Wilsons Surf'n to Folk Music

In last week's episode, we danced with three Wilsons on the beach to the music of surf rock.

And this week, instead of dancing with the stars, we jump in the water with a Wilson to go surfing with the sharks.

Stay tuned folks.

Welcome to the Cuz Wilson show where we learn all about Wilson's and people, places and things.

And we salute Wilson's and their achievements from the past to the present.

We support nonprofits named Wilson with our Cuz merch and we showcase places, companies and products named Wilson.

Hello Cuz.

I'm your host and wilsonologist Kenny Wilson.

This week in our people category, we hit the waves with legendary pro surfer and shark whisperer Julian Wilson.

In our places category, we wash the sand off our feet and take a road trip across the US For a little tote tap in music.

In the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we visit a college named Wilson, whose mission it is to preserve the genre of mountain music and folk music.

In this week's themes category, we we take you a couple hours south down the Blue Ridge Mountains to Westminster, South Carolina.

We showcase the Wilson banjo which is custom made by Steve Wilson and he plays it in a chart topping bluegrass band named Wilson.

In this week we kind of have a bonus segment that is actually the answer to last week's Cuz quiz.

The answer to that question is so cool I had to make a complete deep dive just on that person.

But make sure you stick around for the Wilson's in the news of our Cuz buzz section.

I've got some goodies in there, so let's get on with the show.

And now it's time for the people category.

Since Wilson and the Beach Boys first single was called Surfing, we jump ahead a few years from 1961 and get in the water with a surfer legend named Wilson.

And just like Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, he made a huge pivot in the peak of his career.

Mary, I bet you know a little bit about his career, so go ahead and share his story with us.

You know, in the world of sports, there's nothing quite like a great comeback.

And today we're diving into the story of a surfing legend who just walked away right at the peak of his powers, only to come back for one last shot at glory.

This is the story of Julian Wilson's quest.

And this quote, man, it says it all.

After three years away, those were his words.

It just shows you that fire, that competitive drive that really separates the good from the great.

It never went out.

And it's exactly why the entire surfing world is buzzing right now.

So that really brings us to the big question here.

This isn't just about winning a couple of contests.

Nope.

This is about legacy.

It's about pushing past the limits of age of expectations to try and join the ranks of the immortals.

So the real question is, can he actually do it?

Alright, let's dive right into the news that sent a shockwave through the whole community.

After years of wondering and waiting, it's Julian Wilson is back.

And listen, he's not just dipping his toes in the water here.

He is aiming for the absolute top, A spot on the 2026 championship tour.

And get this, he's already proved he's dead serious at the Gold Coast Pro.

Recently, he came in as a wild card in the trials and surfed all the way to the final.

He showed everyone, and probably himself, that he still absolutely has what it takes.

But okay, to really get why this comeback is such a big deal, we gotta go back and understand why a guy who was ranked number two in the world would just walk away in the first place.

And let's be crystal clear about this.

The man was at the absolute top of his game.

Rookie of the year in his debut.

A win at the legendary Pipemasters and he finished 2018 as the world number two.

I mean, he was on tour since 2011, a constant threat everywhere he went, right up until he stepped away after the Olympics in 2021.

So the thing is, he didn't leave because he was injured or washed up.

Not at all.

It was a choice, a conscious one.

The pandemic made the constant travel of the tour a nightmare.

Sure.

But the real reason he wanted to be home for his wife and his two young kids.

He made a choice based on his values.

He basically traded that high pressure, high stakes world of pro surfing for something completely different.

He spent more time at home.

He launched his own clothing brand, Rivia Projects.

And as he put it, he was returning to his roots.

But here's the thing about Julian Wilson.

His story is about so much more than just surfing talent.

It's really a story about incredible character.

A character that's been forged in these moments of insane crisis.

And if you need an example, look no further than this one.

It's the final of the JB Open.

Wilson is in the water against his friend Mick Fanning.

And what happens next?

Well, it's a moment that is just burned into the memory of anyone who saw it.

So while his buddy, Mick Fanning is literally fighting for his life against a great white shark, this was Julian Wilson's immediate thought, not to panic, not to paddle to shore, but to see his surfboard as a weapon and paddle towards the danger to save his friend.

I mean that's just pure selfless courage right there.

Fanning himself said he could never repay him, calling him a warrior.

People were so moved, the Premier of Queensland even nominated him for a national bravery award.

It's a moment that tells you who he is when way more than any contest win ever could.

And what's really wild is that this isn't some one off thing.

That same ability to perform under the most intense pressure imaginable.

It's a pattern you see again and again in his career.

Triumph born from turmoil.

And you can literally see this pattern play out.

Okay, 2014, both his parents are fighting cancer.

He's having a terrible year on tour.

What happens?

He wins the Pipemasters on the final wave.

Then get this, 2018, he's dealing with a major shoulder injury and his first kid is born four weeks early.

The stress is immense and what does he do?

He wins his home event on the Gold Coast.

It's like the harder things get personally, the better he performs professionally.

So you see the point here isn't just about him re qualifying, it's about him trying to earn a spot among the absolute icons of the sport.

The legends of the comeback.

I mean this is the club he's trying to get into.

You've got Tom Curran who came back after two years off and won a world title.

Then there's Marc Aquialupo, a decade away from the sport, comes back at 33 and wins the whole thing.

Chelsea Hedges returning to the top 10 after having a baby.

And of course Kelly Slater's so called retirement, which led to five more world titles.

The bar is set unbelievably high.

Okay, so all of that brings us back to right now, to this huge unwritten final chapter.

And the challenge facing Julian Wilson today is, well, it might just be the biggest one of his entire career.

And believe me, he's not getting any free passes.

He has to claw his way back through the Challenger series which is an absolute meat grinder.

It just chews up and spits out some of the best surfers in the world.

The numbers themselves are just brutal.

He's going to be competing against more than 100 of the hungriest, most talented up and coming surfers on the entire planet.

And they're all fighting it out across just six high stakes make or break events held all around the globe.

All for one of only 10 available spots on the championship tour 10.

The margins for error are razor, razor thin.

And think about this.

If he pulls it off, he'll be 37 years old when he starts that 2026 season.

In a sport that gets younger and younger every year, he'd be one of the oldest guys out there battling kids who were in grade school when he was winning his first events.

So that's the bottom line, isn't it?

We know he's got the courage.

We know he's got the history of thriving under pressure.

But in today's world of surfing, which is more competitive and athletic than it's ever been, will character be enough to write one last legendary chapter?

We're all going to be watching to find out.

Thanks again, Mary.

Since we had a couple of episodes covering the Olympics a few weeks ago, I also wanted to add that Julian Wilson represented Australia at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

And that was the first year that surfing was included as an Olympic sport.

Now, as we move ahead to 2026, Julian Wilson has decided to retire again and focus on his clothing brand, Rivia Projects.

Now, the name Rivia came from the spelling of his two children, river and Olivia.

He took the first three letters of river and the last three letters of Olivia and created Rivia Riv Via.

That's pretty cool, isn't it?

And now it's time for our Cuz Quiz Question of the week.

Last week's Cuz quiz was, has there ever been a King Wilson in history?

The answer is kind of, or the answer could be maybe, or some would say sure.

And when I was discovering the answer to that question, I decided to make a deep dive for the backstory of the king.

Hey, Larry, explain this one for us.

Let's get right into a story that honestly feels more like a myth than than actual history.

It's the absolutely wild tale of a British army deserter who vanishes into the highest mountains on Earth and somehow comes out the other side not as a fugitive, but as a king.

So our story kicks off in a place called Harsel.

Picture a stunning, incredibly remote valley deep in the Gard Wall.

Himalayas.

It's the kind of place that looks like it's straight out of a fantasy novel.

And it was right here that a young Englishman, Frederick Wilson, didn't just find a place to hide.

He literally carved out his own kingdom and became a legend.

And here's where it gets really fascinating.

The story goes that the great author Rudyard Kipling actually based his famous story, the man who Would Be King on Wilson's Unbelievable life.

I mean, that quote alone tells you everything you need to know about just how epic his life really was.

And that right there is the million dollar question we're going to unpack.

How on earth does a man on the run from the most powerful empire in the world end up ruling a part of it?

Let's dig in.

First things first, let's talk about his name to the locals.

He wasn't Frederick.

They called him Pahari Wilson.

Pahari literally means of the mountains.

Think about that.

It wasn't just a nickname.

It was a title that showed how completely he had become part of this new world.

He was a man of the Himalayas.

So how did he even end up in this hidden valley?

Well, his story doesn't start with a crown.

It starts with a crime.

We've got to go back to his escape from the British army, because that's the event that set this whole incredible story in motion.

Okay, so just look at this timeline for a second.

His life completely flips in just a handful of years.

In 1836, he's just a regular private in the East India Company.

But then, during the disastrous first Anglo Afghan War, he makes a huge decision.

He deserts.

By the early 1840s, he's a wanted man fleeing for his life into one of the most remote places on the entire planet.

Can you just imagine this for a second?

He shows up in the kingdom of Terrigard Wall, totally alone with nothing but his army issue musket.

He begs the local Raja for protection, but the Rajah is terrified of ticking off the British, so he says no.

Wilson was completely, utterly on his own.

But you know, a fugitive has to find a way to survive.

And Wilson, he did a lot more than just survive.

He thrived where others saw an empty wilderness.

He saw a massive opportunity.

An opportunity that would not only make him a king, but would also change the very landscape that saved him.

It all came down to simple supply and demand.

The British Empire, the same people he was hiding from were building thousands of miles of railways all across India.

And to do that, they needed millions and millions of strong wooden railroad ties, or sleepers.

Wilson just looked at the untouched forest all around him and an idea sparked.

And this is where you see his true genius.

It's a brilliant four step plan.

First, he somehow convinces the very same Raja who turned him away to give him a timber lease for next to nothing.

Just 400 rupees a year.

Then he starts cutting down these enormous deodar trees.

But the real trick was getting them out.

No roads, right?

No problem.

He used the powerful Buggerathi river as a natural superhighway, floating the logs all the way down to the plains.

And there his agents collected them and sold them right back to the British.

Unbelievable.

And let me tell you, the plan worked.

It worked better than anyone could have possibly dreamed.

This simple, elegant system made Frederick Wilson an incredibly wealthy man.

In fact, he became known as the richest man in all of Northern India.

Now, as we all know, with immense wealth comes immense power.

Wilson was no longer just some rich timber guy.

He became the undisputed ruler of his own domain.

In every way that mattered, he was the Raja of Harseel.

And this really shows how he wasn't just playing king.

He was one.

I mean, look at this currency.

He minted his own coins, the Wilson Rupee.

That's a huge symbol of power administration.

He was officially made the Rajah's agent, giving him actual authority.

He even got into social reform, ending a local form of slavery.

And then there's infrastructure.

He built a massive 350 foot suspension bridge to connect his people.

These are the actions of a ruler, plain and simple.

His empire went way beyond just timber, too.

He was a savvy businessman.

He supplied the Victorian fashion craze for colorful bird feathers.

And he traded in valuable musk for the perfume industry.

At the same time, he wrote about the wilderness, publishing articles as Mountaineer.

But maybe the biggest move was personal.

He fully cut ties with his old life by marrying two local Garwali women, Ramata and Gulabi, and starting a family, weaving himself permanently into the fabric of Harsil.

But perhaps his most positive and lasting legacy was the apple.

He introduced apple orchards to the region.

And the Wilson apple, as it became known, was a perfect fit for the climate.

It didn't just grow, it completely reshaped the local economy, shifting it from bartering to cash.

And even today, apples are still the main source of income for the people of Harsell.

So when all is said and done, what do we make of the Raja of Harsell?

Well, like pretty much any figure who wields that much power, his legacy is complicated.

It's a real mix of creation and destruction.

You can see the two sides of the coin right here.

On one side, he brought prosperity.

He introduced new, valuable crops.

He created jobs for thousands of people.

And he dragged a remote region into a modern cash economy.

But the flip side, the cost was enormous.

His timber empire caused massive deforestation, wiping out ancient forests.

And his hunting businesses pushed several animal species right to the edge of extinction.

So which Was he a bold pioneer who brought progress to a forgotten corner of the world?

Or was he a pariah who just plundered its natural beauty for his own profit?

The truth is, he was probably both.

His story is just this powerful, complex reminder that the people who shape our world are almost never simple heroes or villains.

That's pretty cool, huh?

This week's next Cuz quiz question is in what country do you find a town named Wilson that is full of checks?

Hint.

These checks are not like the ones made of paper that your grandmother pays bills with.

But it's the Czechs who live in the Central Europe country of Czech Republic used to be Czechoslovakia.

So the answer is not that country.

But I was just talking about the word Czechs.

I just didn't want you to be confused with the paper Czechs.

And now it's time for the places category.

We now leave the sounds of the beats and the waves in California, but we don't leave music for the next two categories.

We've come a long way since the 60s, when three Wilsons created the surf rock genre, and we really need to preserve that music for future generations.

But there are other music genres that need preserving, too.

You know, like that music they sing in Australia at the Oprah House, where you get a song and you get a song, and you get a song.

And then there's the music of Snowpan.

That's the music they sing in the mountains of all those Pan American countries, pun intended.

Speaking of preservation of music, there happens to be a college named Wilson that focuses on preservation and also trains musicians for mountain music and folk music.

Man, there's so many talented singers and musicians named Wilson.

I think the name of Wilson in Greek must be translated to Songamus Maximus or something like that.

Hey, Larry, save us from this minimus lamous jokes and tell us about this college named Wilson.

All right, let's get into it.

Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, there's the sound, this collection of ancient tones that really tells the story of the whole region.

And there's this one small college that's made it its mission to not just teach this music, but to keep it alive and breathing.

We're talking about Warren Wilson College and its pretty amazing way of preserving Appalachian music.

You know, this quote from the program's coordinator, Natalia Weinstein Miller just sums it up perfectly.

It's exactly what we're going to do here.

We're going to dig into the roots of this music, and then we're going to explore all the new branches that are growing out of it.

All thanks to a very, very unique way of teaching.

See, the key thing to understand is Warren Wilson College didn't just tack on a music program.

No, they've built an entire ecosystem around being guardians of this culture.

They've made preserving this music a core part of what every student experiences.

So it's way less of a curriculum and much more of a living, breathing tradition.

So first up, what exactly is this music we're talking about?

Well, it's not just one sound.

It's this incredible blend of traditions.

The whole program is built on the multicultural history of Southern Appalachia, weaving together influences from Cherokee, African American and Scots Irish cultures.

So what's their secret sauce?

How do they pull this off?

Well, it all comes down to their unique educational philosophy.

They call it the triad.

And honestly, this is the foundation that makes everything else we're about to talk about possible.

The triad model isn't just a catchy phrase on a brochure.

It's a real structural requirement for every single student.

This approach is so different that Warren Wilson is one of only nine.

That's right, nine federally designated work colleges in the entire country.

When you think about the thousands of colleges out there, that tiny number tells you they're on a whole different wavelength about what education should be.

Okay, so let's break that down.

Pillar one is academics.

We're talking rigorous learning that's deeply connected to the place they're in.

Pillar two is work.

Every student has a job on campus, so they're getting actual hands on professional experience.

And pillar three is service.

Getting involved with the community in a way that really matters.

But the magic is that these aren't separate things.

Each one feeds into and strengthens the others.

And that work part, it isn't just about padding a resume.

It has a direct real world benefit that required on campus job.

It earns every single residential student an annual grant of over $3,000.

That goes right towards their tuition.

It makes this incredible education that much more reachable.

So now let's see how that triad foundation really shapes the music program.

Because this is what lets them create a total immersion.

Something that goes so far beyond your typical music classes and recitals.

I mean, just look at the academic side of this.

To get a Bachelor of Arts in traditional music, you need a minimum of 46 credit hours.

And when you look at how that breaks down, you can see it's not just about learning to play.

It's a super deep dive into Appalachian history, music theory and world music.

All while Building professional skills.

And of course, students get to learn the instruments that really give this region its voice.

The program offers one on one instruction on all the core tools of the trade, from banjo and fiddle to songwriting.

And I love this.

It even includes the dance forms like flat footing and clogging, because you really can't separate them from the music.

And here it is.

This is where that work pillar totally comes to life for the music students.

They don't just study music.

They are literally running the music department.

It's a professional apprenticeship.

Students are coordinating events, mixing live sound, promoting on social media.

They're getting all the skills of an arts administrator while they're still in college.

But beyond all the teaching and performing, the college plays another really crucial role.

They're guardians.

The Mountain Music Archive is a huge part of their mission, making sure the voices of the past aren't just lost to time.

And this commitment is nothing new.

The college archives were officially organized way back in 1968, and the specific Mountain Music Archive got its start in 1975.

So this has been a dedicated, decades long effort to collect and protect the region's cultural treasures.

But preservation, it's a race against time.

This chart shows what's going on with the Holt Legacy tapes, which is this core collection of recordings from local musicians who never commercialized their music.

Now 60% have been digitized, which is great, but a staggering 40% are still stuck on these fragile old reel to reel tapes that literally can't even be played right now.

These are priceless pieces of history that are just at risk of disappearing.

And that brings up this really profound ethical question.

A lot of these recordings were made informally, you know, without any official release forms from the artists.

So it creates this real tension.

The archivists have a duty to preserve and share this vital culture, but they also have to respect the rights and the privacy of the people who created it, many of whom are no longer with us.

It's a tough balance.

Now, what's so cool is that this program doesn't just stay on campus.

A huge part of its success is how it spills out beyond the college gates, connecting students to this vibrant music scene, not just in the region, but really all over the world.

And the biggest example of this has to be the Swannanoa gathering.

Since 1992, this event has turned the Warren Wilson campus into a global hub for folk music.

For five weeks every single summer, it hosts these world class workshops that have drawn over 30,000 people over the years.

It's incredible.

Each week is this total immersion In a specific tradition.

I mean, you've got everything from Mando and Banjo Week and Old Time Week to Celtic Week and even a week on contemporary folk.

It's just this unbelievable concentration of talent and passion all in one place.

And back in nearby Asheville, students get to live this music in two really key ways.

First, there's the knee to knee learning that happens at these organic jam sessions in pubs like Jack of the Wood, where they're playing right alongside seasoned pros.

But then there's also the professional side, playing formal gigs at legendary venues like the Gray Eagle, a place with deep, deep ties to the college.

And as Natalia Miller says, that connection is really what it's all about.

It's watching these students not just read about a tradition in a book, but actually become part of it, soaking up skills and stories that have been passed down for centuries right there in the Swannanoa Valley.

So does this whole unique model actually work?

What's the lasting impact of this super intensive, hands on approach to cultural education?

Well, the results, they pretty much speak for themselves.

The program has either produced or really influenced a whole new generation of incredible musicians who are taking these traditions and pushing them in exciting new directions.

We're talking about acclaimed artists like MJ Linderman and Indigo d' Souza and even award winning groups like Sister Sadie.

They all have ties back to this one small college.

But this, this chart really gets to the heart of what the college is trying to do.

They aren't just focused on employment rates, although, hey, 90% of alumni finding work within six months is pretty amazing.

But the college cares about a different metric, meaningfulness.

And here, 71% of graduates say their work is meaningful.

That proves the college's succeeding at preparing students for fulfilling careers, not just jobs.

Which brings us all the way back to our final question.

What does it really take to keep a tradition from becoming some dusty relic you see in a museum?

Well, it seems like Warren Wilson College has found an answer.

You have to live it, you have to work it, you have to serve it, and you have to pass it on.

Not just as a lesson, but as a living, breathing part of your.

Wow, that festival sounds like a lot of fun.

And I have a funny feeling that a banjo player named Wilson has played there before.

Since the banjo is a thing, that will be what we include in our things category.

But before we go there, I kind of want to talk to you from the heart a little bit.

I want to tell you why I think this podcast can be very beneficial for you.

Now, I hope the Cuz Wilson show is fun to watch and listen to.

And if your name is Wilson, I bet it is interesting.

But actually it's got a couple secondary benefits too.

Like many people, you probably have a favorite hobby where you travel somewhere to participate with other people who love your hobby too.

You know, something like snow skiing or scuba diving, or card games, sports, or any of 500 distinct hobbies that have a strong following.

Sometimes we travel outside our city, our state, or sometimes even our country for our hobbies.

And what happens when you get there?

Well, of course you connect with others who enjoy that hobby too.

But you also create new friends, you discover new cities, and you do touristy things that they offer and you take a lot of photos and basically you make a lot of lifelong memories not even doing the hobby that you went there to do.

Well, my hope is that the Cuz Wilson show will do the same.

The name Wilson is kind of like the hobby that is the reason for your travel.

And you get even more out of the experiences when you participate with others who have the same name of Wilson.

Following the Cuz Wilson show can actually do the same.

Just replace your favorite hobby with the name Wilson and you'll learn so much about people, places and things named Wilson.

And you might meet a new friend named Wilson and.

And you might even go to a meetup or tailgate party for Wilson's or all kinds of things.

It's really going to be a lot of fun.

So it's kind of like the six degrees of separation thing with Kevin Bacon.

You can trace some fantastic life experiences all because you're Wilson.

And if you take a little detour along the way to a place called Wilson, you'll find all kinds of fun stuff.

Here's a good example.

Several years ago I was doing some business in Australia and I was there for about nine months or so.

When I was there, I didn't know there were so many places named Wilson.

I could have gone and visited.

One weekend my buddies and I rented a motorcycle for a day trip and we rode up the Blue Mountains, which is just northwest of Sydney, a couple hours.

Guess what?

There's a village called Mount Wilson right there in the Blue Mountains.

We could have used that as a destination for lunch or something, or a reason for a route that we go through the mountains.

I didn't know about it and now I want to go back and visit Mount Wilson.

But there are so many other places named Wilson in Australia that I had no idea was there.

I want to see Wilson island that I covered on our first episode.

And then I want to go north to Wilson beach up by Whitsunday islands.

And after that I want to go a little bit north to scoot scuba or snorkel in cans, and then to the Daintree rainforest.

While you're at Wilson beach or you're up that part of the country, it is amazing.

You got to go there.

And then I want to take a quick jet ride across the country to beautiful Perth, where there's a suburb named Wilson.

You call five hours a quick jet ride?

Well, compared to the 15 or 16 hours it took me to get to Sydney from Los Angeles, Yeah, it's quick.

Okay, maybe a quicker jet ride to Melbourne down south.

And from there we can drive to Wilson Promontory national park in Victoria.

And from the tip of that park, you can see the island of Tasmania.

Since I grew up with a cartoon that had the Tasmanian devil, I've always wanted to go there.

You see, if you go to the national park just because it's named Wilson, you could walk on squeaky beach.

And it was named the top beach of Australia in 2024.

Why do they call it squeaky beach?

Well, when you walk on the sand, it squeaks.

It's like you're a big dog and the entire beach is a squeaky toy.

It's crazy, man.

I have a link in the show notes for this squeaky beach and you got to check it out because it's really cool and you can hear what it sounds like.

It's really cool.

Okay, thanks for that detour I just made.

And now it's time for the things category.

I bet you hear some great musical instruments at Warren Wilson as they teach and preserve the mountain music and folk music.

So I wanted to spotlight a banjo named Wilson and even the bluegrass band formed by the builder of the banjo, Mary.

Let's go do some picking with the Wilsons.

You know how some of the most interesting things in life.

Life have this kind of dual identity, like a person or a company that's really two things at once.

Two things that are totally different but also somehow deeply connected.

Well, today we're digging into one of the coolest dual identities in the whole music world.

So picture this.

On one side, you've got a master craftsman, a luthier who builds these incredible world class custom banjos completely by hand.

And on the other side, you've got a chart topping bluegrass band with a bunch of number one hits.

I mean, those sound like two totally separate, really successful companies, right?

But what if I told you they're One and the same.

Yup.

That's the amazing story of Steve Wilson and the two sides of a company called Wilson Banjo Company.

Let's get into it.

Okay, so to really get the company, you've got to understand the guy at the heart of it all.

Steve Wilson's path wasn't some straight shot to success.

No way.

It was this winding road that, looking back, gave him every single skill he'd need to build something this unique.

He was born in Virginia, but grew up all over the place, from Wyoming to New York.

Then after his time in the military, he lands this amazing job down in Nashville at the legendary Gibson Custom Shop.

I mean, talk about being in the heart of it all.

That's where he really sharpened his skills before he finally settled down in South Carolina to start his own thing.

And all those experiences, they all kind of boil down into this core belief system he calls the three tone.

Taste and timing.

It's not just about hitting the right notes.

It's about the sound of the note, whether it fits the song and if it's perfectly in time.

And here's the secret sauce, right?

This philosophy is what connects the workshop to the stage.

It's the reason the guy building the banjos is the same guy leading the band.

And you can totally see this obsession with tone in his banjos.

He fell in love with this lightweight Gibson from the 1930s and it inspired him to create the Guardian model.

It doesn't have a heavy tone ring, so it has this really cool, woody, vintage sound.

But then for the players who want that classic bluegrass power, he makes the Warrior, which has the traditional setup, two different banjos built for two totally different sounds.

And let's be super clear about this, we are not talking about some factory assembly line.

Steve Wilson is a true artisan.

He literally cuts all the beautiful, detailed inlays for his banjos by hand using a jeweler saw.

That's what gives every single one of his instruments its own soul.

Alright, so let's switch gears and talk about the other side of Wilson Banjo Co. Because the band, well, the band was never supposed to happen.

It was a total accident.

But, you know, one of the best accidents ever.

So check this out.

Back in 2014, Steve records this little five song episode.

The only reason he did it was to show people what his new Guardian banjo sounded like.

But then a crazy thing happened.

Radio DJs started playing it, like a lot.

And pretty soon people started calling in, asking, hey, where can we see this band play live?

The only problem, there was no band.

So Pretty much because people demanded it.

He had to put one together and, man, they just hit the ground running.

Their first real album, Spirits in the Hills, got picked up by Bontire Records, which is part of Pine Castle, a major name in bluegrass.

The album even had a number one gospel song, ain't no Grave, just like that.

This little promo project had become a legit national touring act.

But you know, to go from just a successful band to a truly iconic one, you need that signature sound.

And for Wilson Bandoco, that sound really came into focus when this absolute powerhouse vocalist and fiddle player walked in the door.

She would end up defining their most successful years.

And that voice belonged to Sarah Logan.

As Steve Wilson put it himself.

Her rich, powerful vocals were a huge part of why the band became so much more than a side gig.

I mean, the chemistry was just off the charts.

And she quickly became the voice of Wilson Banjo Ko.

And you can just see her impact right here.

This is their journey while she was fronting the band.

It's this amazing climb right from that first hit album to getting award nominations for Six Degrees of Separation and then just completely owning the charts with her 2024 album, Memory Lane.

And we've gotta talk about that five week run at no.

1 from Memory Lane.

Seriously.

With Sarah's voice leading the way, that album wasn't just another hit, it was a statement.

It proved that this band and her voice were a major force to be reckoned with in modern bluegrass.

But hey, like any great story, the journey doesn't just stop there, right?

All creative things have to grow and change.

And Wilson Banjoco is definitely no exception.

A brand new chapter was just getting started.

So in late 2024, after all that incredible success, Sarah Logan decided it was time to step back and focus on her family.

And that was a huge moment for the band.

It meant they had to rethink their lineup and really their whole vocal sound.

So the band's sound evolved.

You can see it here.

The Sarah Logan era was defined by her one of a kind, powerful voice.

The new era, their 10th anniversary, shifts to this awesome dual vocal setup with.

With Andrew Crawford and Brandi Colt sharing the lead.

So it wasn't about replacing her.

It was a transformation that opened up all these new musical doors.

And has it worked?

Oh, yeah.

The band's 2025 EP Lonely As It Gets has been a smash, cranking out multiple no.

1 singles.

It just proved how strong Steve Olsen's vision is and how talented this new lineup is.

The company is definitely still in business.

So here they are celebrating a decade of success that was both accidental and totally intentional.

They're on their 10th anniversary tour right now and are already back in the studio working on a new album for 2026.

The story of the craftsman and the company just keeps on going.

And maybe that's the big takeaway from all this summed up by Steve Wilson himself.

It's not just about the finished banjo or the number one song.

It's about the process.

It's about enjoying the journey.

It's a great reminder for all of us.

Right, so what part of your own journey are you enjoying at this moment?

Thanks again Mary.

And you know, it would be a fun thing to do.

It'd be great to have a few hundred Wilsons go to go to a concert by the Wilson Banjo Company.

Wouldn't that be fun?

I'll try to get their show schedule for the year and let's make it happen cuz remember earlier in the show I talked about the six degrees of separation?

Well the Wilson Banjo Co plays a song with that exact name.

I can hear him from the stage now.

Ladies and gentlemen, this next song is dedicated to all the Wilson's who came out to listen to us here tonight.

It's called the Six Degrees of Separation.

I've got a link on our website for today's show notes where you can listen to the six degrees of separation.

Do you want to hear an Uncle Willie joke?

This joke was sent in by Willie make it and his wife Betty.

Don't.

Uncle Willie asked his wife Betty, I wonder if you can measure the weight of the rainbow.

Betty said, I don't know but I think it's pretty light.

Okay, you might have to think about that one for a little bit.

Well, that joke was pretty funny and the next segment is pretty interesting.

But now it's time for Wilson's in the News.

Here are some pretty interesting news articles about Wilson's from the last few days.

Team Australia sent a Paralympic snowboarder named Thomas Wilson.

He finished in the top 10 of two different events at this year's Paralympic Winter Games.

What's crazy is that Australia had another Olympian named Wilson who also competed in this year's snowboard cross.

But that was last week.

And, and her name is Abby and.

And we talked about here in one of the other episodes.

But even though Thomas and Abby do the same snowboard cross events, they're not related.

One's in the Olympic Games and one's in the Paralympic Games.

Next, a new up and coming indie alternative band got his name from a street named Wilson Avenue.

That's the name of their band.

Remember in my first episode I told you about Rita Wilson's father changing his name to Wilson because of a street in his neighborhood.

And now this band got its name from another street named Wilson.

They're called Wilson Avenue.

None of their musicians are named Wilson.

They just took the name from a street named Wilson.

Is there a pattern here?

Well, I have a link about that band in the show Notes Next the United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the Woodrow Wilson Silver Medal on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at noon Eastern Daylight Time.

They'll be accepting orders and they're priced at $164 each and I think you should buy the Cuz Wilson Show a few thousand of them.

I'll give you links in the show notes, baby.

Next is my favorite sport, which is golf, and Wilson Golf has announced it's expanding its Infinite Putter lineup with the launch of two new Zero Torque mallet models, which is basically a putter.

Well, that's all the news for today, but if you like what we're doing so far, could you consider buying us a cup of coffee?

Or better yet, buy your own bag of Wilson Coffee.

We actually sell Wilson Coffee on our Cuz Merch page.

This helps us grow and remain ad free, which you probably like that you don't have to listen to a bunch of ads.

So consider buying us a cup of coffee from the floating icon on the homepage.

Or order your own bag of Wilson's from our Cuz Merch site.

And if you have the time, leave me a voicemail from the floating microphone on the other side of her homepage.

Leave a comment for me.

Tell me you love the show, hate the show, you, wish me luck, whatever.

Tell me your Uncle Willie joke.

Or you could give me some details that I need to correct because of something in the show that wasn't perfect.

Or you could give me some ideas for future segments or future categories of people, places and things named Wilson that you know of.

So remember to follow and like the show to be notified of future episodes.

See you cuz.

This audio and video podcast is a product of name and culture Media.

Larry and Mary's voice and illustrations were created with the help of Google's AI product called Notebook LM.