The Biography of David Wills

       “Country music is the greatest thing in the whole world,” declares country singing sensation David Wills, a Nashville area native. With his trademark rich baritone voice and his passion for artistically orchestrating the perfect alignment of words in a great country song, Wills has been recognized as one of Nashville’s leading singer and songwriters for decades.

Wills charted twenty-one songs on country Billboard and recorded three country albums between 1974 and 1988. As a songwriter, he penned hit songs for stars like George Strait, John Schneider, Keith Whitley, John Michael Montgomery, Patty Loveless, Janie Fricke, Sawyer Brown, and Garth Brooks. He and Bill Shore co-wrote “Wild Horses” for Brooks’ “No Fences” album in 1990, which was certified for eighteen-million copies shipped in the United States. Ten years later, it was released as a single and went to number seven on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks and the sales together totaled twenty-three million.

Wills was born and raised in Pulaski, Tennessee, the son of John and Roberta Steinfath. His talented mom bought him his first guitar at a young age. “My mother is the one that basically taught me how to play the guitar,” remembered the legendary singer many years later.

As he became a teenager, he started playing with local bands around Pulaski and later earned a spot in a new rock’n roll band called Dynamic Downbeats with lifelong friend, Frank Speers. When Wills got to high school, his dad took a job in Huntsville, Alabama. It was in nearby Lakeland, Tennessee at the Lakeland Amusement Park that David entered into a talent show that would forever change the course of his career in music.

Wills got his start after he won the talent show with Seymour “Sy” Rosenberg presiding as one of the judges. Rosenberg tapped Wills on the shoulder after the performance and asked the twenty-two year old if he would like to be a star. He eagerly replied, “Heck yeah! Where do I sign up?” Shortly after that, Wills met with Rosenberg and signed a managerial agreement. Rosenberg managed Charlie Rich and together they got Wills signed to Epic Records which was permitted through their contract.

Wills immediate began touring with Rich as an opening act along with several others including Rich’s son Allan. Two months later, Wills was playing to a huge crowd at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Gardens in New York for Rich and Rosenberg. Wills’ entry into country music was huge because of the players that were around him. Charlie Rich had been around a long time, but release “Behind Closed Doors” the previous year and it had Rich at the pinnacle of country music.

Released in 1974, his debut album “Barrooms to Bedrooms” contained his two top ten hits, “There’s A Song On The Jukebox”, penned by Carmol Taylor and Billy Sherill, and “From Barrooms to Bedrooms,” composed by David Wills and Sy Rosenberg.

Wills released another album in 1975, entitled “Everybody’s Country.” It featured a cover of Rich’s “All Over Me” and also the rock-n-roll standard “Long Tall Sally”. After developing a close association with Blake Mevis who managed George Strait at the time, Wills was signed to record deal with RCA. Wills then released “New Beginnings” which included “The Eyes Of A Stranger” produced by Mevis.

Thirteen years later, Wills released “Line On Love”. The title track was included on John Michael Montgomery’s debut album in October of 1992. The largely gospel-themed CD also included “You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are”, which was on Patty Loveless’ sixth album “Only What I Feel.” Wills co-wrote both songs. “Line on Love” was the last release of Wills’ music until now.

With more than 35 million copies of his songs sold, Wills continues to be a songwriting sensation. The singer songwriter worked for Charley Pride Music Group for more than four decades. He co-wrote with Mevis, “If You Thinking You Want A Stranger” for George Strait that peaked at number 3 in 1982. He wrote “Leona” for Sawyer Brown, “Charlotte’s In North Carolina” for Keith Whitley, “You’re The Last Think I Needed Tonight” for John Schneider and “Wild Horses.” He also wrote “Holding Out Hope To You” for Michael English that won Inspirational Recorded Song of the year at the 1994 Dove Awards.

In the summer of 2021, plans began to materialize between Wills and Georgia native Wesley Fricks to release two albums containing songs Wills had written. The first album, released in November of 2022, consists of songs Wills had either recorded or wrote for other country artists. The second album is an album full of songs Wills wrote that have never been recorded before.

“I have never met a more talented singer or songwriter in my life,” claimed Fricks, “it will be easy to understand why these two albums will resonate with country music fans around the world.”