His life had to change or he’d lose everything. Later that evening back in the hotel, in desperation, Zach knew he was a broken man. That chance finding became a life-changing moment for Zach, and at that instant, he realized maybe he wasn’t too far-gone to be saved. The bus driver was skipping through radio stations when “Redeemed” by Big Daddy Weave was playing on one of the channels. But it was during his band’s tour throughout Spain that he experienced a hazy moment of reflection. In many instances while on the road, he found himself on the phone with his wife, slurring his words, barely able to hold a conversation. He was on a dizzying rollercoaster of the soul. While on the road, though, his days vacillated between passionate talks about Christ, faith, and a new life with his church-going bandmate, as well as partaking in the soul-sucking indulgences of the cliched rock n’ roll way of life. Zach tried to carry this spirit with him on his band’s European tour in June 2012-he even promised his wife he would abstain from drugs and alcohol. Slowly his rock star veneer began to chip away as he delved deeper into renewing his faith in Christ. They were immediately embraced by the church community, and there they found a spiritual home. He just buried his fear and put off facing reality through consuming drugs and alcohol more voraciously than ever.Ī dim light came on when one of his bandmates began attending a church in Jonesboro, and Zach and his family decided to follow suit. At the time, the doctor sternly warned him his lifestyle would kill him, but he didn’t heed these warnings. His first stark reality check came via a doctor’s visit where he had to confront a possible esophagus cancer scare. While remarried with two stepchildren and a loving wife, he started to see his demons rise, and with the encouragement of his wife, made headway into facing them. I was full of myself, and I was a jerk to a lot of people,” he shares candidly.īy his late 20s, he burned through a marriage, and now was close to burning through his second one. “I realize now, I built up this persona that just wasn’t me. Soon, he became the front man for an on-the-rise rock band, touring tirelessly, and embodying the rock star pose. Post-college, he embraced being a musician, and, at the time, that meant living up to the mythical rock n’ roll lifestyle. ![]() He soon found writing songs felt natural, and his drive to pursue music surpassed his pro basketball dreams. In college, while recouping from the injury, Zach began to fumble around on his roommate’s guitar. He busted his ankle during practice before the first game and had to sit out that first season. ![]() Eventually, he earned a full-ride to Northwest Arkansas but by this time, his partying began to hinder his career aspirations. He was also a star basketball player-like his father-and he came very close to clinching a Division I scholarship. He grew up attending church regularly with his folks his father was a worship leader, and his mother sang on praise teams. Yet, his descent into a drug and alcohol-fueled haze had nothing to do with his upbringing. His songs enlighten and uplift, revealing powerful transformative moments and stirring affirmations to stay on God’s path. Zach’s music pulls from the hard luck truths of outlaw country, the dirt-road grit of southern rock, the contemporary roots music of alt-country artists, and a firm grounding in classic and contemporary Christian artists that stretches back to his dad’s old Petra records. With two additional GRAMMY nods among numerous other accolades, he now returns to share his boldly vulnerable and hope-filled sophomore album, aptly titled Rescue Story. He’s a husband, a father, and has also become one of CCM’s leading artists and songwriters by carving a niche with his singular blend of southern rock, country, and faith-filled songwriting, which quickly awarded him his first GRAMMY Award® with his debut album, 2017’s Chain Breaker. These days, the Jonesboro, Arkansas-raised and currently Nashville, Tennessee-based artist is a renewed man. Zach Williams’ powerful and poignant journey spans how a boy with a storybook childhood filled with wonderfully nurturing parents, a strong and supportive grounding in the church, and a warm and loving local community was seduced away by the illusion of rock stardom, and the drug and alcohol excesses that can so often accompany that lifestyle.
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