Jack Ingram Shrugs Off Critics

May 22, 2008 — Jack Ingram has made an impressive shift in the last couple years from life as a Texas alt.country act into a mainstream country artist, and he capped off that development on Sunday when he picked up the Top New Male Vocalist honor from the Academy of Country Music.

With a few hits under his belt and the good vibes headed his way from the industry, it’d be easy to think that Jack’s gotten nothing but support in his journey. But that’s not the case. He’s come under criticism from some fans and reviewers who would prefer he stuck with the music that he did when he was a cult favorite, rather than a full-fledged star. Jack, however, would like his career to mimic the unpredictable nature of one of rock music’s most creative figures, and that pretty much guarantees he’ll always have someone less than happy with his choices.

"I’m a huge fan of Neil Young," Jack told Dial-Global. "If he makes a record or takes a turn that I don’t like, I’m still a huge fan of Neil Young. And when he makes the next record, I’ll go buy it and I’ll see where he’s going next. I’ve always taken that approach to anybody that has anything negative to say about what I’m doing musically — if they agree, disagree or otherwise. It’s like this is my journey, and I’m glad to bring everybody along with me. And those that don’t like what I’m doing at one point in my career, I’m a firm believer that by the time it’s all over, my body of work will tell you what my musical story is. And I think those fans will come and go, and hopefully come to stay at some point. It’s about ebb and flow."

One group of people that’s likely supportive of Jack at the moment is the rock band Hinder. He remade their song "Lips Of An Angel" as a country hit, and the airplay it received in both genres helped the group earn Song of the Year honors Tuesday night at the 56th annual Pop Awards held in Los Angeles by the performing rights organization BMI.