Rising Star
This past year has been devastating for the music industry so it is welcoming when something positive emerges. With dreams of a bright future, Jake Goforth, a 14-year-old musical prodigy from central NC, is a beacon of hope.
Jake’s musical journey began at age 7 when he petitioned his parents to take guitar lessons. “Mom and Dad had CDs in the car. I thought they sounded pretty good. I really liked Dan’s (Tyminski) music,” Josh said.
“It’s something that he just knew that he could do. It was his idea to trade baseball in for guitar. He picked it up quicker than I expected. I equate it to God-given talent. It is truly a gift,” shared Jennifer Goforth, Jake’s mom.
His parents signed him up for guitar lessons with Boyd Hulin of Got2Pick Music in Asheboro. Immediately, his instructor saw that Jake was something special. “Jake had a passion for the music and a natural right hand for rhythm guitar playing from the beginning. He was always eager to play. I am blessed and thrilled that I had the opportunity to get him started although he has long surpassed me and the little (instruction) that I was able to help him with,” related his first guitar teacher. “Boyd is an awesome teacher,” the high school freshman praised his first instructor. “It was his patience and the way that he taught that allowed me to learn.”
The young musician advanced to lessons with multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer, Greg Luck. Jake once again made a huge impression on his teacher. “Jake Goforth is a young man that has an awesome God-given talent to play music. A stellar player already, his limits are boundless,” Luck stressed.
Next, Jake took music lessons from Tim Moon of Asheboro. Moon expressed, “Love that kid. I’ve always called him Dan Tyminski after taxes.” Though he mainly focused on guitar, he also took lessons on mandolin and banjo. Jake remained partial to the six string. “The guitar really just interested me the most. I enjoy being the drive of a band or jam.”
Growing up listening to Tyminski’s music, then personally meeting him at IBMA in Raleigh in 2015 was a thrill for the aspiring musician. “Greg Luck set it up. I got to sit around and pick with him. I was 9 years old.” Tyminski immediately recognized Jake’s gift for music. “Jake Goforth is the type of young player that will help secure the future of traditional music. His prowess was apparent at an early age and every time I see him he continues to get better and better. The future of bluegrass will surely be safe in the hands of young talent like Jake.”
Following IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, Jake continued to make connections with the bluegrass elite. He was soon jamming with the Gibson Brothers. Eric Gibson of the Gibson Brothers shared, “Jake has the fire for the music. He has that great combination of talent and work ethic. He has come far in a short time, but he understands that he can’t rest on his laurels, that he always has to strive to get better and better like we all do. On top of his musicality, he is so likable. I hope he never loses that twinkle in his eye.”
Next, on a trip to Marion, NC, to see the Gibson Brothers, Jake also made the acquaintance of Rhonda Vincent. “I knew Josh Williams. He invited me to come jam. That’s where I met Rhonda.” Since that meeting, the young guitarist has picked with the Queen of Bluegrass on numerous occasions. Once, during a TV interview at IBMA, Vincent made sure to include Jake.
Vincent expressed her admiration for Goforth. “Bluegrass music is alive and well! So exciting to have Jake Goforth join us on stage to display his love of traditional Bluegrass music. The future of Bluegrass music is in great hands!”
Milton Harkey of MRH Bluegrass Productions, promoter of the First Class Bluegrass in Asheville, relayed, “This young man reminds me of the pickers of yesteryear. As a young teenager, they were good pickers and singers. Jake is as well. They studied bluegrass and learned how the music is played. Jake does the same. Jake Goforth is playing to standing ovations while innovating within the pillars of Bluegrass Music.”
Adding to association with musical A-listers, the NC native performed on stage with Sideline in February 2019. His skills impressed the members of the band. “Jake is a very talented young man. There’s no denying he has the ability to play the guitar and sing, and do both on a professional level. One of the most impressing things about him, however, is his confidence. He takes the stage and takes control, which I have found to be uncommon in young instrumentalists. I look forward to seeing him go far!” stated Sideline’s Skip Cherryholmes.
Goforth has been a part of IBMA’s World of Bluegrass for the past three years, performing with Kids of Bluegrass. This year’s event due to the pandemic was virtual. Jake joined other youth: Silas Powell, Jackson Earles, Will Palmer, and Josiah Sheffield, selected to perform. It was a very different format for the budding musician.
“We really didn’t practice. We had a production meeting on Zoom. As far as song selection, we decided as group to do ‘Ain’t Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone.’ We recorded it on our phones and iPads. I was the first track. They trusted me to put it at whatever beat I wanted. Eventually, I did my guitar break. It was challenging, but fun. It was a new thing. The whole process took a couple of months. We started in July and were done by the end of August.”
Jake is grateful for his time performing at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass. “I’ve made a lot of connections and to get to play on stage at IBMA is pretty cool in itself.”
At a young age, Jake has already assembled an impressive collection of guitars. He started with a Greg Bennett that his parents purchased from Hulin. Next, he acquired a Taylor and then a 1995 Martin D-1. Then in 2016, he garnered a guitar by NC luthier, Jeff Huffman. Three years later, he petitioned Huffman to build him another guitar modeled after Tyminski’s 1946 D-28.
Huffman talked about the young guitarist. “I first saw Jake on stage with Dan Tyminski and you just knew this kid was going to do special things. You could see the hunger and drive that all good musicians have and I think we’ll all be hearing more from him in the future! Jake had played one of the guitars that I built for Greg Luck, so he called me up one day and asked me would I build one for him. The first guitar was built similarly to a Tony Rice style guitar. As Jake’s playing became more refined, we talked about what kind of sound he wanted for his next guitar. We decided to go for a little more focused note clarity which is why we went with a rear shifted scalloped X brace guitar top similar to guitars built from 1939 to 1944 and the Brazilian rosewood tone. He wanted the guitar to look vintage, so the finish is satin over the entire guitar plus the top is color toned similar to Dan’s ‘46 Herringbone.”
“It has a darker finish,” Jake stated. His Huffman 2019 is now his go-to guitar. It makes him feel close to Tyminski, his real life guitar hero. Jake’s high point so far of his young career is performing with Dan Tyminski in Kennensville, NC, on April 1, 2017. “When I got to be on stage with Dan, it was like a magical moment. I wasn’t expecting it. He said his fingers were hurting and he called me on stage.”
Not only did the youth get to share the stage with his idol. He got to pick Tyminski’s guitar and take a break during “Man of Constant Sorrow.” The guitarist has a list of other favorites, but admitted, “That could change in week. I love Tony Rice’s picking style and of course, Dan’s rhythm hand.”
These days Jake is part of a youth bluegrass band called Uwharrie Drive. The hot shot guitarist joins other teenage pickers: Kayleigh and Noah Stills (fiddle, banjo), Malachi Freeman (mandolin), and DJ Francis (bass). NC Bluegrass Association President, Vivian Hopkins, expressed, “It’s exciting to watch them work together. They’re setting the bar high for other upcoming young musicians.”
At 14, Jake Goforth already has his sights set on being a professional musician. “I want to make a career out of it and make people happy. I’d like to go to college at East Tennessee State University and major in bluegrass and studio work. I want to play the rest of my life. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
