Stephen Wilson Jr.

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Stephen Wilson Jr. 29.10.2026 Volkshaus Zürich - Only Swiss show - Stephen Wilson Jr. releases official video for «Gary» with Gary Sinise. The fully sold-out «Gary The Torch Tour» is already underway, and the second leg has just been announced – live at Volkshaus Zürich on October 29. Yesterday, the Indiana-born, Nashville-based rising star Stephen Wilson Jr. released the official video for his latest single «Gary», directed by Tim Cofield, featuring award-winning actor Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump, Apollo 13) in the lead role. The video was released yesterday on the anniversary of the death of a teenager named Gary, who inspired Wilson Jr. for this song, after he encountered a memorial at the roadside dedicated to his name. Watch the official video for «Gary». In addition to the video, Wilson Jr. has published a taxonomic analysis of «Gary»: «(Garis mechanicus) Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata... – an endangered genus, a threatened species of problem solver. Naturally inhabiting a habitat of grease, oil, and stereo noise. Drawn by the roar of 8 cylinders firing in perfect harmony, or by the sound of a clogged PVC pipe flowing again. A problem solver by nature – born into a broken world. May he run again.» Gary Sinise adds: «I listened to Stephen's song and was thrilled. Two weeks later, he asked me if I wanted to appear in the video. He has a great team, a great song, and it was a lot of fun working with all of them on the video. And you know... there aren't many guys named Gary nowadays.» In November, Wilson Jr. followed up his critically acclaimed debut double album søn of dad with the release of «Gary», which he premiered with an energetic performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He ended 2025 with a performance of the song at the end of his appearance on This Past Weekend with Theo Von and played it again in February during his interview on The Howard Stern Show. «Gary» was praised by Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, and Billboard, who stated that the song «cements its reputation as an excellent musical craftsman». The song is Wilson Jr.'s first single on Country Radio and is currently at number 40 on the Billboard Country Airplay charts. On March 6, Wilson Jr. launched his fully sold-out Gary The Torch Tour, which will soon stop in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Denver, Chicago, and other cities. Additionally, he announced that he will perform as the opening act for Dave Matthews Band on September 4 at Gorge Amphitheater and from September 11 to 13 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre as the opening act for Brandi Carlile. Today, the second leg of the «Gary The Torch Tour» was announced. To participate in the Stephen Wilson Jr. Artist Presale for the newly added dates on Thursday, March 19, at 10:00 AM local time, fans can register until Tuesday, March 17, at 11:59 PM ET at livemu.sc/stephenwilsonjr. The artist presale for this tour is offered by several ticket websites, but anyone who registers can participate in the sale. The general sale begins on Friday, March 20, at 10:00 AM local time. Last year, Wilson Jr. was nominated for the CMA Award as «New Artist of the Year» for the first time and made his debut on the show with a moving rendition of «Stand By Me» and a duet with Shaboozey on their song «Took A Walk». Additionally, Variety published a detailed feature with him ahead of CMA Awards week and the release of «Gary», and NPR's rock critic Ken Tucker reviewed søn of dad, while SPIN featured Wilson Jr. in his first digital cover story, stating: «He crafts a gothic tableau of the Midwest, a fitting backdrop for his stories of loss, confusion, and perseverance. [søn of dad] is one of the darkest country albums of the 2020s, but also one of the most refined and one of the strangest.» ABOUT STEPHEN WILSON JR. Stephen Wilson Jr.'s journey from the valleys of southern Indiana to Nashville, Tennessee, was a winding road with many detours: He was a finalist at the Indiana State Golden Gloves boxing championships, a scientist, as well as lead guitarist and songwriter in an indie rock band. In 2016, he quit his lab job and signed a publishing deal with BMG Nashville, where his alchemical songwriting immediately gained attention and led to recordings by Caitlyn Smith, Old Dominion, Tim McGraw, Sixpence None the Richer, Leigh Nash, and others. 2023 proved to be Wilson Jr.'s breakthrough year: he signed with Big Loud Records and released his debut double album søn of dad: a triumphant, genre-crossing work with 22 songs, dedicated to his late father and gifted to the world on the fifth anniversary of his death. The album was crowned No. 1 album of 2023 by Holler, which called it «an album for eternity», and secured a spot among the best albums of the year at Whiskey Riff, Wide Open Country, and Rolling Stone. In 2024, he made his TV debut on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, followed by appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's #LateShowMeMusic series and Later…with Jools Holland. In the lead-up to the first anniversary of søn of dad, Wilson Jr. was also featured in a detailed segment for CBS Saturday Morning. In 2025, Wilson Jr. released a deluxe edition of his debut album, which included a moving rendition of «Stand By Me», streamed millions of times, and in April, he sang the national anthem live during the nationwide broadcast of the NFL Draft 2025. He also co-wrote and collaborated with Shaboozey on «Took A Walk», which was featured in the critically acclaimed film The Long Walk, based on Stephen King's novel. Last November, he received his first CMA Award nomination as «New Artist of the Year» and performed twice on the show – with a moving performance of his collaboration with Shaboozey and a star-making rendition of «Stand By Me». At the end of the year, he released his new single «Gary», which he performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and which has already been played on country radio and added to the playlist on SXM The Highway. He is currently in the middle of his fully sold-out «Gary The Torch» tour, after opening for Eric Church in February. Photo Copyright: Acacia Evans Contributors: Stephen Wilson Jr.