Sam Williams is the grandson of Hank Williams, one of the country music industry’s most influential and legendary artists. His father, Hank Williams Jr., is also an icon in the industry, and so is his half-brother, Hank Williams III.
Sam Williams, 25 years old, was born in 1997 in New Braunfels, Texas, to Hank Williams Jr. and Mary Jane Thomas. Sam grew up in Paris, Tennessee, and during that time, he rarely played music or sang at home, despite his family being known for their musical talent.
While he did follow in his iconic family’s footsteps, Sam Williams is his own man when it comes to music. He has his own intimate and emotional approach. His songs don’t dwell within the realms of honky tonks but in the moody pop and contemporary folk areas.
Sam’s interest in music when he was young was not in country music but in R&B, pop, and hip-hop. He first expressed his interest in songwriting at the age of six.
While growing up, he decided to walk a different path from most of his family. He ignored his creative instincts for a while after finishing high school and moved to Nashville. There, he entered college and majored in business.
Unfortunately, it seems Sam isn’t fit for higher education. By the age of 19, Sam became a father. During that time, Sam decided to use his passion for music and writing poetry.
He started turning his poems into songs and quickly landed a publishing deal. Through that, Sam Williams managed to write alongside respected songwriters like Jim Lauderdale, Mary Gauthier, and Lori McKenna.
Sam released his debut single, “Darkwater,” in 2016 and followed it up in 2018 with “The Lost Grandchild’s Plea,” a song dedicated to the grandparents he never knew. Get It Done Music Entertainment & Kobalt also gave him a global publishing and artist development deal.
Sam Williams has penned over forty songs and continued to collaborate with renowned writers. He’s also opened for artists like Corey Smith and Frank Foster and even played several shows across the country.
Sam lost his sister, Katie Williams, to a vehicular accident in June 2020. Her passing had a significant impact on his life. So Sam wrote and recorded material to pay homage to his sister and reflect on his loss.
Universal Music Group Nashville signed Sam in 2021 to their Mercury Records imprint. By September of that year, they released his first album called “Glasshouse Children.” The album included his single titled “The World: Alone,” which came out on the day that was supposed to be Katie’s 28th birthday.
The album also included guest appearances from country heavyweights Keith Urban and Dolly Parton. In 2022, they released a deluxe version of the album with six additional songs, including “Ragdoll” and “Tilted Crown.” On October 2022, after admitting to being gay, Sam released the music video for Tilted Crown, where he’s shown kissing his real-life boyfriend.
Only a handful of country music artists can match the impressive background of Sam Williams. We all know now that immense talent runs through the blood of Sam’s family. However, from his admission to being gay and pursuing his preferred style in music, no one can deny that Sam is his own man.
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