Brad Pitt, like many others that have come across the work of Stephen Wilson Jr., was mesmerized by the passion present in the country singer’s voice and had to listen to more.
The 47-year-old country singer tends to have that effect on people. There’s just something about the talent and presence of the late-blooming Stephen Wilson Jr. that has quickly made him a household name in the country music world. In case you didn’t know, he worked as a scientist (and even created Dentastix) up until a number of a years ago, when he decided to go all in on a music career.
Safe to say that was the right call for the “Father’s Son” singer.
That decision – and the success Wilson Jr. has experienced since – even led him to a Hollywood movie premiere recently. The country singer’s cover of “Stand By Me” was used for the upcoming Brad Pitt film Heart of the Beast, and Stephen Wilson Jr. was out in Colorado recently to celebrate the night.
He described the experience like this:
“One hell of a night in the mountains. Honored to be part of ‘HEART OF THE BEAST’ and sing ‘Stand By Me’ with my best friend, Frida. Thank you for having me David Ayer and Paramount – and for the kindest intro, Brad Pitt.”
Frida is Stephen Wilson Jr.’s dog, in case you didn’t know.
During that special night, Brad Pitt talked a bit about how Stephen Wilson Jr.’s voice ended up playing a big role in the movie. According to the movie star, he came across the the Wilson Jr. cover and it stopped him in his tracks. It led him to do an even deeper dive into the country singer’s catalogue, and ultimately led the two to meet one another and work together:
“I don’t think film can exist without music. I hear this cover. It’s sung with such power and passion, this voice, it was just like, I had to look it up. And I went on this deep dive, like, ‘Who is this guy?'”
“Who is this guy?” might be the best way to describe Stephen Wilson Jr.’s sudden emergence. How could a voice like that be cooped up in a science lab for years on end?
Fortunately for all of us – and Brad Pitt – Wilson Jr. eventually took the leap into music, and the world is better off because of it. And it’s important to note the significance of “Stand By Me” being the song that was picked up by this upcoming movie. The country singer has stated many times before that he relates that song to his relationship with his late father, and always feels his presence when he performs it.
There’s just something about it that reminds Wilson Jr. of all the things his dad passed down to him, and there’s no doubt that his dad would be proud to see that his rendition is now the soundtrack for the upcoming blockbuster. If you haven’t heard Wilson Jr.’s cover used in the Heart of the Beast trailer yet, make sure to check it out before you go:
Heart of the Beast Trailer featuring Stephen Wilson Jr.’s “Stand By Me”
