Jason Crabb Inks a Deal With Reunion

Last year when the Smucker's commercial where no one asked the little boy with the last name Smucker what he wanted to be when he grew up, one has to imagine that Jason Crabb could relate. As the commercial said, "When your name is Smucker, everyone already knows you're going to grow up to make the best jam," Jason probably thought the same thing about Southern Gospel because when your last name is Crabb and you sing, everyone already knows you're going to grow up to make the best gospel music!

And for 16 years (from 1996 to 2012), with his family, Jason did just that. The Crabb Family released 18 albums, won 11 Dove Awards and garnered three Grammy nominations during their run.

While Jason still loves Southern Gospel, he has spent the last few years spreading his wings and stretching his music. His debut solo project had a single that went to mainstream country radio. Worship leader Kari Jobe appeared on his 2013 album, Love is Stronger and he saw two singles from the project go to Christian AC radio and one go to country radio. Plus, he's toured with Michael W. Smith. Last week, he took the next step in his career by signing with Reunion Records after spending five years with the Spring Hill Music Group, releasing three albums and a live DVD.

A multi-talented singer, writer and author, Jason has been a hot commodity since The Crabb Family retired. He's gotten offers from several labels and at one point, even considered starting his own label. The Reunion deal hit all of the right notes and he decided to go with them.

Crabb talked to Billboard about the move, saying, "They’ve come to me with some really wonderful ideas and I just couldn’t turn it down. We’re going to go all different routes. They said, 'Just be you and lay it all out there. We want to help you make the best Jason Crabb record you can make.'"

His Southern Gospel fans have nothing to fret over as he's not leaving them behind. He still plans on touring with SG artists and doing work with Bill Gaither. His debut Reunion release will also have some songs for them. "I’m always going to do that. That’s who I am. That’s a piece of me, so if I make a record true to myself then it’s going to have a little piece of that," he shared.