Jayden Jesudhass isn't your typical country music singer.
His father is Singaporean, his mother is Vietnamese, and he loves to sing, dance and dress like Michael Jackson.
The 6-year-old won the under-14 Freeze Ya Bits Off busking competition at the New Zealand Gold Guitar awards in Gore during the weekend.
Jayden might have been the youngest competitor in the busking competition, but he made up for his lack of experience with youthful exuberance while singing Hank Williams' Your Cheating Heart with his trusty six-string.
The George Street Normal School pupil began learning guitar in March last year when his principal Rod Galloway offered to teach him.
"Mr Galloway likes to play a lot of country, so a lot of it has rubbed off on me.
"I love guitar. It entertains you.
"When you get bored, you just pick up a guitar and the music comes."
Even at the age of 6, the national title was already prompting him to map a career as a professional musician, but not as a country singer.
He wants to be a blues singer, "like BB King".
Jayden's mother, Lien Trinh, said his passion for the blues was obvious, even when he was at the Gold Guitar awards.
"I couldn't stop laughing when he was waiting to take his turn on stage. He was sitting there playing 12-bar blues."
Overall winner of the New Zealand Gold Guitar awards in Gore announced late last night was Vickie Evans, of Kaitangata.
Matthew McNeilly, of Blenheim, was runner-up. Kavanagh College pupil Katie Mason (17) won the intermediate gospel, country rock, vocal solo and Gold Guitar overall intermediate categories.
Results were. -
Junior: Gospel, Zoe Scott (Geraldine); duet, The Blondinis (Raglan); vocal solo, Jenny Mitchell (Gore); NZ Gold Guitar overall winner, Zoe Scott (Geraldine).
Intermediate: NZ composition, Khona Va'aga-Gray (Auckland); group, Outback Hunterz (Invercargill); instrumental, Tangled Strings (Gore); traditional, Khona Va'aga-Gray (Auckland); gospel, Katie Mason (Dunedin); duet, Country Combine (Hinds); country rock, Katie Mason (Dunedin); vocal solo, Katie Mason (Dunedin); NZ Gold Guitar overall winner, Katie Mason (Dunedin).
