JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville native Justin St. Clair grew up on westerns and in church, a mix that led the Jacksonville native to a music genre few in his family expected him to pursue: country.
Watch the full interview with St. Clair.
St. Clair, 34, said his grandfather — a pastor and a political figure he calls his hero — introduced him to the stories and sounds that steered him away from gospel and R&B and toward Americana, folk and country.
“Country music got started from those gospel roots,” he said. “But I always had an ear for something else.”
With more than two decades of experience across R&B, folk and other styles, St. Clair said an early tour widened his musical horizons and confirmed what his family and mentors had long told him: storytelling in country music spoke to his life.
“I’ve done pretty much every genre, but there’s no genre like country music, and it’s the one truest to me,” he said.
He has played neighborhood bars in Jacksonville like Pour Taproom and stages abroad, including closing a major festival in Winnipeg before tens of thousands of people.
Those milestones have come amid obstacles. St. Clair said representation for Black men in country music remains limited, and he described encounters that made him feel unwelcome — not only onstage but in his other profession as a realtor.
He recounted an incident at a gated community showing where security and police were summoned despite valid credentials, an episode he called humiliating.
“The dichotomy of both worlds I’ve got to see through — real estate and country music — has been quite a whirlwind,” he said.
His single “Keep Going,” St. Clair said, grew out of grief and a battle with his own mental health after his grandfather’s death. He described a period of heavy drinking and suicidal thoughts before deciding to carry on in his grandfather’s stead.
“I literally said, ‘I got to keep going,’ ” he said. The song, his second country single, is meant as a message to listeners facing dark times: don’t give up.
Music, St. Clair said, became his therapy and a tool for outreach. He launched Justice One Day Gentlemen’s Camp — named for his grandfather, Gentle — bringing professionals to Jacksonville to teach life skills, financial basics and mentorship to boys.
“I only planned for about 50 boys,” he said. “One hundred and fifty came. To see the imprint you can have when you just give back — that was my gift to the community.”
St. Clair credits fellow Jacksonville musician Leon Timbo with helping nudge him toward country and Americana. The two have toured together, including extended stints in Canada, and are scheduled to appear at festivals such as Mile of Music in Appleton, Wis., he said.
On June 26 at Pour Taproom, St. Clair hosted a single release party for his song titled “Surprise,” a love song that he has pitched for Hallmark films.
More than changing perceptions about who belongs in country music, St. Clair said his aim is simple: to spread kindness.
“I want you to feel love,” he said. “I want you to feel uplifted. Life is better when love is involved in the right way.”
St. Clair said he intends to keep pushing boundaries and encouraging other Black artists who may not see themselves in the genre.
“You don’t gotta be white. You don’t gotta be from Nashville,” he said. “You gotta be you and tell your side of country music.”