The Story behind Long Is The Road

If Southern Avenue were a superhero group, like the Avengers, my origin story would be the wildest one. I’ve been playing guitar for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Tel Aviv, listening to my dad’s blues records like Chess, Verve, Alligator, Stax, ZZ Top and all I ever wanted to do was play like the guys on those albums.

When I was 8, my dad found me a guitar teacher turned into mentor, a Black American musician out of Birmingham, AL who had played with Tina Turner and James Brown. He became my mentor for 10 years. Every week, he taught me how to play the blues, how to play jazz, and most importantly, how to respect the music and where it came from. He was a sign of what was ahead, even if I couldn’t see it then.

Fast forward to 2012. I was touring Europe with my own band, and my lead singer at the time was my "high school sweetheart". I heard about a competition that could get us to Memphis - the home of the blues! We won the first leg of the contest, flew to Memphis, and made it to the semi-finals.

From there, I managed to book a full U.S. tour. For two years, we hit the road together. Me, my girlfriend, and the band. Along the way, early on I met a guy who treated me like family. He became our “manager” and helped us book gigs. Everything felt like it was moving forward. We all shared a house together and just had a great time. Felt like I am living the dream.

Then one night, she told me the truth. They had been sleeping together. They were in love. I was crushed. I was now alone. I went outside, laid down on the front lawn, looked up at the sky, and asked God, why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? Please… show me this is leading somewhere.

Imagine being forced to play shows every night with your ex and your ex-best friend, knowing what happened. It was like out of a movie. I had nowhere to go. I was living in our van, bouncing between Walmart parking lots around Memphis. I felt like I was buried. I needed to be bring myself back to life. So I did the only thing I knew how to do .. I worked. I wrote Don’t Give Up for myself and used it as a mantra.

Then I asked someone who’s the best singer in Memphis that also writes? They said, “Tierinii Jackson.”

I saw a video of her and instantly felt like I was looking at a queen. Not just someone who could save my career, but someone who could be the creative partner I had always dreamed of working with. When she told me her sister TK played drums, I said, Bring her in! Then I saw TK play. She was 19 and already playing with more fire and soul than most drummers twice her age. I knew this was something rare.

The few months we toured together - still under my name- were healing. Every day felt lighter. I started to feel joy again. I remember dropping them off at home after tour and heading back to sleep in my van at Walmart. But I wasn’t broken anymore. I felt alive. I felt like God had answered my prayer.

That’s why I didn’t give up. That’s why I had to go through all that pain. Little did I know that in just a few years the Jackson sisters will become my entire universe.

Southern Avenue was born when the three of us realized we had something real. We trusted each other. We shared values. We made each other better.

It starts with Long Is the Road, which is my story. Then Upside brings in Tierinii’s voice, telling me to leave the pain behind and keep looking up. Found a Friend In You is about how we met and found real, honest friendship. So Much Love captures how we felt during that time - full of hope, healing, and joy.

If I hadn’t been cheated on, lied to, and left with nothing, Southern Avenue wouldn’t exist. Our paths never would’ve crossed. God works in mysterious ways. But we trust those ways. We stick together.

This album is special because it’s the truth. These songs are our real stories. And I thank you for tuning in. 💞

Ori Naftaly