31 Jul 2021 The comeback kid
By Dwain Hebda
Listen to any of Deshon Washington’s cuts and you get a little piece of where this smooth Conway sensation has been, where he’s at and where he’s determined to go.
“I’m about to make my mark and this is just the start of something brand so spanking new,” he raps on “What’s Become of Me.” “And if you got a problem with that, then homie I got just one thing to say to you.”
“It goes, ‘Get out the way.’”
Given the competitive — some might say cutthroat — industry that is the music business, the biting sentiment speaks to the 24-year-old’s steely ambition to ride music as far as it will take him, come what may.
“I knew that success wasn’t just gonna fall in my lap,” he said. “I would have to get up and actually make waves, as little as they may have been. I know that waves grow. I got into the studio, started making music. I’ve been going out to venues promoting our band.”
In 2019, Washington’s career was riding a rocket. He started catching some attention when he made it to the World Karaoke Championships and that accelerated with an appearance on Netflix’s singing competition “Sing On.” For the latter, he was one of just 48 performers chosen from 50,000 auditions.
Washington said while the exposure was nice, the experiences paid off for him in other ways as a performer.
“To go to London and film ‘Sing On,’ that kinda sparked something more in me,” he said. “’Cause as a musician, as a singer, you’re a perfectionist. You want to be perfect and you’re always your own worst critic.
“I always had a little bit of self-doubt, and once they reached out and they were like, ‘We want to fly you out. Pay for your flight. Pay for your hotel. Pay for your food. And have you shoot this international show,’ it kind of boosted my confidence, as well as opened the door for a lot of opportunities.”
Washington’s first love was dancing, molded in the image of his idol Michael Jackson. He was recruited to the high school choir by a teacher who saw something in him — even when he didn’t know it was there.
“It was definitely a hidden talent,” he said. “I didn’t know I had it. I never really sang as a kid, even when I was a teenager.”
Like a lot of newcomers to the world of music, Washington started by imitating his favorite artists, Jackson especially, but as his musical literacy grew, he learned how to develop his own sound and style.
“I did venture out to listen to other people,” he said. “Definitely the Weeknd; he has a voice where he can really sing, and he can dance a little bit, and that’s the perfect little mix. I started listening to Aretha Franklin a lot. Erykah Badu. And also Andre 3000 from Outkast which — he’s a rapper, but listening to his words made me want to listen to him. The music that I make now, I try to make it real. I try to make a story and that’s what he does in his raps.”
The Netflix gig landed Washington a spot opening for rapper Twista and thinking about his next opportunity. COVID-19 could not have landed at a worse time, as it stalled all career momentum in its tracks.
“It was definitely rough,” he said. “It did slow us down. We were having shows once or twice a month and we were on track to start going all across the state and even some shows out of state. And when COVID hit, it kind of just stopped everything.
“I did worry that the connections that I did make were going to not hold. I knew once COVID was over or the restrictions were lifted, people were gonna go back to what they were familiar with. And so, if what they were familiar with wasn’t me, it was gonna take longer for me to get into the door again.”
Washington spent 2020 working on his craft, releasing singles and videos to stay visible and working a 9-to-5 job to pay the bills as he bided his time. Now, as things open up, he’s got a new single and video coming out Aug. 24, and he’s eager to get back to what he loves most.
“I’ll close my eyes and I’ll see a stadium full of people,” he said. “They’re happy, not just to see me, but they’re there to have a lot of fun. The ultimate goal for me is to have that sold-out arena, stadium, singing my song back to me. That’s the ultimate goal for me when I see myself in the future.
“I see myself selling out arenas but also staying close to home and helping out my community as much as I can. ’Cause without them, there would be no me.”
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