I spent a few days trying to connect with Will Freed of the Will Freed Band; a man of many talents with a schedule to match. Having just finished 7 shows in 6 days, with one day between before the chaos that he calls life begins again. That’s a far stretch from the life he grew up knowing on Rush Run in the hills of Calhoun County. Although that was not the only place he called home throughout his childhood, having moved there in the 4th grade, it’s certainly a place he connects to and appreciates for what it added to his life.
Will began his love for music at the age of five when his stepfather, David Lyles, gave him his first guitar. An acoustic classical guitar; which his brother broke not long after. His mother Teri Lyles, who still lives in Calhoun County, replaced that guitar with a Blue Johnson and the rest is the history that makes up the life of Will Freed.
Of the characters that have played a roll in shaping him, one is Calhoun’s own adopted son, Johnny Staats, UPS driver and award winning musician. Will said as he sat on his porch at the age of 10 Rush Run, trying to tune his guitar, Johnny Staats dropped by to deliver a package to his mother. But after he put the package down he grabbed Will’s guitar, tuned it to a perfect pitch and then played him a song. After that he showed him three chords that Will used in the first song that he ever wrote. The title of the song was “Rain” because it was raining the day that Johnny stopped by. He nor Johnny could have known the road that Will would travel.
A woman of influence in Will’s life was his grandmother who he spent much of his life growing up with in her home in Ohio. After moving to Calhoun he would spend every summer there with her. When she passed away, Will was 15 years old, and devastated at the loss of someone who had shaped him into who he was. At 16 or 17 he left home and went on the road as a lighting guy with a Pink Floyd Tribute Band going by the name “The Pink Wall.” Being so young, few people would take him serious as a musician. But he did get the opportunity to play.
His next job was for the band “Simon Wonder Brown” a funk rock band. But when Will received word that his grandfather was sick, he moved to Ohio. A State that he will tell you has treated him and many other musicians well. He proudly proclaimed that he has “never not been playing music for a living since he was 18.” At that age, after a stint of couch surfing, his music began to supply enough money to live on. Will was being taken very serious, and from that point forward he’s made a living from what he loves to do, make music.
He now lives in Lima, Ohio, with his wife Ashley and their three children. He very openly said that he is a happily married man, and when trying to be creative in that setting, it causes him to have great respect for other parents. This he came to realize when Covid shut America down, and most of the entertainment industry. Will did not have the opportunity to play anywhere but home and that he found was not an easy job. Covid scared him, he said he had never had to live outside of the music. His life how ever has been made somewhat easier by the placement of certain people in his path.
At 24 years of age, he met John Heaphy, a wealthy businessman who owns 17 restaurant’s including “Happy Days” and the “Beer Barrell.” Heaphy was very impressed by the talents of Will and hired him to play music in several of his venues throughout the years. He also hired him for a roll in television commercials that “blew up” his career around 2005 when he began to be recognized as the talented musician in those ads who played the song “Walkin in Memphis.” Heaphy not only invested in Will with opportunity, he invested in him financially, purchasing equipment and producing his first album, Sinners and Saints.
Since that time Will has made 5 albums and is now working on the sixth with 7 new songs in the waiting. Will records at Sonic Lounge Studios just a 7 minute walk from his house. His producer is Joe Viers and his agents are Paul Hoy of Class Act Entertainment and Tammy Walkup.
Another notable person in Will’s life that has made appearances on his music productions is Blues payer, John Popper. Two time Grammy winner and one of the “greatest harmonica players ever” in Will’s opinion. He said that John has the ability to hear and then play what he hears perfectly. “We get along like a house on fire” is the description that Will gave of his friend. They went to Chicago and recorded the album Sinners and Saints and have done several shows together.
His third and final person of musical influence was Monte Montgomery. The man who changed the music world for him and opened his eyes to unimaginable styles of playing the guitar.
I became obsessed with his music, listening to him for a solid year and nothing else. One night Will sent him a random email saying that “he hope they’d someday be friends.” Shortly thereafter Monte messaged him back and followed Will’s website and social media. Together they play annually in Austin, Waco and Dallas for Monte’s birthday event. Monte is an 8 time acoustic guitar player of the year and was chosen by Guitar Player Magazine as the 25th greatest guitar player that’s ever lived in a list of 50. You can check out his work at MonteMontgomery
While Will dropped the names of people of great impact in his life, he said he felt the need to lift them up, even though he hated it himself when people try to make a big deal out of him. “Nobody wants to be around people who only talk about themselves” he said. He, like most of the Appalachian musicians I know, have a hard time accepting compliments. It’s not that it’s not appreciated, but let’s move on to something that will encourage others. I understood Will all to well on that point.
I asked Will if he’d like to move back to Calhoun. A quick yes and a dream were shared, describing a rustic cabin off the grid of a troubled world where his creativity could flow in song writing is what he desires. And for that property to be located in Calhoun County. He’s previously written 283 songs, and has more to offer with music that comes from not only the inspiration of people but of his past struggles with depression and drugs.
Will is heading back to Calhoun County once again to play at the Calhoun county Park for the 4th of July. He’ll be joined on stage by John Richards and Bruce Jones and is looking forward to an evening of encouraging his hometown friends.
