Josh Williams

Josh Williams, recognized for his awards as a guitarist and vocalist, also commands mastery of the banjo along with expert command of mandolin and fiddle. Professional performances began when he reached ten. Born in western Kentucky during 1980 and raised near Paducah, he received a toy keyboard one Christmas at age seven and quickly gained command of the instrument. Guitar chords from his father sparked parallel interests in banjo and mandolin. Focused banjo work started at nine, while guitar and mandolin studies continued without pause.

The banjo-centered debut Tall Pickin' was captured locally and issued independently at age ten. Though reviews stayed scarce and copies proved hard to find, “Over the Rainbow” and “Nashville Blues” surfaced on Prime Cuts of Bluegrass collections. Those tracks drew nationwide notice and earned a Nickelodeon Nick News profile at twelve. Banjo lessons proceeded first with Scottie Henson and then Alison Brown. At twelve he formed Josh Williams & High Gear. Numerous appearances included an opening slot for Ralph Stanley before he entered the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Bluegrass Youth All-Stars, which also featured mandolinist Chris Thile. The ensemble later became the Young Acoustic All-Stars and recorded Somewhere Down the Road for New Haven Records in 1993. Josh Williams & High Gear next released The Old Town of Home in 1994 and the all-gospel Come to That River in 2007, both on Copper Creek Records.

After high school, Williams joined Chicago’s Special Consensus on mandolin and fiddle, remaining until 2003, when he switched to guitar with the hard-touring Rage. His first solo album, Now That You’re Gone, appeared on Pinecastle Records in 2000. Lonesome Highway followed in 2005, the same year he performed on Rhonda Vincent & the Rage’s Ragin’ Live. Drug and alcohol problems led to his dismissal from the band. In 2008 Tony Rice recruited him for mandolin, the same year Williams captured the first of three consecutive International Bluegrass Music Association Guitarist of the Year awards.

Even as substance difficulties intensified, the quality of his playing stayed high. Down Home was tracked for Pinecastle in 2009, yet the project stalled when founder Colonel Tom Riggs fell ill and the label closed. Five years without a release did not stop voters from naming him Emerging Artist of the Year at the 21st IBMA awards; Rounder then issued Down Home in 2010.

He entered rehabilitation in 2011, the year he became a father. Vincent rehired him at the close of 2012.

Sessions resumed in 2015 with producer J.D. Crowe and engineer Steve Chandler at Hilltop Studios. The lineup included Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, Rob Ickes, and Doug Jernigan. Modern Day Man came out in March 2016.