Stephen Wilson Jr.

Born on July 11, 1979, Wilson was raised in Seymour, Indiana.^[2] Introverted as a youth, Wilson and his brother were guided by their father into competitive boxing.^[3] This experience, culminating in Golden Gloves amateur boxing competitions, helped him conquer stage fright.^[4] Wilson recalls how country singer Tim McGraw's song "Don't Take the Girl" profoundly impacted him as a teenager. Raised poor by a single dad, and with an absent mother who suffered through abusive relationships, the song's storytelling sparked in him a passion for lyrics and poetry, leading him to begin writing his own songs.^[4] Wilson is married to singer Leigh Nash.^[5]

Wilson's father died in September 2018.^[4]

After leaving his first band^[when?], AutoVaughn, Wilson settled into a stable job in the research and development department of Mars' food-science lab.^[4] There, he thrived professionally, got married, and moved to the countryside to raise his stepson, while continuing to write songs.^[4] After three years, he left Mars to become a full-time musician, taking a job with Big Loud as a staff songwriter in 2016.^[4]

Wilson signed with BMG^[when?], and his first release was the 2021 single "Made for This", a duet with his wife, Leigh Nash. In 2022, he issued another single, titled "Year to Be Young 1994 (Unplugged)". Wilson co-wrote the 2023 single "CRZY" by Dallas Smith.^[6] In 2023, he published his debut album, the EP bon aqua. He followed it in 2023 with the album Son of Dad, which was inspired by the death of his father.^[7] In 2025, this was re-issued as a deluxe version that included additional acoustic and live tracks. Later in 2025, Wilson released the covers EP Blankets, which includes songs by Nirvana, Temple of the Dog, the Postal Service, and the Smashing Pumpkins.

"Gary" was released on January 26, 2026, as Wilson's first single to country radio, via Big Loud.^[8][9] It reached the top 40 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.^[10]

Wilson's music is a blend of country and rock, and he has described it as "Death Cab for Country", a reference to the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie.^[11] As a child, he had a passion for country musician Willie Nelson, and he considers the grunge band Nirvana to be among his chief musical influences. In 2025, he covered their song "Something in the Way" on his EP Blankets.^[12] Wilson credits Soundgarden's Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell for helping him learn the guitar, particularly through their tunings.^[4]