Chad Wesley: Mississippi Blues Soul, Rock, and Country Musician
Chad Wesley took his guitar outside as a child in the Johnsontown community near Forest, MS, and plucked it in admiration of the greats he heard playing on his father's radio.
Chuck Berry, B.B. King, and Howlin' Wolf were just a few of the legends he tried to imitate. The sound of novel tunes caught the attention of nearby musicians, who nurtured him and taught him how to play.
Learning Music in the Mississippi Delta Tradition
"I'm the only white kid there, but they never made me feel like the only white kid, and I never felt like I was the only white kid," said Wesley, whose favorite guitar is engraved in honor and memory of Joseph "Joey" Thrash, a family friend who gave him the guitar to start his career. "I just felt like I was with people loving people, and we made music together. We made Mississippi music together."
Award-Winning Mississippi Artist
Wesley is a multi-award-winning artist, having won the 2017, 2018, and 2020 Singer/Songwriter of the Year awards at the Jackson Music Awards, among many others. His latest song, "Slow Down", is featured on the newly released album Jack Town USA: The Capital City of American Music. The body of music is an eponym of the book written by Kamel King and Joe Lee about Jackson's vibrant historical and current music scene. A place he credits with his success.
From Multiple Bands to Solo Success
Wesley has built an impressive career across multiple genres, serving as lead singer for country band Santa Fe, rock band Full Moon Circus, and fusion group The Goldy LockS. After forming the Chad Wesley Band in 2011, he toured extensively for five years before signing with Malaco Records in late 2018. His "Bluezy" album earned multiple awards, though an accident temporarily sidelined his touring plans. When COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill, it affected his entire household—halting his performances, his wife Brandi's beauty business, and their son Slaydin's in-person high school education.
Faith, Resilience, and Mentorship
As a man of faith, Wesley refused to let circumstances dictate his future. He independently released his sophomore album, "Soul Rock," in partnership with Music Engineer Nayt Maines, owner of Eternal Beyond Studio. Following its 2022 release, Wesley opened Protege Sound Lab in the same building as Maines, where together they mentor emerging artists and help develop the next generation of Mississippi musicians.
Paying Forward a Musical Legacy
He's received so much support, including the warm community of Johnstown, his dad transporting him around Jackson's juke joints, playing gigs as an adolescent with his older brother, and Blues Drummer T.J. Hall's industry blueprint. Now, he can pay it forward, making the music that takes him back to when he was just a little boy playing under the shade tree.
Blending Blues, Country, and Soul
"Country and Blues are like sugar and salt," said Wesley, Host and Organizer of the music showcase, Cordless Corner, held at Shaggy's on the Reservoir twice a year. "Blues is the sugar and country is the salt, and they're the ingredients in all modern music. But my guitar playing is definitely Blues influenced, and my singing is more Rock influenced, and my emotion is very soulful."
