How Recovering from Back Surgery Inspired Austin Williams to Try His Hand at Songwriting (Exclusive)

The rising star, who's gone viral on TikTok, is staking his claim in country music

Music has long lived in the lineage of Austin Williams.

The TikTok star that could easily be written off as just another kid lucky enough to go viral actually has deep-rooted ties to some major country music legends.

“My mom's godfather was Ray Pennington, who wrote the song ‘I’m a Ramblin’ Man’ for Waylon Jennings and produced guys like Ray Price and Gene Watson,” recalls Williams, 20, during a recent interview with PEOPLE. “And on my dad's side of the family, there was a guy named Albert Brumley Jr.,  who wrote the song ‘I’ll Fly Away’ and was a regular collaborator with Merle Haggard.”

Indeed, it was Merle Haggard that Williams would often watch from backstage at the Ryman Auditorium. “He had that distinct low end to his voice, and so I grew up trying to do that,” says Williams. “I got pretty good at mimicking guys like Haggard and Daryle Singletary.”

It’s these low tones that certainly can be heard all over Williams’ new EP Broken Things Break Things, an impressive shot out of the gate that features the talents of songwriters such as Kendell Marvel, Josh Kerr and country superstar Chris Stapleton.

Related: Chris Stapleton Victimized as a Cheater in SNL Country Song Sketch: 'I Was Just Texting My Sister'

But what might be even evident and more impressive on the new EP is the higher register of Williams’, which the Tennessee native says is new territory for him. “It actually started as a joke because I couldn't [hit those notes], but I always wanted to,” Williams says of his growing range. “Just here recently have I been able to do it and not be embarrassed.”

Granted, Williams has long displayed a drive to push the envelope a bit. “I grew up around the music industry, but never wanted to do it,” admits Williams, who spent his teenage years playing baseball until injuries forced him to stop. “I was born with congenital scoliosis, and so when I was 15, I had to have back surgery. I had to have a spinal fusion.”

It was this delicate surgery that caused Williams to take a new look at his young life, and soon, he begins to try his hand at songwriting. “I watched all of the hunting shows and the sports shows and the cooking shows I could watch,” laughs Williams of his recuperation time following surgery. “And then after a while, I wanted to write a song, so I wrote a song.”

Admittedly, Williams says that the first song he attempted to write was "a bad one." "I figured this wasn't for me, and I threw it away and never touched it again," he remembers. "It wasn't until a couple years later that I decided I actually enjoyed writing." He pauses before adding, "Everybody moves to Nashville thinking they are going to be a big star. And being from here, I knew that wasn't how that works."

Instead, Williams got to work sharing his musical talents, heading to TikTok like so many other prospective artists to see if he had what it took to snag the attention of millions. And in 2023, after being inspired by Sam Hunt's viral moment with his own ‘mashup,’ Williams found he had what it took when he debuted his own “90s Rap Mashup."

He went viral — and the rest is history.

Related: Warren Zeiders on Riding a Wave of Country Music Success: 'There's Moments Your Brain Can't Comprehend It' (Exclusive)

Now, Williams not only has a new EP on his hands but has spent much of the year touring with the likes of Tyler Hubbard, Warren Zeiders and Larry Fleet. And while his music is undeniably hitting a chord with many, there is also a vulnerability and an honesty that seems to be sewn into the soul of Williams that can’t be denied.

"[My great-grandmother] actually passed away two days ago," he suddenly interjects. "She gave me a cross necklace when I was a sophomore in high school, but I lost it. So, I went and bought the exact one. I couldn't show up to her house telling her I lost it."

But then, he found it.

"So now, I've got two identical necklaces," admits Williams with a laugh. "The one she gave me hangs around the rear-view mirror of my truck. And then I wear the one that looks just like it."

And Williams says he will always work to make sure that he makes his late great-grandmother proud. "She was already proud of me," concludes Williams, whose first-ever headlining tour will kick off in September. "She was a little upset that I wasn't singing in church. But yeah, she was super proud of me. She always said that when I played the Opry, she wanted tickets."

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