They say that timing and luck is the key to succeeding in the music business. Some of most talented artists go undiscovered while the money and the power of record labels can’t even guarantee an artist a successful debut. This is a concept that Warner Music recording artist, Charlie Worsham, knows all to well.
In and around the Nashville scene, Charlie Worsham is a common name. He released his debut album, Rubberband, in 2013 but before that, he was in a popular unsigned Nashville band named KingBilly. Courtney Allen, a new member representative at the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International, once told me about when she used to watch KingBilly at Whiskey Row, a local music row bar. Worsham wasn’t the singer, or even the lead guitar player but she said everyone could tell his was a star. He played various instruments from rhythm and lead guitar, background harmonies, mandolin, banjo, piano, etc… He first got his start in country music when he played the Grand Ole Opry at twelve years old as a banjo player. He then built on his incredible musical talents by studying at the famous Berklee College of Music in Boston. After KingBilly broke up in 2012, Worsham decided to pursue a solo career. He has since opened for the likes of Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Sam Hunt, Kip Moore and Wade Bowen. He has even sold out the Grand Ole Opry multiple times. His debut album featured a song called “Tools of the Trade ” that included Nashville legends Vince Gill and Marty Stuart. The fact that these two icons agreed to be on his album just vindicated the fact that Worsham is special.
I remember first hearing Worsham’s debut single, “Could It Be,” on the radio and absolutely loving it. It was a brilliantly crafted song that captured the feeling of best friends turning into lovers. Although it peaked at twenty-eight on the US Country Chart, that doesn’t fully represent how good the song actually is! At the time, Worsham was Country Aircheck’s most-added male artist in a debut week, a record that Sam Hunt went on to break. This proves that even radio programmers across the country had faith in Worsham and his music. Perhaps it was just bad timing. Things got worse for Worsham after his second single, “Want Me Too,” only reached number forty-six on the Country Chart. He hasn’t had another single since.
Worsham is the kind of artist that every musician strives to be. He has lead guitar skills that can hang with Keith Urban, he has a live show that can match any professional touring act, he can produce like any well-known producer in Nashville, and to top it all off, he is a prolific songwriter as seen in his appearances in Bob DiPiero’s CMA Songwriters Series. In an age of country music that is tarnished with ear candy and non meaningful lyrics, Charlie Worsham should be a bigger symbol of hope for music lovers. All we can hope for is that country radio gives this underdog more chances to show the world what he’s capable of.
Other must-listen-to songs include:
“Love Don’t Die Easy”
Summer: now please!!!