Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1474185
Son of the music SEAN SOLO PAYS TRIBUTE TO HIS MUSICIAN FATHER AND THEIR HOMEGROWN STAGE BY SEAN WILLIAMS Like father, like son. A staple in the local music scene reflects on the musical influence of his father and their hometown, where they both work as professional musicians. M usic is in my blood. My dad is B. Keith Williams, a familiar face in the music scene. He moved to Macon in the early 1970s, but he considers Macon his home. He began playing in the band Paradise Lost and eventually moved to having a solo career. Virtually everyone I talk to knows my dad. And if the amount of interactions he has at the grocery store is any indicator, he may as well have been born here. I was born and raised in Macon, and as a musician, I can think of no other place I'd rather be. My first performance was at the Rookery when I was two years old. I would perform "La Bamba" and the "Banana Boat Song" with my dad. We recently found a home video from that night, and looking at it now, I can see there's no other place I was meant to be. I grew up performing with my dad and eventually moved on to playing with bands around town. As a performer, my dad taught me to put the audience first without compromising your artistic integrity. Perform songs people want to hear while putting your own stamp on it. Don't neglect performing your original music, as there will always be people who gravitate towards that as much as a cover song. I have very fond memories of playing with my bands Dalmatian and sunDollars. Performing with them gave me the confidence to move forward into a solo career. It took me years to build the confidence to show my original music with the world, but in 2016, I finally took the leap. Since then, I've released five solo albums (three studio LP's, one EP and a live album recorded at JBA in Macon). Releasing that much music into the world is a scary thing. Like anyone, I want the music to be received well. More importantly, though, I want to keep creating. I often struggle with PHOTO CAPTION: A YOUNG SEAN PER- FORMING WITH HIS DAD ON THE DECK OF WHATAPIZZA CAFE. 92 maconmagazine.com | JUNE/JULY 2022