JESSELEE JONES
JesseLee Jones is the proprietor of Robert’s Western World and the leader of its house band, Brazilbilly, in Nashville, Tennessee. JesseLee was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and came from very humble and troubled beginnings. Growing up in one of the world’s largest cities, he was influenced by an incredible and eclectic repertoire of musical styles and languages.
After he discovered American Music, ie, Negro Spiritual, Gospel, Hillbilly Music, Traditional Classic Country, and Rockabilly Music, he longed to pursue a music career in America. JesseLee holds American Films, American Classic Vehicles, and Classic Instruments very close to his heart.
He immigrated to the U.S. in 1984 and, after a long and rocky journey, he found himself in Peoria, Illinois. Robbed of his belongings on a Greyhound bus on his first day in the USA, and unable to speak the language, he was taken in by a family associated with his church. He worked hard babysitting, cooking, doing household chores, and delivering newspapers on a
long driving route, in exchange for room and board.
He began to learn English by watching Sesame Street with the family’s children. Playing gigs on his off time, he quickly became a local nightclub favorite.
The most memorable performance though, was when he led a courtroom of new American Citizens, singing “America the Beautiful” the day he became a U.S. citizen on a cold 16th of November, 1990.
JesseLee moved to Nashville in the early ’90s and worked on the difficult task of making a name for himself in “Music City”. It was Robert Moore, founder of Robert’s Western World, who first recognized his potential and booked him to play there in the spring of 1995. A member of BR-549, which was the house band at the time, called JesseLee the “Brazilian Hillbilly.” He instantaneously became known as Brazilbilly.
In the years since Brazilbilly was born, the band has gained much popularity and recognition playing as the house band at Robert’s Western World for the past 29 years. In addition to playing a regular Friday and Saturday night set, the band has played many other venues and events, including a performance for Vice President Al Gore as the results of the 2000 Presidential Election were announced. The band has toured Europe, South America, hosted many live radio broadcasts of The Midnight Jamboree from Ernest Tubb’s Texas Troubadour Theater, played multiple SiriusXM Outlaw cruises, played the Ameripolitan Awards shows, opened with and for major country music acts, and played many special events, parties, and benefits across the U.S.
JesseLee had the great honor of performing with his hero, Maestro Joseph Carmen Guercio while fronting the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall Orchestra, which has been the highlight of his career!
On August 5th, 1999 JesseLee purchased Robert’s Western World from Robert Wayne Moore. In a fateful series of events, JesseLee met a dark haired beauty from Texas one night at Robert’s in the Fall of 2012. Little did he know what the future had in store… She would become his artist manager, agent, best friend, business partner, and wife. JesseLee and Emily Ann got married in March of 2020. They have 2 children, Zane and Pressly, and split their time between Nashville, TN and Bertram, TX, where Emily’s family is deeply rooted in the Texas Hill Country. They took over the famous Globe Theatre, in Bertram, TX in 2021, from her brother Zachary Hamilton. The Globe Theatre was a passion project for Emily’s oldest brother who spent 9 years restoring it from the ground up, and saw fit for Emily and JesseLee to continue the business. They offer live music from top artists in the US, classic movies, and special events. The attention of the Globe inspired the couple to open a beautiful restaurant, The Standard on Vaughan, a Biergarten, and other projects in Bertram, TX. They have an incredible guitar and classic car collection, and homes in Nashville, Bertram, and São Paulo, Brazil.
JesseLee and Emily are quite the dynamic duo. They live to protect and preserve the music, the cars, the history, and the integrity of what once was.
JesseLee considers it the fulfillment of his life-long dream to have a family, own businesses, and be a musical performer in America.
JesseLee is a 32nd degree Scottish Rites Freemason. The Freemason community and history has a huge influence in all that he does.
Together JesseLee and Emily Ann plan to keep the music that made “Music City” alive and well at Robert’s Western World and beyond. If you are lucky, when their schedules allow, you can find JesseLee and Emily Ann on stage together performing “The Star Spangled Banner” with Brazilbilly to begin their show!
The Bard of Lower Broadway
Jesselee Jones stands on stage at the bar he owns with the band he leads, a guitar in his arms, a .22 Magnum on his hip. His sleek black hair carries a whiff of Elvis, his eyes are the color of faded denim. He wears a black shirt, a black cowboy hat, black boots. Rising from his shirt collar, his face is a full moon, and he scans the room with the air of someone constantly aware of possibility, the eyes of a man who watches a lot of Westerns.