundreds of fights with his brother to back up his words. Don't get me wrong Adam was never really a bad kid, he just had a bad mouth, and an ego backed by the numerous accolades he'd collected from sports to drive him out of the "good people crowd." "Adam was a righteous young kid and he always fought for what he believed in." Recalls high school sweetheart, Kelli Beagle.
Never short of a girlfriend Adam liked to play the field and was aroused by a variety of women. That is until a younger girl boldly asked him to take her to a midnight Pearl Jam CD release. Abby Vens was the girl I guess you could say that kind of brought Adam back to earth. Her wit, beauty and most of all her vast musical knowledge
lured Adam away from trouble and into the world of world. "She introduced me to the heart of music as I know it today. Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Dead, The Stones, you name it and she'd have me longing for more. Although in the end it was my short comings in the monogamous department that drove her away. I still give her a ton of
credit for opening my world up from sports, girls and partying to a more rewarding world of artistic adventure." Still today Adam will say his favorite artist is Bob Dylan, because "that guy wasn't just a singer he was a leader of a revolution."
As Adam parted with high school and Miss Abby, he took on many cross country road trips in his 1975 Volkswagen Bus. Adam would leave to go anywhere at the drop of a hat. All he needed was enough gas money and his Yamaha acoustic guitar, and of course enough smoke to occupy his days. Just as he learned to be a terrific athlete,
Adam was driven to succeed as a singer/ songwriter. His first CD which was almost a tribute to Abby was called Treelines and Roadsigns. Surprisingly Adam spawned two local anthems from that album that are still occasionally played in his sets today. "Don't Stop" which was a song written directly to Miss Abby which pleaded to her
"You can leave, but please. Don't stop loving me. Abigail." Also a song written while traveling out on the road in California "9 Day Wine" became a frequently coined phrase around Warren, Ohio. Adam was slowly accepted into a somewhat reclusive artist movement in that "small town," city. As Adam grew artistically he worked as a waiter at
various restaurants who would bare his limited scheduling availability. "It was tough because I could never work Thursday, Friday or Saturday because I always had a gig. But I couldn't keep any other kind of job because I just hated some asshole telling me what to do."
After earning some respect in Warren and its surrounding communities Adam was asked to open a show for a fantastically talented band called Good Brother Earl. "I'd never heard them play before but when I showed up to open for them and heard them doing their sound check I was blown away at their musical ability. These guys were brilliant, studied musicians from Pittsburgh, Pa. I was about ready to just walk out the door feeling out of my league." However, GBE's lead singer Jeff Schmutz took a liking to Adam and his incomparable stage presence and song presentation. This spawned a great friendship between the band and Mr. Jacobs as he started opening all their local shows.
Using his friendship with a recognized band to his benefit, Adam started holding "Ekoostik Musik Festival" annually, at Mosquito Lake Park. Adam learned quickly that due to his limited life as a musician that he'd need to put his mouth to use and get people out to his shows to ensure his career. "That's exactly what he does!" Says, bar owner Sandi Deiter, "he makes it a good time for everyone in the bar that night. The longer he'd play the more people he'd bring in week after week. It was a good relationship for both of us and over time Adam became a hell of a lot better at playing and singing."
After countless trips, and a few years of playing around Warren. Adam decided that he needed to make a move to a bigger circuit if he was ever going to "make it big." Adam packed his bags and moved to the capital city of Columbus, Ohio. Looking to transform the thousands of kids who attended Ohio State University, into Adam Jacobs fans. Adam excelled and started his website and his new album
The Pot-Head President. The local community quickly accepted Adam into their club and started buying up his new CD. The title track "The Pot-Head President" was a hit in the sizeable hippy community that thrived in Columbus. "Adam never forgot where he came from; he'd still make the drive to Warren for a 3 or 4 night, string of shows whenever he could."
After continuing on what most people saw as a successful music career, Adam always wanted more. He started booking shows in the Florida Keys, all over California, Colorado, New Orleans and Texas. "I never did make it out to New York City on business but I sure as hell
went and saw some great concerts." Adam also continued his
relationship with Good Brother Ear, playing with them as much as his schedule would allow. "I got to meet Boyd Tinsley(from the Dave Matthews Band) in Washington DC and that really sparked my interest in becoming a well known musician again."
Seemingly everything was going good for Adam until March 9, 2004. Adam was invited for a look at some good buds at a friend of a friend's house and as Adam rolled up a joint the door was kicked in. Adam was arrested along with 3 others in a sting marijuana bust. "I couldn't even recall the kids name that lived there, because we'd just
been introduced 10 minutes earlier. Here I am being charged with felony drug trafficking." Somehow due to Adams unwillingness to co-operate with the police Adam was soon to start a 2 yr. prison term. "One day I'm living a dream and the next I'm looking at going to prison,
it was quite the culture shock." While out on bail Adam learned that he would be soon blessed with firstborn child who he abruptly decided would be named "Dylan." "I didn't care if it was a boy or a girl the name was stuck." On July 10, 2005 Dylan Kye Jacobs was born. "You always hear how a baby will change your life, but I never really
believed it until I had Dylan. I knew then I'd have to take a plea deal rather than fight these bogus charges that could possibly send me away for 10yrs., so I told my lawyer to get things rolling so I could get back out to spend the rest of my time, with my beautiful daughter."
Never really having much of a true romance with Dylan's mom, this made seeing Dylan tough but Adam mom made sure to visit him with Dylan throughout his whole 2yrs. "I knew I couldn't count on too many people but things ended up being pretty bearable because of the support I got from my mom and grand-parents and a couple close friends." Terry stepped up and supported her son throughout the toughest time in his life and while interviewing Adam for this
biography his feelings for his mother were absolutely obvious. "She proved her unconditional love to me for sure!" Again due to Adams righteous attitude he was denied an early release while his co-defendants all got out early even though this was far from their first brush with the law. "I'm not John Gotti but I sure as hell wasn't going
to snitch on anyone. Unlike my codefendants. I figured I'd do my 2yrs. and live the rest of my lifetime knowing I still had my dignity."
Throughout Adam prison term he started working on his new album, Busted and Broken Down. Using his confinement as a tool instead of a handicap, he came out with a brand new album. This leads to present time. "All I ever wanted was to be left alone, but now I want to spend all my free time with Dylan. I want to thank everyone who stayed the
course as a friend to me Emily, Michelle, Kiera, Mike, Stacy, Kid, Zach, Sarah, Ken, Gramma n Grampa. Without them I wouldn't have been able to make this unfortunate position into a positive." Keep your ears open for the new Adam Jacobs album
Busted and Broken Down.
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