Arts & Entertainment

Country Singer Draws from Chesterfield Roots

Anchor Bay graduate John Maison is set to perform Oct. 15 at Camp Casey Fest in downtown Ferndale.

Country singer and songwriter John Maison discovered a love of music as a child while traveling on southeastern Michigan roads with his father.

Maison, 29, of Chesterfield Township, was introduced to radio tunes from singers in various genres while en route to his dad's plumbing jobs.

“For me, growing up here in Michigan, it’s just nice because you get a real big variety of the different types of music you're exposed to on a daily basis," he said.

Find out what's happening in New Baltimore-Chesterfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Maison, who splits time between Chesterfield and Nashville, is scheduled to perform Oct. 15 at Camp Casey Fest in downtown Ferndale. The 12-hour live music event, headlined by Josh Gracin, is to benefit the horseback riding camp for children with cancer.

“Charity work is something that—not just me—but everyone in my band is really big at," Maison said. "If we can bring another 200 people to the show and it’s for a great cause, we’ll that’s just great for everybody.”

Find out what's happening in New Baltimore-Chesterfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Finding Showbiz Success

Maison, who graduated from in 2000, began penning songs as a teen. Since then, he's written about 150 songs in his personal catalog and recorded between 15 and 20. A national single entitled "Fast Enough" is expected to debut on country radio stations next week.

After earning a finance degree at Michigan State University and master's of business administration at Walsh College, Maison worked as a commercial loan officer in western Michigan. He kept his love for music separate, but decided to leave the job three years ago to pursue his passion full time. Next GAC Star fans may recognize him as a 2008 semi-finalist.

Since then, he's recorded music in Nashville and performed across Michigan, such as on the main stage of the Detroit Hoedown this year. 

His music video for "Hit Your Heartbrakes" can be viewed on his website or on YouTube.

A Michigander at Heart

When Maison travels in the South, fans seem perplexed to learn where the country singer is from.

“They ask, 'You’re from Michigan?' I didn’t know people from Michigan liked country,'" he said of their response.  

And, while he said he isn't the stereotypical country singer with a cowboy hat and ranching roots, he tells them Michigan claims a huge outdoorsman base.

"We have the best country in Michigan out of anywhere and, to me, country music isn’t so much about cowboy hats and farms. It’s about singing what you know and it’s about being honest and having a good time.”

He admits, though, there is a rarely used cowboy hat on his shelf.

"If it's really sunny out, I'll throw it on, but it's not something I wear on a daily basis," he said laughing.

Camp Casey Fundraiser

Camp Casey Fest kicks off at 11 a.m. Oct. 15 at East Nine Mile at Woodward Avenue in Ferndale. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door after 5 p.m. Kids 10 and under get in free with a ticketed adult. One hundred percent of the ticket sales benefit Camp Casey.

To buy tickets, visit camp-casey.org/fundraising. For more information, call 877.388.8315 ext. 2.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here