J.R. Castillo, a native of Green Acres, Texas is one of Country Music’s most promising singer/songwriters. For the past three years, J.R. has been the front man for his band J.R. Castillo & Unwound that has been instrumental in reviving the live country music scene in and around South Texas.
Heralded as one of the strongest and most versatile vocalists around, J.R. has attracted the attention of many listeners from various musical genres. His vocal style has drawn comparisons to everyone from Tim McGraw to Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20, but all in all he has developed his own unique sound that distinguishes him from the rest of the pack.
J.R. Castillo & Unwound are primarily a country act, performing their own originals along with current and traditional country favorites. However, in exploiting J.R.’s versatility, Unwound’s palette also includes authentic renditions and a wide array of Tejano, Rock, Pop and Dance music as well. As a result, the band is arguably one of the best live acts on the Texas Club and Dancehall scene.
Despite his recent endeavors, J.R. Castillo is by no means a newcomer to the world of live music. Playing guitar and singing since the age of seven and a songwriter since the age of 13, J.R. has been organizing and fronting bands since his days in Jr. High. Weathering through several band members and band name changes, J.R. has been a fixture on the live music scene since he was a student at Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco High School and all throughout his Undergrad years at the University of Texas at Austin.
While playing with his band in Austin, J.R. attracted the attention of Music Row as far back as 1991. Realizing the importance of his education, J.R. put his dreams of Nashville on hold until he was further along with his curriculum. During his senior year in 1994 he began to entertain offers of taking his music to the next level. Despite all the promise of stardom from many of Nashville’s Movers and Shakers, J.R. found his career in limbo. After enduring three years in negotiations with Music Row, J.R. took time off from music in 1997 to regroup and recover from the experience and vowed to come back stronger and more knowledgeable.
J.R. went on to complete his undergraduate curriculum and graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. During all the chaos surrounding his music career, he also managed to receive his M.S. in Environmental Engineering and will be receiving his PhD in Chemical Engineering in August 2003. Since 1996, J.R. has successfully owned and operated his own engineering firm based in Alice, Texas, concentrating on the Petroleum, Environmental and Safety aspects of Engineering.
During this time, J.R. has also continued his informal education on the music business as well. A proud owner of a music library that contains hundreds of books and reference materials on the music business, J.R. has educated himself through reading and talking to the music industry’s professionals and has prepared himself on both the business and artistic ends to ensure that his next go-round with Music Row will be a fruitful and lasting endeavor.
Although he still has hopes for a career as an artist on the roster of one of Nashville’s top record labels, J.R. is also interested in becoming a writer “in-demand” for the acts coming out of Nashville, L.A. and New York. Already an arranger and composer of over a 1000 songs, he continues to write daily and has begun to collaborate with some of Nashville's seasoned songwriters.
J.R.’s recent efforts on-stage and on paper have once again begun to capture the attention of both record companies and publishers on Music Row. Despite the unproductive results from his first experience, he feels confident that if another shot at Nashville and the music business is in the cards, he’ll be better equipped to succeed. He feels that the past five years have been an extensive learning experience, and strongly believes that all the lessons he's learned will serve as the foundation for what he hopes will be a successful career in the music business. If there is any truth to the phrase that claims, “Luck is the sum of preparation meeting opportunity,” then J.R. is an opportunity away from a little luck and musical stardom.
-Gretchen McMichaels
Country Music Review
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