Lightnin Rod Wilson

Interview with Blues guitarist and singer Lightnin Rod Wilson

1. First, let's start out with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music, How exactly did your adventure take off? When did you realize that this was a passion you could make a living out of? I grew up in a very small town in

Southeastern Michigan. We were strategically located between Motown(Detroit) and Blues(Chicago) and Rock(Cleveland). I started singing at a very young age, I first picked up the guitar at age 11 and played my first paid gig at age 14 at a local teen club.

2, How has your sound evolved over time? What have you been doing to find and develop your own sound? When I started out I primarily played rock. Also, I began to write songs at age 14. By the time I was in high school, I was listening to blues and a great deal of blues rock from Europe. This began to show up in my song writing.

1. Have you changed through the years? Any charges or overall evolution? And if so why? No, I have stayed the same.
2. How do you prepare for your recordings and performances to help you maintain both spiritual and musical stamina? I am a Christian and I try to pray about the songs I write and the shows that I play. I also tend to practice a great deal before every performance and before undertaking a project in the recording studio.
3. What do you love most about your new album 2024: Lightnin Rod & The Thunderbolts - Another Moment In Time, how it was formed and what you are working on today. I started writing songs for this album with the onset of the Covid pandemic. I wrote approximately 18 songs which I thinned out to 10 for the album. What I love most is I have got to tell a lot of stories in these songs. Today I am primarily focused on the live performance of these songs as well as others from my past albums.
4. How did you select the musicians who play on the album? The drummer & bass player have been my live band for a few years. I used them on seven songs. The other three songs I used a drummer and bass player from Nashville as well as a keyboard player. My daughter, Tiffany sang all the harmonies.
5. What sort of feedback did you receive after it was released from musicians or your friends and family? So far it has been very positive and everyone enjoys it.

8, Can you share any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions over the years? There has been so many over the years that it is hard to pinpoint specifics, I have played in small rooms for just a few people to Blues Festivals with several thousand. As far as recording a real highlight was working at The Rock House in Nashville with two-time Grammy winner, Kevin McKendree.

9, In your opinion, what's the balance in music between intellect and soul? It is hard to say how it is balanced, but I tend to go with the flow of both.

10. There's a two-way relationship between audience and artist; are you okay with delivering people the emotion they long for? Yes I am. My music covers a variety of deeply personal and emotional issues,

11, How can we get young people interested in jazz when most of standard tunes are half a century old? [ feel that it needs to be in the classrooms at the elementary level as part of music appreciation.

1. John Coltrane once said that music was his spirit. How do you perceive the spirit and the meaning of life? While I don't believe that music is my spirit, I do believe that it is in my spirit. The meaning of life to me is having a personal relationship with God and the appreciation of the gifts that he has given me. Also, my family gives me great meaning to my life.
2. If you could change one single thing in the musical world and that would become reality, what would that be? I would stop all streaming services (Artist and

Songwriters made more money from their product 40 years ago than they do today). would love to see a great resurgence in vinyl and physical CD's.

1. Whom do you find yourself listening to these days? It varies. No one artist in particular.
2. Let's take a trip with a time machine: where and why would you really want to go? I believe I would really like to spend a long period of time in Italy. I would love to take in all the culture, history and food. I would also believe I would enjoy playing music for the people there.
3. What is the message you choose to bring through your music? That all people are searching for answers but looking in the wrong places. Only when we have peace with our creator can we find peace in ourselves. That is the message of the title track.
4. Do You like our questions? So far, it's been me asking you questions, now may I have a question from yourself... Yes. It has been quite stimulating and I enjoy talking about spiritual and emotional levels. Not so much a question, but a thank you for what you do by keeping this music in the public forum.

18, Have you ever given a free concert during your entire concert career? At the bottom line, what are your expectations from our interview? ( have given a few concerts for benefits over the years. The most recent was when massive wildfires engulfed areas around Gatlinburg, Tennessee, My expectations are that it will give your readers a greater understanding of my art.

19, Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you'd like to discuss? no

Hope you are all doing well, as you can see, I have been nominated for several Josie Music Awards. Tomorrow(September 1st), I will be  at WKYR radio in Burkesville, Kentucky from 2-3 p.m. CMT for interview, spinning some tunes and doing a few unplugged songs. The next day on Saturday, the 2nd, we will be headlining the Monroe County Watermelon festival in Tompkinsville, KY.  Hope to see you out if you are in the area!

Lightnin Rod