Meet Nashville’s Rising Stars: Brayden Williamson
An Interview With Ming Zhao
I wish someone told me from the beginning, “Not everyone can be trusted.” There are a lot of people in this business that try to use you and take advantage of your gain.
As a part of our series about Nashville’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Brayden Williamson.
Born in November of 2002, Brayden Williamson is first a traditional bluegrass and gospel singer. However, he is additionally a talented traditional country singer. Brayden is also a very talented songwriter and musician. Brayden formed his own band at 18 years old and has been performing with them during both pre and post covid times. They have performed at such shows as the June 2022 Bill Monroe bean blossom bluegrass festival in bean blossom, Indiana. Brayden also appeared in 2022 at the world-famous station inn in Nashville, Tennessee. He was invited to perform there by regular performers at the station inn Val Storey, Carl Jackson and Larry Cordle. He also appeared several times at the world-famous mountaineer opry house in Huntington, West Virginia.
He is now a Nashville recording artist and very proud to be a part of the Bill Monroe legacy. Brayden’s manager and recording producer is Bill Monroe’s last recording producer, Vic Gabany. Vic started working with bill in becoming his recording engineer in the early 1970’s, when bill joined Decca records after leaving Columbia records. After Bill Monroe’s passing in 1996, Vic became jimmy martin’s producer. When jimmy passed away in 2005, he became mac wiseman’s producer. Then when mac passed away in 2017, he soon became Brayden’s producer. Vic was also the sound engineer for the grand ole opry beginning in the mid 1970’s and going through the following decades of the 1980’s and the 1990's.
Prior to working at the grand ole opry beginning in 1976, Vic was a recording engineer at Bradley’s barn recording studio in the early 1970’s. The studio was owned by Owen Bradley, head of Decca/MCA records. Vic’s work in the studio includes working with Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, Jim & Jesse, the Osborne bros., George Jones, Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, Roy Acuff, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Ernest Tubb, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Bill Anderson, the oak ridge boys, Jack Greene, Brenda Lee and Kitty wells.
An important 4 song recording session took place in Nashville in June of 2022 at eagle canyon recording studio and poodlevilla recording studio. This session was led by Vic Gabany and recording engineer Kurt Storey, one of Nashville’s most prominent recording engineers. As Vic was bill’s last recording producer, Kurt was bill’s last recording engineer. The recording project “ep” featured 3 of Brayden's original songs “a man named Bill Monroe”, “i just go to the cross” and “watching the grass grow”. Recorded also was a song written by Bill Monroe and Vic Gabany in 1981, “lonesome moonlight waltz”. This song includes the lyrics that were never recorded. Vic hopes the songs on this project will be a great breakout for mainstream success for Brayden.
Thank you so much for joining us in this series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?
I grew up in Logan, West Virginia, a small town where most people know each other. I have been going to church since I was incredibly young, and music has always been a part of my life. I have had a guitar in my hand since preschool.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I have always been interested in music, I remember being in my music class in grade school and being inspired by my music teacher to sing and play the guitar.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
While visiting Nashville this summer, to record my EP, my manager, Vic Gabany took me to the station Inn. While I thought I was going to just be listening to the band playing there, I was called up by them and invited to sing with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle and Val Storey. It was an experience like no other knowing Carl Jackson’s history of being with Glen Campbell, being his band leader and knowing all the songs Larry Cordle has written like, “Highway 40 Blues” and “Murder on Music Row”.
Can you share with us an interesting story about living in Nashville?
Although I do not have a permanent home in Nashville, I have begun to feel like it is my home away from home because of how welcoming Nashville made me feel on my first trip to record my project.
Can you share with us a few of the best parts of living in Nashville?
We would love to hear some specific examples or stories about that.
While visiting, eating at some wonderful restaurants, and learning the process of making a record are some of my favorite parts of being there.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I used to play my guitar, the volume would be turned up loud and when I would plug/unplug the cable from it, it would always make a loud sound until I learned the art of muting that channel.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
That person is Vic Gabany, my manager. Vic was Bill Monroe’s last producer and the sound engineer at the Grand Ole Opry for 23 plus years. Vic, in fact, is from my hometown of Logan, West Virginia. He now makes his home in Nashville and has lived there since the mid-70’s. Vic came to town a few years ago and looked me up after hearing the recent success of my very first original song “Watching the Grass Grow”. He agreed to be my Manager and Producer. He has done so much to help me.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
In June of 2022, I recorded my first EP in Nashville. Top musicians and producers came into the studio to make this project happen. Kurt Storey was the engineer of this project; Kurt is the sound man at the Station Inn and has worked with top Country and Bluegrass musicians of the golden years.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- I wish someone told me from the beginning, “Not everyone can be trusted.” There are a lot of people in this business that try to use you and take advantage of your gain.
- Band members will come and go. Things happen and people change positions often.
- Never blame anyone but yourself if things go wrong. It is up to you to make it happen.
- Do not go into this business thinking you know everything. You need to learn along the way.
- Follow your own path, sing what you love, you will be more successful and love it more.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Learn new things, play to new audiences and always be grateful to your fans.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
My big idea is to somehow bring back traditional Country, Bluegrass, and Gospel Music to a mainstream audience to show them the importance of these genres.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Always put God first, and trust in Him with everything you do in this business.”
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
I have been blessed to meet so many great people already and play music with them that I would not know who else to choose.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can like and follow my Official Facebook Page Facebook.com/braydenwilliamsonbluegrasscountryandgospel
My website is BraydenWilliamson.com
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
