Zachary Stephen Williams is an American
Christian rock artist from
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro is a city located on Crowley's Ridge in the northeastern corner of the U.S. State of Arkansas. Jonesboro is one of two county seats of Craighead County. According to the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 78,576 and is the f ...
. From 2007 through 2012 he was a member and lead vocalist of
Zach Williams & The Reformation (also acoustic guitar and harmonica). He was also the lead singer of the Christian group Brothers of Grace, renamed as Zach Williams and the Brothers of Grace. In 2016 he went solo.
Beginnings
Zachary Stephen Williams was born in
Pensacola, Florida on March 5, 1981 but grew up in
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro is a city located on Crowley's Ridge in the northeastern corner of the U.S. State of Arkansas. Jonesboro is one of two county seats of Craighead County. According to the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 78,576 and is the f ...
.
Music career
Zach Williams & The Reformation
He was the lead singer in
Zach Williams & The Reformation,
an American rock band formed in
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro is a city located on Crowley's Ridge in the northeastern corner of the U.S. State of Arkansas. Jonesboro is one of two county seats of Craighead County. According to the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 78,576 and is the f ...
in 2007 by the group of Zach Williams (acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocals), Red Dorton (bass guitar and vocals), Robby Rigsbee (slide guitar and rhythm guitar), Josh Copeland (lead guitar, rhythm guitar and vocals) and Evan Wilons (drums). The band took their name from the desire to reform or revitalize the southern rock sound. The band released two independent albums, ''Electric Revival'' in 2009 and ''A Southern Offering'' in 2011. In 2012, Williams disbanded the Reformation due to his newfound Christian beliefs.
The Brothers of Grace / Zach Williams and the Brothers of Grace
After Zach Williams and the Reformation disbanded, Williams and guitarist Robby Rigsbee dedicated their lives to Christ and began playing music in their church. Church band the Brothers of Grace became Zach Williams and the Brothers of Grace. Shaun Kirby, who had previously been part of southern rock band Further Down with Rigsbee, was the drummer. The group also included Bruce Ford (bass) and Kevin Rouse (keyboard). They independently released an EP, "Shine a Light," in 2014.
Solo career
In 2016 Williams signed to
Provident Label Group - Essential Records as a solo artist, four years after Zach Williams & The Reformation disbanded. He released his first solo single, "Chain Breaker" in 2016 which reached No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs Chart and the Top 10 on Christian radio. Following the single, Williams released a five-song EP, ''Chain Breaker'', with producers Jonathan Smith and
Colby Wedgeworth
Colby Tyler Wedgeworth (born July 27, 1985, Sacramento, California, United States) is an American pop/alternative music producer based in Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, s ...
. Williams also formerly led worship at the Refuge Campus of Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Arkansas, where he was on staff from 2014–2017.
On December 14, 2016, Williams digitally released his full-length album, ''Chain Breaker'', and announced a release date of January 27, 2017 for the CD.
On October 4, 2019, Williams released his second album, ''
Rescue Story''. It includes the single, "
There Was Jesus", with
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
.
Discography
Albums
As
Zach Williams & The Reformation
*2009: ''Electric Revival'' (Independent)
*2011: ''A Southern Offering'' (Independent)
Solo
EPs
As Zach Williams and the Brothers of Grace
*2014: ''Shine a Light EP''
Solo
Holiday albums
Singles
As lead artist
Promotional singles
As featured artist
Other charted songs
Awards and nominations
American Music Awards
, -
,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
, Zach Williams
,
Favorite Artist – Contemporary Inspirational
,
, -
,
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
, Zach Williams
,
Favorite Artist – Contemporary Inspirational
,
''Billboard'' Music Awards
, -
, rowspan="2" ,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
, Zach Williams
, Top Christian Artist
,
, -
, "Old Church Choir"
, Top Christian Song
,
, -
,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, Zach Williams
, Top Christian Artist
,
, -
, rowspan="3" ,
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
, Zach Williams
, Top Christian Artist
,
, -
, ''
Rescue Story''
, Top Christian Album
,
, -
, "
There Was Jesus"
, Top Christian Song
,
, -
Grammy Awards
GMA Dove Awards
, -
, rowspan="5" ,
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
, rowspan="2" , Zach Williams
, New Artist of the Year
,
, -
, Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="2" , "
Chain Breaker"
, Song of the Year
,
, -
, Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
,
*
, -
, ''
Chain Breaker''
, Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="2",
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, Zach Williams
, Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year
,
, -
, ''Survivor: Live From Harding Prison''
, Long Form Video of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="5",
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
, "Rescue Story"
, Song of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="2" , Zach Williams
, Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year
,
, -
, Artist of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="2" , ''
Rescue Story''
, Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year
,
, -
, Recorded Music Packaging of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="5",
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
, "
There Was Jesus"
, Song of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="2" , Zach Williams
, Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year
,
, -
, Artist of the Year
,
, -
, "Stand My Ground"
, Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
,
, -
, "There Was Jesus"
, Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
,
, -
,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
, Zach Williams
, Artist of the Year
,
, -
*
* Was a joint win alongside
Ryan Stevenson's "Eye of the Storm".
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Zach
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singers
American performers of Christian music
American Southern Rock musicians
Essential Records (Christian) artists
Grammy Award winners
Living people
Musicians from Pensacola, Florida
People from Jonesboro, Arkansas
Singers from Arkansas
Year of birth missing (living people)