Country Musician Has Deep Roots In Van Zandt County

It didn’t take long for Tommy Joe Wilson to find out what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. At the age of 13 he fell in love with music and today is making a name for himself in Country music.

Wilson was born in Grand Saline and attended school there until the fifth grade. Then went to school in Quinlan until his senior year, and moved to Canton where he graduated from Martins Mill High School in 1991.

But his path down the Country music road started by a strange turn of events.

"I started playing music when I was 13 at a place called The Silver Spur," Wilson said. "I’ve just been playing music ever since."

"I didn’t even know I could sing," he said. "I always played sports and always thought I was going to play baseball for a living."

He recalled that his cousin entered a talent competition at The Silver Spur in Lake Tawakoni, and she asked the owner if Tommy Joe could come in and set in the audience.

Halfway through the talent show, he was called up on the stage to sing.

"I had never played an instrument and never sang," he said. "All of a sudden they called my name and she (his cousin) said go up there and sing this song in this key and I said I don’t sing."

But he did go up on stage, and he did sing, and he won the competition.

"So I went back the next week and sang a different song to see if it was a fluke. So then I just started singing at bigger and bigger competitions," he said.

After that Wilson put together a band and as they say the rest is history.

Wilson said he has made a lot of sacrifices in his 23 years in the music business, and today is right where he needs to be living in Nashville, Tennessee, since 2003. But before he moved to Tennessee he even served four years in the U.S. Navy, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"Ever since I was a kid, when my dad’s friends and all would get together and have parties, I was always kinda the goof. They would have me sing ‘Swingin’ but that was always just for fun," he said.

"Once you get that in your system it don’t get out," Wilson said about getting in the spotlight. "Once you do it, it’s just something you can’t explain."

"The thing is I think once you find something in life that you are meant to do you can’t do anything else," he said. "I have given up girls. I have given up jobs. I have given up a bunch of stuff for this music business."

"Everything else comes and goes, but that is the one thing I will never get rid of ever, ever," he said.The Road To Country

At the age of 23 Wilson auditioned for Gaylord Theme Parks and they put him to work at Fiesta Texas in San Antonio where he did a show called Music, Country Music. There he worked with country singer Trent Willmon, and Waylon Payne who went on to play Jerry Lee Lewis in the movie Walk the Line.

He also did a show at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington called Hot Rockin’ Country.

He describes his music as a mix between traditional Country and a little bit of "Montgomery Strait or George Gentry" (Montgomery Gentry and George Strait).

"You can tell lyrically what I grew up on," he said. "You can kinda tell I was influenced by George Strait, Alabama and Keith Whitley."

He has worked with Billy Ray Cyrus and Stone Temple Pilots.

Scott Weiland, who is the lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots, also signed Wilson to his label SoftDrive Records.

On February 24, Wilson’s single "Tryin’ To Find The Sun" became available on itunes as his first single to be released.

Singing is not only something he enjoys, but also writing song lyrics.

Of the 13 tracks on his record, he wrote seven of the songs.

"The thing that made me want to be a songwriter was back in 1988, back then you had to buy tapes," he said. "At the time I had bought every tape known to man….Skip Ewing is one of the best songwriters ever…The way he writes songs is amazing and that made me want to be a songwriter."

A recent endorsement from Elixir Guitar Strings and sponsorship for his tour from Don Francisco’s Gourmet Coffee are big starts for his blooming career.

He has even been asked to sing the National Anthem at a Texas Rangers game on April 9.Making A Difference

"I would like to show kids around here that there is something beyond these city limits signs," Wilson said. "When you are from a small town, there are a lot of big dreams but there are not a lot of avenues."

So the idea was launched to get kids from Grand Saline and Alba to submit essays explaining "What the National Anthem means to you."

The top 20 essayist will get to attend the Rangers game and see Wilson sing the National Anthem and the top essayist will get to stand on the pitchers mound with him.

Wilson said this was a big deal for him.

"There are only a few things that I would like to do that are really close to me like that," he explained. "Singing at a Rangers Game, a NASCAR event and I would love to once open for George Strait."Back To His Roots

"My first remembrance of live music ever in my life was in fourth grade, in Mrs. Fisher’s English class. Chris (Tomlin) came in with his guitar, for show and tell, and sang ‘On The Road Again’ by Willie Nelson," Wilson recalled with a laugh.

Coming back home to his roots in Van Zandt County is something he describes as, "Different. It is slower here. Way slower," and something he likes to do when he can. A Dream Come True

"It is kinda weird to hear the song on the radio," he said; adding that his dad calls in and requests it every day.

After opening four Stone Temple Pilot shows in Texas, Wilson said he received comments on his MySpace and Facebook pages from people saying they had converted from being just a Rock and Roll fan to a Country music fan too.

Among the many venues he has played, Wilson said he will always remember when he played the Grand Ole Opry.

"When I did the show at the Grand Ole Opry I thought I would be real nervous. You walk out there and there is that circle that used to be in the Ryman Auditorium," he said. "But then it was over and I forgot to look down at the circle."Bright Future

"It’s not about being rich or about fame," he said. "I just want to be able to make enough money to be able to take care of myself and family," Wilson said. "Then any other money that I do make I would like to turn around and put it right back into music."

He said he believes in "paying it forward" and wants to open up his own publishing company someday and hire writers in order to give them a shot at Nashville, and maybe even start his own record label.

"I just think if you don’t take what you get and give it back to something that you love, it’s not going to continue," he said.

Wilson said he is looking at some dates to play Cowboys Dancehall in Arlington, in addition to singing at the Texas Rangers game, and will play at the CMA (Country Music Association) Music Festival in June.

"I enjoy doing what I do. It’s a good life if you can get it," he said. "The main thing is if you love something don’t let anybody tell you can’t and do what you love. If you don’t love what you do there is no reason in doing it."