Vic Valbuena Bareng/ViewJay Young sings inside The Tone Factory recording studios. Young, a soloist with Gladys Knight?s Saints Unified Voices choir, recently released a self-produced gospel CD titled "One More Stone."
Vic Valbuena Bareng/ViewVinny Castaldo, left, from The Tone Factory recording studios, talks with Jay Young inside the 5329 Cameron St. facility.
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As a toddler, Jay Young had so many ear infections, his ear drums burst several times. He said the result was a 60 percent loss of hearing in one ear, and less severe damage to the other.
Despite this, Young went on to become a soloist with Gladys Knight's Saints Unified Voices choir, and he recently released "One More Stone," a contemporary gospel CD available at www.cdbaby.com.
"The idea began as a recording of a couple songs for family and friends," he said. "Pretty soon, we had three songs, then other people got interested ... All of a sudden we were at six songs."
The self-produced CD contains 10 tracks. Young, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said all of the songs stem from his relationship with God.
His days as a vocalist began at an early age. His father was a long haul trucker and would take him along on trips. When they stopped for the night, the 3-year-old would perform for patrons at honky-tonks.
"I literally sang for our supper," he said.
He went on to sing in church and at school and was in musical theater while in college.
Practicality persevered when it came to choosing which road would be his future, and he decided on law. Young is a business litigation lawyer and partner at the Marquis & Aurbach law firm, 10001 Park Run Drive, in Summerlin.
When he learned that Gladys Knight was setting up the choir about five years ago, his wife, Julie, had to convince him to try out for it.
"It's pretty scary to audition in front of a Motown legend," he said.
In the past few years, Young has traveled all over the United States and to London to perform with Gladys Knight's Saints Unified Voices. In 2006, the choir won a won a Grammy for its Christmas CD. Young was a featured soloist on it.
Whitney Ta'o Jr., another singer with the Gladys Knight group, was asked to help out on the CD. He said he had heard Young do solos before, but those were ballads. The CD has more upbeat songs, he said.
"With this, he kind of stepped out there," Ta'o said. "I'm his biggest fan."
John Fluker, producer on the CD, said Young's development as a singer was evident on the CD.
"Making a CD is a very creative process," said Fluker. "You grow from each experience ... he grew to be a more expressive vocalist."
Young said even if "One More Stone" does well, he will stick with being a lawyer.
In May, he will go on tour with Gladys Knight's Saints Unified Voices, traveling to Baltimore in April and Birmingham, Ala.
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