Bois D’Arc sixth grader Roberts earns introduction from Jason Aldean

By: 
Steve Chapman

Reese Roberts, 11, will be introduced in a video by Jason Aldean before she sings “1994” in the Bois D’Arc Elementary talent show May 18. (Picture by Kara Lynn Photography.)

Country music star Jason Aldean will make a special appearance at Bois D’Arc Elementary on Wednesday, May 18, thanks to the efforts of a very determined 11-year-old girl.
Reese Roberts, a sixth grader at Bois D’Arc Elementary School and a longtime Jason Aldean fan, is going to perform Aldean’s song “1994” at the school’s talent show, and when she does, Aldean will introduce her via a video he made especially for her.

First hope was the Aldean would sing with her
Reese’s original idea was that Aldean would perform a duet with her.
“Jason Aldean is my favorite country singer,” she said, “and … I've listened to his song “1994” enough that I've memorized all the words, and so I guess one night it just popped into my head that maybe I could get him to Bois D’Arc Elementary to do a duet to it with me. But then right after that, I was like ‘that'll never happen.’”
However, a day or so later, Reese renewed her determination and made up her mind that, somehow, she was going to get hold of Aldean. That morning, as her mother Kristen Roberts was taking her to school, Reese told her what she intended to do.
“One morning, we we're pulling into the parking lot, and I was like, ‘Mom, I’m going to get in contact Jason Aldean, and I'm going to invite him to the talent show,’” she said.
Before embarking on her quest to bring Aldean to Bois D’Arc, Reese first went to Dr. Karie Julian, principal at Bois D’Arc elementary, to see if it would be OK for him to come. When she spoke to Julian, she found out that it hadn’t been decided yet whether the school would have their talent show that year.
“(Dr. Julian) said that if I could get Jason Aldean there, that we would definitely have the talent show,” Reese said.

Reese reaches out to Bobby Bones
After she got home from school that day, Reese began trying to find a way to get in touch with Aldean.
“I went home after school that day,” she said, “and I looked on different websites, trying to make sure they were credible sources. And I looked on his restaurant’s website, so maybe I could get in so maybe I could get in contact with them to see if they could help me out.”
Unfortunately, Aldean’s restaurant couldn’t help Reese get in touch with him. But then Reese had another idea.
“I thought, ‘Well a week or two ago, Bobby Bones was talking with Jason Aldean, so maybe Bobby Bones can help me out,’” she said.
It’s not easy getting your call taken on a national talk show, but Reese said she knew that eventually she was going to speak with Bones.
“I was going to call and call and call until I got on,” she said.

Reese’s persistence pays off
Reese called the Bobby Bones Show about 70 times over three days. Finally, on Wednesday, May 4, her call was taken, and she spoke with Bobby Bones live on the air.
After Bones took her call, Reese didn’t hold back.
“Bobby,” she said, ‘I was going to ask you if you have a good way to contact Jason Aldean. I originally was going to send him a letter, but that backfired, and I’ve kind of run out of options, so you were kind of my last option. So, I am wanting to contact Jason Aldean, because my school might have a talent show … and so I thought up the idea one night that I could get Jason Aldean to come do a duet with me to (sing) 1994.”
Bones had Reese sing the chorus from the song, and after she finished, he assured her that she could sing the song very well on her own. Reese, however, said she still wanted to invite Aldean to sing with her.

Bones proposes an alternative
Bones said that Aldean, like many famous people, probably had a “jampacked” schedule and wouldn’t be able to make it, but then asked Reese how she would feel about Aldean making a video introducing her before she sang. Reese said she “would be good with that.”
Eventually, Bones called up Aldean and asked him if over speakerphone he would cut a video for Reese, to which Aldean replied, “Absolutely.”
“I was taking my daughter to school this morning,” Aldean said, “and I’ve been hearing you guys talk, so I thought I’d text you and say, ‘Yeah, I’m definitely in for a video.’ Hopefully she has better luck than I did in my first talent contest; they wouldn’t even let me be in it.”
Addressing Reese directly, Aldean then said he would send her a video.
“I love that you love ‘1994,’ too,” he said. “That’s a fun song.”

Hearing Aldean’s voice brings Reese to tears
Reese said that hearing Aldean speak to her made her kind of emotional.
“When I heard his voice, I started going into tears, because … ever since I was around the age of five, I have wanted to meet him, get in contact with him (or) something, and so (I felt) just excitement and the joy of hearing his voice. And when he directly talked to me, then I really started crying even more.”
Reese has already received the introductory video Aldean made of her, which will be played before she sings in the talent show. She can hardly wait.
“I am very excited to perform 1994, along with that video for the introduction,” Reese said.
Reese also believes there is a major life lesson to be learned from her efforts to contact Aldean.
“I think honestly, if we all just are persistent and do things the right way, as in like not going overboard but going as far as we can to achieve our dreams, that we can achieve our goals; any goals that we have if we put our mind to it and work hard for it,” she said.
Reese’s endeavors have also benefited the students at Bois D’Arc Elementary in another way. Julian said that not only will the talent show be held this year, but it will never again be at risk of being canceled.
“So, the funny thing is I had planned to skip the talent show this year because last year it was hard to keep the kids’ attention while everyone was performing,” Julian said. “Reese mentioned inviting Aldean, and I told her if you get him to come, we will have the show. So, I'm taking this as my sign to (never) cancel the show. We have done it every year since I have been here on the last day (of school). It will now continue to be a tradition."

Future plans
When she grows up, Reese would like to be a country music artist. Who knows, maybe this young lady will one day sing a duet of “1994” with Aldean on stage.
A video of the Bobby Bones show, during which Reese requests his help in contacting Jason Aldean, entitled “Bobby Helps 6th Grader Reese Get In Contact With Jason Aldean,” can be seen on YouTube; links to it are also posted on Aldean’s and Bones’s social media.
 

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