Biography

Stephen Wilson, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose music blends country, rock, and indie influences. Raised in rural southern Indiana by his father, Stephen Wilson Sr., a mechanic and former boxer, and his mother Kathy Lynn, he grew up boxing competitively alongside his brother and eventually became an Indiana State Golden Gloves finalist, an experience that would later inform both his stage presence and songwriting. After teaching himself guitar, he moved to Nashville to study microbiology at Middle Tennessee State University, where he formed the indie rock band AutoVaughn and spent more than five years touring and co-writing as the band’s lead guitarist. Following his touring years, Wilson worked for several years as a research and development scientist at Mars’ food-science lab before leaving the laboratory in 2016 to focus full time on songwriting, signing a publishing deal with BMG Nashville and earning cuts with artists including Tim McGraw, Old Dominion, and Leigh Nash. In 2023, he made his Grand Ole Opry debut and released his acclaimed debut double album "Søn of Dad" on Big Loud Records, a 22-song project dedicated to his late father that solidified his reputation as a distinctive storyteller. Wilson has since appeared as a musical guest on television programs including "CBS Saturday Morning" and "Late Night with Seth Meyers," further expanding his audience beyond Nashville. He has been married to American singer and songwriter Leigh Nash since 2011.