NASHVILLE, TN — Things keep on getting bigger and better for one West Virginia musician who’s ready to take on a rather famous venue Friday night.
County music lives and breathes through the state of Tennessee. The morning after a mid-December performance in Knoxville, Charles Wesley Godwin, a product of the mountain state, was asked by his manager how an invite to the Grand Ole Opry sounded.
“The soonest date I’ll take it,” Godwin replied.
Friday, February 10th, Godwin will make his Opry debut in Nashville around other performances from well-know country musicians like Vince Gill and Lady A.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to meet him,” Godwin said about Gill.
The first time he saw Gill perform, Godwin was in his college years playing some bluegrass music of his own with some friends. On a Monday night in Nashville, Godwin thought he would never be that good, but said that night was “eye-opening” and “inspirational” to him.
The West Virginia musician then started building on a wide-range for his own music. A mixture of sounds are a part of his resume. Whether it be Country, Bluegrass, or Americana, Godwin doesn’t see a problem with having all of it.
“It really comes down to if you can connect with people, and for whatever reason I do,” he said. “I can connect with people all across the country.”
People may not like country music, but Godwin has found out plenty of those who attend his shows get hooked on his style.
.@CharlesWesleyG will be performing at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday. He joins @HoppyKercheval to discuss his early success in the music industry. WATCH: https://t.co/yCFQ3nDJuy pic.twitter.com/ZleFdxeZtu
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) February 7, 2023
“That’s never a bad thing when you can cross over with different tastes that people have,” he explained.
Picking up a guitar and producing music wasn’t always plan A however. Godwin said he faced reality after coming up short multiple times trying to be a walk-on for the West Virginia University football team. Three attempts to be exact. A new hobby then ensued.
“I realized I would never be able to play sports again at a high level, so I was looking for other hobbies,” said Godwin.
What a hobby it’s turned out to be.
For his Opry performance, Godwin expects to be involved with members of his band for some songs as well as the house band that performs at the cultural landmark. He’ll also do some songs solo acoustic.
Godwin’s tour began at the start of the month and he has shows booked though the month of June. He currently resides in Morgantown.