Flyin' Signs Street Stories

Updated 5/12/23: Jake has since passed away. RIP 🙏🏽

Everything was written down just as he spoke it to me.

Jake's Story

I lived in Los Angelas day job doing construction, and at night, I played gigs. Singing and playing guitar. Covid hit, and it shut the whole city down, so once that happened, like a bad country song, my girlfriend left me and took the dog. I didn't know what to do, so all my famous rich friends were leaving LA because it was shut down. You love the beach, so go to FL. So I sold my truck, and I took the money and moved here, and I played Tallahassee, Pensecola, Panama City, Destin, and then I ended up here. (Hudson). Owner of Ollies, Mike paid the bus ticket down after seeing me at a show in Destin and asked me to come play at his spot. I played his spot. It was a fine gig. Then there was nothing available until Jaunary, booked up solid for the Holidays. So I ran out of money and I ended up homeless. I've been stuck here ever since.

Anything you'd want anyone to know about your experience with being homeless?

It's surprising how much there's no help. I have family members that have homes with 12 bedrooms. That only have 2 people staying there, and they won't even let me crash on the couch.

Do you find that it's harder for you find gigs because of the homelessness?

Yes, because when I first came I had nice Italin shoes, beautiful shirts from France. Great pants, hair was right. I didn't look homeless. People didn't see me that way, but after living this way for awhile and looking dirty, looking nasty, not shaved right, horrible clothes. It's a different situation. Not to sound like an arrogant as***le, I've been a musician for 30 years. I personally only play because I'm good at it and I like to make it happy. I'm not even particularly fond of playing music. I just do it because I like to make people smile.

Jake is currently looking for a new guitar. His is busted through on the back.

Jakes favorite song to play is, Tony Dancer by Elton John.