William Lee Golden Recorded Three Different-Themed Covers Albums With His Sons [Interview]

Country artists' downtime since 2020 brought us more than the genre's latest TikTok stars. Case in point: with The Oak Ridge Boys off the road, bearded baritone singer William Lee Golden turned time at home into a chance to record a trio of covers albums with sons Craig, Chris and Rusty Golden.

"It's something that I had in mind here for two or three years," William told Wide Open Country in May. "I'd talked to Rusty about it. We'd sat here and played songs around the piano, and I shared with him some songs I wanted to sing. What happened is [Chris and Rusty] have solo careers going on, and they travel all over. It's been 25 years since we have toured together and played music together and sang together."

Chris and Rusty, who'd recorded as country duo The Goldens in the '80s and '90s, join not just their brother and father but also a third generation (William's grandchildren Elizabeth, Rebekah and Elijah) and a trio of family friends (Aaron McCune, Ben Isaacs and Michael Sykes) in returning to their deepest musical roots.

"I wanted us to get back together as a family and to make some music that I was feeling like and I was having visions of wanting to do and to make," William said. "And going back to where I started and taking my sons with me back to what started me in music and doing those old songs. Songs that I played with my sister when we was little kids, playing on Granddaddy's radio show and singing. So I started at 6, 7 years old, playing guitar and singing."

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Each album follows a specific theme— Country Roads: Vintage Country Classics, Southern Accents: Pop & Country Rock and Old Country Church Gospel. All three are slated for 2022 releases.

For a sample of the the blood harmonies that flow throughout Old Country Church Gospel, check out the version of "Come and Dine" that hit streaming services today (Sept. 24).

The trilogy ups the tally of recent projects by William to five, counting The Oak Ridge Boys' album Front Porch Singin' and a new autobiography co-written with Scot England, Behind the Beard.

https://youtu.be/0ODhmKOHTMk

Country Roads: Vintage Country Classics

1. "I Still Miss Someone"
2. "Four Walls"
3. "Welcome To My World"
4. "Take Me Home Country Roads"
5. "The Great Speckled Bird"
6. "Green Green Grass Of Home"
7. "Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On"
8. "You Are My Sunshine"
9. "For The Good Times"
10. "Jambalaya"

Southern Accents: Pop & Country Rock

1. "Me And Bobby McGee"
2. "The Long and Winding Road"
3. "Stand By Me"
4. "Long Black Veil"
5. "Southern Accents"
6. "Elvira"
7. "Multi-Colored Lady"
8. "Bobbie Sue"
9. "Hollywood Nights"

Old Country Church Gospel

1. "Come and Dine"
2. "Old Country Church"
3. "It's Suppertime"
4. "If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again"
5. "Until Then"
6. "Why Me, Lord?"
7. "Power In The Blood"
8. "Too Much To Gain"
9. "Sheltered"
10. "Softly and Tenderly"
11. "Love Lifted Me"
12. "I Saw the Light"