Charlie Worsham in Concert
Charlie Worsham gives lovers of classic country music hope for the future. While his sound is undeniably contemporary, Worsham has obviously assimilated the country verities that have given the greats their gravitas. For one thing, he's a monster musician, virtuosic not only on guitar but also on banjo and mandolin.
When he was just a kid, he won the Junior National Banjo Competition in Tennessee, which led to his playing the Grand Ole Opry for the first time in 1998, just before his 13th birthday. When the time came for higher education, Worsham wound up going to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, famed as the launchpad for some of the greatest players on the planet.
Before emerging as a solo artist, Worsham was the mandolinist for the band KingBilly, appearing on TV and gaining a rep in Music City from 2010 to 2012. The Mississippian made his solo debut in 2013 with the single "Could It Be," which crashed into the country Top 40. That same year saw the release of Worsham's first album, the Warner Bros release Rubberband, a record that made its way to No. 12 on the country album charts.
Worsham's follow-up LP — 2017's Beginning of Things — found him doubling down on his individuality, with a more idiosyncratic approach to both songwriting and production. Over the years, he's opened for some huge artists, filling the supporting slot on tours by the likes of Taylor Swift, Wade Bowen, and Miranda Lambert.
When Worsham takes the stage, not only does he sing the hell out of his tunes, he displays the instrumental expertise that helps set him apart from the pack. Watching his fingers fly across the fretboard, it becomes immediately obvious that Worsham could have simply stuck to the guitar if he'd wanted to and been one of the mightiest guitar slingers in Nashville. But listening to his songs, it's just as clear why he could never have left it at that.
