JD and his siblings started singing as children to fill the silence caused by their broken radio on long car rides. He was surrounded by country and bluegrass music from birth, as his mother was a successful line dance instructor.
At around the age of seven, JD began guitar lessons and subsequently learned to play several other instruments, including the Great Highland Bagpipe and the double bass.
JD holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music/Scottish Arts from Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, where he also joined his first folk band, The Fox Blossom Venture.
The band Main Grass was formed in 2022 through public and private jam sessions, and he has been a member ever since.