William Michael Morgan performs for MusicRow staffers.
Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville newcomer William Michael Morgan is a throwback to a more traditional sound in country music. His baritone voice heavily reflects his traditional influences, including the sounds of George Jones, Johnny Cash, John Anderson, and Johnny Paycheck.
Morgan’s intro to country music came early. He heard Marty Robbins’ “El Paso” age the age of 5. By age 9, he was beginning to learn guitar and looking up videos of Marty Robbins songs on YouTube. Those searches led to discovering the works of Keith Whitley and other traditionalists. “I just fell in love with that style of music,” says Morgan.
The Vicksburg, Miss., native offered a three-song acoustic performance at the MusicRow office, previewing music from his upcoming major label debut project.
He began with “Vinyl,” a track co-written by Carson Chamberlain and Ashley Gorley.
His current single, “I Met A Girl,” harkens to the effortless traditional country sounds of George Strait, and its writers are three of Nashville’s current crop of hitmakers–Shane McAnally, Trevor Rosen, and artist Sam Hunt.
“It says something that has been missing in today’s country music, as far as putting a girl up on a pedestal,” Morgan says of the song.
Morgan also offered a cover of Keith Whitley’s “I Never Go Around Mirrors” (the song was originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell).
William Michael Morgan with MusicRow staffers.
About the Author
Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.View Author Profile
