NASHVILLE, Tennessee- William Michael Morgan has been in Nashville since he was 19. Many country music fans will remember his gold-certified hit “I Met a Girl” from 2016, which continues to be a favorite at engagement parties and weddings.
Morgan hails from Vicksburg, Mississippi, which is the heart of the Delta Blues and a seven-minute drive from the Louisiana state line. His dad introduced him to country music by covering Marty Robbins and George Jones tunes on his guitar. Then, when he was 12, he got his own guitar, locked himself inside, and learned to play by watching YouTube videos.
“I learned guitar by watching people like Merle Haggard and George Jones, Keith Whitley, and Mark Chestnut and stuff like that and just kind of playing along with them,” Morgan said.
When his parents saw that he had potential as a country music artist, they saved up their money, and at age 13, his family made the six-and-a-half-hour trip to Nashville. He went back several times on his own via a Greyhound bus (which he doesn’t recommend to anyone), and by the time he finished high school, he was ready to move there permanently.
By age 19, he had a publishing deal with Warner Music, Nashville. He got a full-on record deal and released his hit song “I Met a Girl,” followed by his top five hit single, “Vinyl.” But the neo-traditional-sounding country crooner rose to fame at the height of the “Bro Country” popularity, and he eventually broke ties with his label.
Saving Country Music said, “He just might have been a little ahead of his time, and his label had no idea what to do with him. Now with the success of more traditional-style artists all over the place in country, the time might be right for a William Michael Morgan resurgence.”
He said, “It’s always good to be a trailblazer. I mean it takes all kinds. Music is always growing. It’s always changing. Country music’s not going to be exempt from that. But there’s just something about the roots, no matter what genre of music.”
He continued, “[With country music], you want to be touched by something new and feel something new. But you can’t forget the roots. You’ve got to remember where all of this came from. You got to tip your hat to that.”
With the song “In Walked You,” which was recently released by ONErpm, he does just that. Music Row’s Robert K. Oermann described Morgan as “stellar” and “a leading artist of this style.”
The video for “In Walked You” was shot by Thomas Chi on location at Cahootz Honkey Tonk in Lebanon, Tennessee. A classic boy meets girl story, McGee brought in professional Latin dancers for their take on a spicy Western Swing and even let Morgan take a turn as a bartender, with humorous results.
Morgan explained, “It’s always fun building a song in the studio and playing it live, but I feel like it really comes alive in a music video, especially with a song like ‘In Walked You.’ From our director to our actors, land songwriters, we feel like we truly captured the magic.”
Morgan, who has been known to cover a traditional country tune or two, has teamed up with the Bellamy Brothers for a new reimagined country version of their soft-rock hit “Let Your Love Flow.”
With David and Howard Bellamy singing harmony to Morgan’s lead, they have brought new life to a classic song from the 1970s.
Morgan loved working with the brothers. “They make you feel good because they are so good,” he said.
“Let Your Love Flow” was just released this past weekend and has received positive responses from country and classic rock fans alike.
Morgan’s website states, “[He has] a love of country music deeper than The Big River itself, the Mississippi native is the very definition of an old soul. His pristine Southern vocals, timeless sound, and honest lyrics represent a new generation of hitmakers in Music City; a modern-day descendant of artists like Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, and George Strait.”
Morgan has just returned from touring all over California and the Midwest. He is ready to settle in to concentrate on songwriting and enjoy the holidays.
He said that he is happy to be a part of ONErpm, which is a next-generation music and distribution company. They offer more autonomy than a regular record label as they emphasize transparency in everything they do.
I am thrilled that Morgan is back in a big way. His soothing, comforting, and heartfelt vocals are just what this tired country girl needs.
Be sure to keep up with all that he is doing because the singer has lots of new music ready to be released when the time is right.
You can follow Morgan on Facebook, X(Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and all streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, Threads, and X (Twitter).
