J.D. was in and out of reform schools, correction centers and prisons from the age of 9. According to his publicity campaigns, he spent time on death row for killing an inmate who demanded oral sex.
A public TV documentary produced by KERA TV Little Rock followed J.D. back to the prisons where he did time. The show ended with a director's note that prison officials could not back up J.D.'s claims of being on death row.
In 2003 Hustler magazine questioned J.D. about the claim in an article titled "Rhinestone Ripoff," putting J.D. in a position of having to prove his own guilt for a crime which has no statute of limitations. Given J.D.'s penchant for exageration, it's fair to question his claims. In the final analysis, there is no way to verify his story because violent death's in prisons often have no witnesses and investigating jailhouse killings is not a high priority in the U.S. prison system. Regardless of the facts, J.D. was in fact incarcerated at several prisons, including The Arkansas State Reformatory in West Memphis, Arkansas (not the location of Arkansas' death row at the time).
He was paroled in 1997 and made his way to Columbia, Missouri where he embarked on his career, recording for small labels before starting his own Hilljack Records in 2001.
J.D. now lives in Columbia, Missouri and is the owner of the Crescent Meadow's Trailor Court where he also resides. He is still recording new material today and spends most of his time touring on the road.
