EARLY LIFE

Jay was born and raised in a small town just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Infatuated with music at an early age, he began playing the guitar and writing songs at the age of 13, and started performing live shows soon after that. Although he was extremely nervous during his early performances, he knew that music was becoming his passion and that his career was going to be based around it.

ST. LOUIS

Making connections in St. Louis allowed Jay to develop his ability to perform fluently with many different types of musicians. He first started an original band, “RunnerUP”, with friends from his high school. In 2005, RunnerUP recorded a full-length record and embarked on a three-week tour around the southern U.S. A few years later, he joined and began performing regularly with a punk-rock cover band called “The Gimmicks.” With consistent gigs and a diverse song catalog, Jay was finally beginning to see his musical career start to take hold.

Jay performing with RunnerUP, circa 2007

Jay performing with The Gimmicks, circa 2009

KEY WEST - pt. I : The Durtbags

Searching for even more opportunity, Jay moved to the beautiful island of Key West, Florida in 2010. After an audition that lasted five whole days, he was finally hired as the singer/bass player for The Durtbags; the incredibly talented rock band that performs weekly at Durty Harry's. Originally knowing only 10 songs for the band, he started practicing the day he arrived in Key West, and ended up learning hundreds of songs within his first year. His career at Durty Harry's provided him with a huge amount of experience, and he used that as an opportunity to become a master at commanding large crowds and working with elaborate stage performances.

Jay performing at Durty Harry’s, circa 2011

Key West - pt. II : Irish Kevin's

In 2013, Jay decided yet again that it was time to expand his career even more. He collaborated with his friend Jim Simonian to create the powerhouse duo known as “The Jay and Jim Show.” With Jay on guitar, Jim on drums, and both simultaneously providing lead vocals, they worked their way into one of Key West's premier live entertainment venues: Irish Kevin's. The duo was known for providing an interactive and entertaining environment by combining high-energy crowd pleasers with the versatility to take requests on the fly. From 2013 to 2020, they together provided the prime late night entertainment at Irish Kevin's year in and year out.

The Jay and Jim Show performing at Irish Kevin’s, circa 2015

Key West pt. III – TIKI HOUSE

Currently, Jay is performing multiple times a week at his very own live music venue: TIKI HOUSE. Opening in 2017, and having expanded in 2024, Tiki House is located at 203 Duval Street. As a part-owner and operating partner, building, opening, and performing at Tiki House has been a dream come true for Jay. The stage and sound system was built to his exact specifications, and he is now using his experience gained from performing at a variety of venues, private parties, weddings, and other special events, to continue his career as a solo performer. He has spent years building up an immense repertoire of songs, and is applying his experience to entertain the party-going patrons of TIKI HOUSE. Check out the Tiki House website here, Jay’s schedule here to see his upcoming shows, or contact Jay directly to book him for your venue or private event!

Jay performing at a private beach wedding

Jay performing at The Green Room, Key West

and more…

In his free time, Jay loves to relax and ride his Harley motorcycle up and down US-1, and when he gets the chance he still visits his family and friends in St. Louis to go fishing and watch the St. Louis Cardinals play at Busch Stadium.

Tiki House at 430 Greene St. Key West, FL