Sam Williams | |
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Birth name | Samuel Weston Williams |
Born | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S | May 30, 1997
Genres | Country music |
Occupations |
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Years active | 2019–present |
Labels | UMG Nashville |
Website | samwilliamsofficial |
Samuel Weston Williams (born May 30, 1997), is an American singer-songwriter, whose primary musical style is country music. His debut studio album Glasshouse Children was released in August 2021. He is the son of Hank Williams Jr., and the grandson of Hank Williams.
Samuel Weston Williams was born on May 30, 1997, in Nashville, Tennessee, to Hank Williams Jr. and Mary Jane ( née Thomas) Williams, [1] [2] and grew up in Paris, Tennessee. [3] He is the grandson of Hank Williams and is also the half-brother of Holly Williams and Hank Williams III. [4]
In April 2019, he made his late–night television debut on Late Night with Stephen Colbert , singing "Can't Fool Your Own Blood". [5] He performed the number from the empty Franklin, Tennessee, home where his grandfather used to live. [6] In October 2019, he made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry, performing the same song. [5] He also traveled through Europe during 2019, as the opening act for Cam, on the Country to Country Festival tour. [7] [8] In June 2021, he signed with Universal Music Group Nashville, [9] and his debut album Glasshouse Children was released in August 2021. [5] He enlisted songwriters Luke Dick and Scooter Carusoe to aid him turn "strange poems with big words" into songs for the album. [10] He convinced Dolly Parton to sing on the track "Happy All The Time", by writing her a two-page letter describing the song, hoping it would move her to collaborate with him. [3] He co-wrote the track with Mary Gauthier, and it was produced by Bobby Holland and Sean McConnell. [11] He also partnered with Keith Urban on the track "Kids". [5] A year later, in October 2022, he released a deluxe edition of the album titled, Glasshouse Children: Tilted Crown, which included six extra tracks, in addition to the original ten tracks. [12] A music video was also released in conjunction with the album. [13]
In August and September of 2022, he went on tour with Marty Stuart, with scheduled performances in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. He also saw his debut album released in the United Kingdom on Snakefarm Records. [14] In September 2023, he released a cover version of his grandfather's hit "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". He was initially reluctant to cover his grandfather's music, because he was afraid he "could mess up something that's sacred". The song was released on September 15, two days before what would have been his grandfather’s 100th birthday. [15] He also sang the single at the Grand Ole Opry in October 2021. [16]
In February 2024, he collaborated with Carter Faith for a duet that covered Tammy Wynette's "'Til I Can Make It on My Own", which they also performed together at the Grand Ole Opry. [17] In June 2024, Williams appeared in the country music documentary Rebel Country , where he discusses "challenging the status quo in country music by embracing his sexuality". [18] In addition, he released his second studio album, Act I: Scarlet Lonesome, and performed at GLAAD's 2024 Concert for Love & Acceptance in June. [19] His song "Carnival Heart", written by Williams, PJ Harding and Ned Houston, was included in Songblazers, a country-themed show by Cirque du Soleil that toured the United States in 2024. [20]
Williams said some of his musical influences have been David Bowie, during his Ziggy Stardust period, his grandfather Hank Williams, Justin Bieber and Drake. [10] [5] He also recalls buying Chris Brown's first album and learning "every word to every song". [5] In addition to being a songwriter, he is also a poet. [10]
In 2015, Williams moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University, [3] and he has also studied international relations at University of Miami. [21] When he was 19, he had a son. [21] In June 2020, his sister Katherine Williams-Dunning, died in a car accident. [18] His mother died in March 2022, in Jupiter, Florida. [22] In October 2022, he came out and identified as being gay. [23] [18] He said when he was growing up he tried to hide his sexuality, and he believes it would have been "impactful" for him, if he had seen "somebody like myself doing an interview like this". [23]
HiramKing "Hank" Williams was an American singer-songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century. Williams recorded 55 singles that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, five of which were released posthumously, and 12 of which reached No.1.
Randall Hank Williams, known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style has been described as a blend of rock, blues, and country. He is the son of country musician Hank Williams and the father of musicians Holly Williams and Hank Williams III, and the grandfather of Coleman Williams. He is also the half brother of Jett Williams.
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Outlaw country is a subgenre of American country music created by a small group of artists active in the 1970s and early 1980s, known collectively as the outlaw movement, who fought for and won their creative freedom outside of the Nashville establishment that dictated the sound of most country music of the era. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, David Allan Coe and Jerry Jeff Walker were among the movement's most commercially successful members.
DeFord Bailey was an American singer-songwriter and musician, who was considered the first African American country music and blues star. He started his career in the 1920s and was one of the first performers to be introduced on Nashville radio station WSM's Grand Ole Opry, and becoming alongside Uncle Dave Macon one of the programs most famous performers. He was the first African-American performer to appear on the show, and the first performer to record his music in Nashville. Bailey played several instruments in his career but is best known for playing the harmonica, often being referred to as a "harmonica wizard".
Aubrey Wilson Mullican, known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was associated with the hillbilly boogie style which influenced rockabilly. Jerry Lee Lewis cited him as a major influence on his own singing and piano playing.
Marilyn Jeanne Seely is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and author. Primarily identified with country music, Seely found success with the Grammy Award-winning song "Don't Touch Me" (1966). Her soul-inspired vocal delivery gave her the nickname of "Miss Country Soul". Seely has been a member of and performer on the Grand Ole Opry, having appeared more times on the program than any other performer.
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"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1949. The song has been covered by a wide range of musicians.
Joe Rucker is an American country music musician.
Cortney Tidwell is an American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Nashville, Tennessee. Most of her family were associated with the Grand Ole Opry. She performed in Nashville as a one-woman band and has released four albums.
Darrell Puckett, known professionally as Darrell Clanton, is an American country music artist. In the mid-1980s, he recorded for Audiograph and Warner Bros. Records, charting three singles on the Billboard country charts. The highest of the three was "Lonesome 7-7203," which reached No. 24 on the country charts in 1984.
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Coleman Emmett Williams, known professionally as IV, is an American country-music singer and songwriter. A member of the country music Williams dynasty, he is the son of Hank Williams III, grandson of Hank Williams Jr., and great-grandson of Hank Williams. His musician relatives also include aunt Holly Williams, and great-aunt Jett Williams.
Glasshouse Children is a 2021 American country music album by Sam Williams. It is his debut studio album and was released on August 20, 2021. Dolly Parton and Keith Urban sing duets with Williams on the album. A deluxe version of the album was released on October 14, 2022, with six additional tracks. Williams is the son of Hank Williams Jr., and the grandson of Hank Williams.