Miss Dixie and I met Josh at Bean Blossom several years and a lot of picking and singing ago. His father, Tony, brought him around to our motor home.  

He was a bright-eyed young man who was, and had been for some time; working on his music and learning everything he could about the music and the business. We visited for nearly an hour talking music.  After Josh and Tony had left, Miss Dixie said, “Wow, that young man is going to be somebody some day.” 

And that day has arrived. Tonight we were going downtown Nashville to the world-famous Station Inn to hear Josh and his own band perform live for the first time.

When we got to the Station we had to look for a parking space in the large parking lot, it was full. We got to the door and saw that it was standing room only, the place was packed. Much to our surprise and pleasure we learned that Josh had reserved a table for us and our friends. On our way to our table we ran into Alecia Nugent, Carl Jackson, and a lot of celebrities in the bluegrass world. Josh’s father, mother, and uncle and a lot of family friends had come from all over.

At nine-fifteen, a hush lay over the crowd and then suddenly a wild burst of applause swept the room as Josh, Clayton, Tim, Jason, and Chase took the stage; after all the years of playing in other bands, including Rhonda Vincent’s Rage, we were now looking at The Josh Williams Band.

All of the songs that Josh had recorded over the years could now be performed at his own discretion. He made mention of the fact that he had worked many nights when he got to sing only one song. And now he had the stage all to himself with his own band.

Miss Dixie and I looked at one another and smiled.  After all the learning, practice, watching, patience and dedication to his craft and his art, Josh Williams had arrived.

He opened the show with one of my older songs and later did one that Miss Dixie and I wrote together. I, reporting this, could be a little biased.

Josh Williams has arrived, and all over the world where bluegrass music is played, loved, and revered; thousands of people will wait in gleeful anticipation for the arrival of Josh Williams.

Tom T. Hall 
February 23, 2008