Jesse Raub, Jr. Talks About Taking on Music Full-Time
(Seguin) — We continue with our peek at Texas Country Music Entertainer of the Year Nominee Jesse Raub, Jr. Raub will headline KWED’s Freedom Fiesta on Saturday. We look now at his decision to quit a lucrative construction job and focus full-time on his music career. It was a decision at a difficult time that came with an unforeseen challenge.
Three years ago, Raub was working in construction while simultaneously pursuing a career in music. After having many of his songs chart on Texas Music Chart and the Texas Radio Report, Raub made the decision then to quit the high paying construction business to concentrate solely on his music.
He says it was a tough choice that he could not make without the support of his wife, Rachel.
“When I decided to do that, I came home and told my wife I was gonna quit a very well paying job,” Raub said. “And she never even batted an eye. She just said okay. And I said, ‘you’re not gonna talk me out of this?’ And she said, ‘No, I been wondering when you were gonna take the leap.'”
Having his wife by his side, Raub leaped full-time into the music business in 2020. Then a challenge that nobody saw coming happened right at the beginning of that decision.
“I made the choice to do it and then Covid hit. That was just God I believe anyways going, ‘hey all true visions will be tested for authenticity.’ And if this is really what you want to do, here’s the first little road block.”
As the music world and everything else was shut down, Raub went back to pen and paper and began to write songs.
“I gave my manager Brian my bucket list of writers and he just started reaching out to publicists. And so, it became at that point just songwriting for a year. And then when the shows started coming back around, we just said ‘let’s figure out where this goes.’
“So, we’re in a good position. We did that and now I look back at the job I quit and I’m like, ‘I’m so glad I’m not doing that anymore.'” Raub said. “I mean I always ran dozers and backhoes, track hoes, you know I could always run anything. But man, I just didn’t miss it like I thought I would. So I feel like we’re right where we’re supposed to be, doing what we’re supposed to do.”
With his band behind him, Raub will be doing what he does and that’s playing music this Saturday at Freedom Fiesta.
KWED’s Freedom Fiesta will feature food trucks, a beer garden and more, and even more live music with Susan Hickman opening up for Jesse Raub, Jr. at this weekend’s concert. The event is free and open to the public. It all starts Saturday at 6 pm. at Central Park in downtown Seguin.
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- Jesse Raub Jr. performs at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee (photo courtesy of Jesse Raub Jr. Management).
