Country Singer From Anne Arundel Returns Home For Show At Merriweather Post Pavilion

ODENTON, MD — A country singer from Anne Arundel County returned to Maryland for a show last week.

Odenton native Jackson Dean Nicholson, who goes by Jackson Dean, opened for country star Luke Bryan last Friday at Columbia's Merriweather Post Pavilion.

"My God, I’ve passed out on that lawn once or twice," Dean told The Baltimore Banner before the concert. "My sister pulled a tooth out of her knuckle after a brawl there."

The 22-year-old got his start at an Arundel High School football game in 2018. Dean sang the National Anthem in full uniform before his team took the field behind him.

That performance garnered 1 million views on YouTube and propelled Dean to a recording career in Nashville.

Arundel Football Head Coach Jack Walsh attended Dean's concert at Merriweather Post.

"Jackson Dean put on a hell of a show!" Walsh said on Facebook.

Arundel High posted a photo of Walsh and Dean holding a Wildcats jersey at the concert.

"We are so proud of you, Jackson!" Arundel said on Instagram. "Ms. Dittmar listens to you every day in the front office."

Dean turned heads again in 2021, releasing his breakthrough single "Don't Come Lookin'." The country-rock song was featured on "Yellowstone," a popular TV show, helping it reach 41 million streams on Spotify.

"Don't Come Lookin'" made it to the Billboard Hot 100 chart and landed in the top 10 on the Country Airplay chart in late summer 2022.

Dean followed with a studio album and a live album from Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, which is the original site of the Grand Ole Opry.

Michael J On Air, a host for iHeartRadio, congratulated the Marylander on his success.

"HUGE Congrats to a guy who has grown right before our very eyes and ears from a football field at Arundel High School just a handful of years ago to releasing VINYL from performances at the Ryman as an artist on the Biggest Record Label in Country music!" Michael J said on Facebook. "Everything is possible in America. Jackson Dean you are PROOF!"

Dean isn't stopping there. He plans to record more music.

"We’re goin’ back for more," Dean told The Banner. "You gotta have songs to build a show."

To learn more about Dean's rise to fame, read The Banner's story.