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Sam Williams (singer)

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Sam Williams
Birth nameSamuel Weston Williams
Born (1997-05-30) May 30, 1997 (age 27)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S
GenresCountry music
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
Years active2019–present
LabelsUMG Nashville
Websitesamwilliamsofficial.com

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.

Biography

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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]

Career

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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]

Williams grandfather, Hank Williams in a 1948 publicity photo .

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]

Personal life

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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]

Discography

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  • Glasshouse Children (2021)
  • Glasshouse Children: Tilted Crown (2022)
  • Act I: Scarlet Lonesome (2024)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Hank Jr's son born". The Daily News Journal. Associated Press. May 31, 1997. p. 7A.
  2. ^ Schmitt, Brad (May 31, 1997). "Morsels: Hank Williams Jr". The Tennessean. p. 3A.
  3. ^ a b c Nordstrom, Leigh (September 24, 2021). "Sam Williams Comes From Country Legacy But Carves His Own Path". WWD.
  4. ^ Todisco, Eric (June 15, 2020). "Hank Williams Jr.'s Daughters Pay Tribute to Late Sister Katherine: See You Again Beyond the Blue". People Magazine. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Newman, Melinda (August 17, 2021). "August's Country Rookie of the Month: Sam Williams on Family Tradition and Why He Admires Taylor Swift". Billboard Magazine. Archived from the original on July 3, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  6. ^ Freeman, Jon (April 21, 2021). "Sam Williams Sings Can't Fool Your Own Blood on Colbert". Rolling Stone.
  7. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (September 5, 2019). "Cam review – everything about this country star rings true". The Guardian.
  8. ^ Heupel, Shannon (February 25, 2024). "Family tradition: Sam Williams brings music, legacy to Montgomery". Montgomery Advertiser. p. A3.
  9. ^ "Sam Williams signs with Universal Music Group Nashville". Universal Music Group Nashville (press release). June 8, 2021. Archived from the original on June 19, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Dowling, Marcus K. (October 20, 2022). "Sam Williams on wearing a Tilted Crown, potentially creating his own legacy". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  11. ^ Crone, Madeline (August 17, 2021). "Hank Williams' Grandson Sam Williams Drops Dolly Parton Collab "Happy All The Time" Ahead of Debut LP". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  12. ^ Hollabaugh, Lorie (September 23, 2022). "Sam Williams Releases New Track From Upcoming Deluxe Album". MusicRow.
  13. ^ Slovacek, Randy (October 29, 2022). "Sam Williams Opens Up About His Sexuality & Kissing BF In New Video". Instinct Magazine.
  14. ^ Cantrell, L. B., ed. (August 12, 2022). "Marty Stuart Signs With Snakefarm, Marking His First Major Record Deal In Nearly A Decade". MusicRow.
  15. ^ Ross, Alex (September 15, 2023). "Sam Williams Drops New Cover of Grandpa Hank Williams, Hopes to Follow His Footsteps My Own Way". People Magazine. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  16. ^ "Sam Williams – I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry | Live at the Grand Ole Opry". Grand Ole Opry. October 23, 2021 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ Lopez, Rich (February 9, 2024). "Queer country singer Sam Williams covers a Tammy Wynette classic". Dallas Voice. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c Avila, Daniela (June 7, 2024). "Sam Williams Explains How Country's Outlaw Movement Has Evolved Since His Grandfather Hank Williams". People Magazine. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  19. ^ Bloom, Allison (June 27, 2024). "Sam Williams Talks New Album "Act I: Scarlet Lonesome" and Continuing his Family's Country Music Legacy". GLAAD. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  20. ^ Colurso, Mary (March 27, 2024). "Hank Williams' grandson and Cirque du Soleil: New show features music by country royalty". Al.com.
  21. ^ a b Brown, Nicole (October 24, 2024). "Nashville's Most Beautiful People: Sam Williams". Nashville Lifestyles.
  22. ^ Avila, Daniela; Michaud, Sarah (March 23, 2022). "Hank Williams Jr.'s Wife Mary Jane Thomas Has Died: 'A Beautiful Soul'". People Magazine.
  23. ^ a b Sachdeva, Maanya (October 29, 2022). "Hank Williams's songwriter grandson Sam Williams opens up about his sexuality". The Independent.

Further reading

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