William Michael Morgan - Vinyl (2016)

A fresh young talent whose music is steeped in country music tradition, William Michael Morgan is a singer and songwriter who was too young to order a beer when he made his first steps toward Nashville stardom. Morgan was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on May 13, 1993. His parents enjoyed classic country music, and by the time he was six, Morgan was a Marty Robbins fan, fascinated with a song he'd heard around the house. By the time he was nine, Morgan had his first guitar, and spent much of his free time teaching himself to play songs by Keith Whitley and Mark Chesnutt, sometimes checking out instructional videos online when he had trouble figuring out licks. When Morgan was 12, inspired by seeing a Dierks Bentley concert, the youngster began playing out in public, and soon formed a band with local pickers -- most old enough to be his father -- that performed in Vicksburg and the surrounding area on weekends. In 2006, 13-year-old Morgan and his band independently released an album, Always Country, and he worked part-time during the week to help finance his musical projects. Morgan was 16 when he started visiting Nashville, Tennessee on a regular basis for songwriting sessions, and at 18, Morgan moved to the Music City to follow his dream. At 19, Morgan had landed a publishing contract with Warner/Chappell Music as well as a recording deal with Warner Music Nashville. Morgan's first single for Warner, "I Met a Girl," was released in July 2015, and received enthusiastic reviews from the country music blogosphere before gaining airplay on terrestrial and satellite radio alike. In September 2015, Morgan followed the path of his heroes when he was booked to make his first appearance on the Grand Ol' Opry. Although an eponymous EP arrived in spring of 2016, it took another year before Morgan's full-length debut, Vinyl, appeared in September of 2016. ~ Mark Deming.