Although this side of the Atlantic is not a great name, Webb Wilder is part of the Mississippi Hall of Fame along with names by all known as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Sam Cooke or Bo Diddley.
There are roots-rockers, and then there’s Webb Wilder. He himself describes his music as «Rock for roots fans and roots for rock fans”. He grew up in Hattiesburg and spent a few years in Austin, before settling in Nashville with his unique sound, hybrid between country, blues and rockabilly. He is a star in his country and has traveled all over the world, gradually increasing his legions of fans. Without a doubt, there is no better description for him than the one made by the San Francisco Chronicle, which defined him as the “Tom Petty of American roadside bars.”
But no doubt his career spans more than his music, Webb Wilder has impacted popular culture for more than 20 years. One of his songs was used in the USA for the Super Bowl broadcasts in the decade of the 90s; in his role as an actor he has appeared in several independent films, acclaimed by the critics and that have made him a cult hero; and was one of the first satellite radio DJs on XM Radio. Whether as a singer, guitarist, bandleader, film actor, songwriter and humorist, he may be the only true Renaissance man.