Stephen Wilson Jr has a one-of-a-kind voice. The Southern Indiana singer-songwriter has a rich and powerful voice that’s made for singing heart-wrenching songs. He showed it off to great effect on his viral solo acoustic cover of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” Wilson transformed the R&B hit into a sublime slow-burn folk tune that lit up like an Indiana wildfire by the end. He performed the vocals with a gentle baritone at first, before amping up the grit and eventually transitioning into a passionate wail.

Wilson truly has a remarkable voice that can turn songs entirely into his own and give you goosebumps all over. The American troubadour also showed off a deft hand on a beat-up old nylon acoustic guitar, which you just know has seen 1,000 gigs and more. The Music Man is a big fan of unique performers like Wilson, and we’re stoked to share his talent on this powerful cover.

Wilson performed his take on “Stand By Me” for the Live at the Print Shop YouTube channel. It proved to be quite the hit on YouTube, as it gained 2.8 million views since its upload on October 28, 2024. Fans raved about the performance, adding comments such as “That’s no cover. He completely OWNED that song” and “Not since Johnny Cash reimagined Trent Reznor’s ‘Hurt’ have I seen such a dramatic rebirth of a timeless classic into a completely fresh masterpiece. Haunting, driven, deep. This is spellbinding.”

Wilson’s sesh at the Print Shop was quite fruitful, as it produced two videos with more than two million views. The second video from the session featured Wilson’s original tune “I’m a Song.” He explained that the tune was his father’s favorite song, noting that it was one of the last conversations the two ever had. The lyrics of “I’m a Song” find a father addressing his son about the moments they shared in life together as the boy grew into a man.

Stephen Wilson Jr is a singer-songwriter from the countryside of Southern Indiana. He calls his style “Death Cab for Country” and mixes elements of grunge, indie, and country into his music. Wilson was raised by a single father and taught himself to play guitar as a youngster. He began self-releasing music before signing to Big Loud Records in March 2023. If The Music Man readers like what they heard from the Live at the Print Shop session, you might want to tune into the 2025 deluxe edition of his album Son of Dad. This album features both songs from the Print Shop session, as well as 32 other tracks in Wilson’s distinctive style.