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“Stand By Me” Is An American Classic, & Stephen Wilson Jr. Made It His Own
There's no definitive list of songs that make up the American musical canon but "Stand By Me" has to be included in any attempt or you know it isn't serious.
Co-written and originally released by Ben E. King in 1961, "Stand By Me" was inspired by a spiritual named "Stand by Me Father," which was written in 1905 by Charles Albert Tindley, a Methodist minister and son of a slave who grew up around other enslaved people before and during the Civil War, though he himself was a free man. Tindley went on to become one of the most influential ministers in the eastern United States, earning his title "The Prince of Preachers".
Though Tindley wrote numerous gospel compositions, including "I'll Overcome Someday", the inspiration for US Civil Right's anthem "We Shall Overcome", his most indirectly well-known song served as the basis for Ben E. King's now iconic track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni85wmDuNfc
The number of artists who have covered "Stand By Me" is nearly incalculable at this point and includes legendary names like Otis Redding, John Lennon, and Tracy Chapman, but a recent cover by a rising country music star breathed fresh life into this song like we haven't seen in a long, long time.
Stephen Wilson Jr's - "Stand By Me"
Stephen Wilson Jr. may be new to the scene but that doesn't mean he's new to life. In fact, he may just be in the running for most interesting country artist of today thanks to a background as a two-time Golden Gloves boxing champion and microbiologist, but we can have that conversation another day.
While he'd previously done some work as a songwriter, having songs cut by Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, Kameron Marlow, and others, his 2023 album Son Of Dad introduced him to the genre at large and what an introduction it was. Though I'd say it was a bit too long (22 songs is pushing it for me), the high water marks came early and often.
Wilson's sonic style is what really separates him from the rest of the field, with loud and guttural acoustic guitar serving as the anchor while anthemic drums and muddled electric cushion his snarling vocals. Much of his songs centered around the loss of his father and the lingering effects of a lifelong safety net being sliced out from under him.
Wilson gave his view of what the album symbolized:
"Writing and making this album has been very therapeutic for me to learn who I am and what my existence looks like after my father. Because life has to go on. I’m living my own life, but it’s like his death bookended what life he should have had onto mine, and I’m carrying it around like a train car."
Since son of dad was released, Wilson has stayed busy on the road and with acoustic performances, which I have to say are my personal favorite. Just today, as part of his Live At The Print Shop series, he gave us a cover of the all-time great "Stand By Me" and let me tell you, it's an absolute must listen for every music fan, not just us in country.
Many people have their own associations with this song, an aunt who loved it or a grandpa who sang it to your grandma, and Stephen is no different, giving "Stand By Me" credit for bringing his father back for a few moments and clearing his head on what he needed to do with his life:
"‘Stand By Me’ was the song that brought my dad back, if only for a few. It’s the song that started this journey & it was that song that made it all clear what I was supposed to be doing with my time from that moment on."
It's always delicate territory when an artist does their own take of a certified classic and no doubt Wilson took some chances here, but after listening a few times, there's not a doubt in my mind that it's one of the best covers of any song I've ever heard. It holds true to the original but explodes into new space, feels familiar but with a twist, and tips the cap but doesn't copy.
An at time unfortunate reality of the music business is that some artists don't get a huge lift until they cover a song that everyone knows. Without question Stephen Wilson Jr. is doing just fine right now, but I'm thinking this cover will take him to a whole new spectrum of success.
"Stand By Me" will forever be a Ben E. King song, but now when it plays, people will say "But did you hear what Stephen Wilson Jr. did with it?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kn7E-OauJI
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