Rhythm & Bass – Musician, Wil Petty
Wil Petty plays the bass guitar at a performance. {Contributed photo/Jody Adams}
As a child, Wil Petty would move around to the sound of music coming from his parents stereo speakers. His parents exposed him to a wide variety of music styles (rock, jazz, folk, reggae, afro-cuban, classical, big band, etc.) at a early age. His interest and love for music were noticed and encouraged by his parents as they enrolled him into guitar lessons at a local music store after he turned seven.
The guitar was a child size six-string acoustic guitar. After two months of lessons, the instructed called his mother into the lesson room and said, “You need to move him into higher level training. He is doing things on the guitar that even I can’t do!” He suggested classical guitar lessons and recommended an instructor in Winston-Salem.
Thus began Petty’s classical training on guitar. His new instructor was also amazed at his innate talent and skills at such a young age. His instructor encouraged him the next nine years to enter classical guitar competitions held at universities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Petty won and placed in several of these competitions. He was even invited to compete alongside college age participants in some of these competitions. At the age of 14, Petty entered and competed in the first Youth Solo Competition, an international competition, at The Guitar Foundation of America’s annual convention.
Petty attended Appalachian State University on a classical guitar music scholarship before deciding his interest was in music other than classical guitar.
During his college experience, he was asked to play bass guitar with a college jazz group whose lead guitarist was a professor. With that group, he would travel and play across Europe He continued to hone his mastery of bass guitar (easily picking up the ability to play any stringed instrument, including the piano) and his interest in jazz intensified. He also played in local club bands during this time.
Petty’s professional career goes on to include performing for Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruise Lines. These gigs afforded him the opportunity to travel around Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the Caribbean, Central America, and up and down the West Coast of the U.S. His talent and expertise earned him the position as Musical Director during his time with Celebrity Cruise Lines.
His professional career also includes touring with Troika Entertainment in a production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”–performing throughout the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, Petty spent six months touring with the Utah Shakespeare Festival playing jazz guitar, banjo, and ukulele for the Marx Brothers musical “Cocoanuts” (music composed and written by Irving Berlin).
Petty returned home to North Carolina and met two talented musical compadres (Cameron Owen, lead guitar, and Josh Wyatt, drums) and began performing in their band “Radio Sparks” (represented by Sam Hill Entertainment). All are super talented, and their collective experience is extensive. The band performs mainly as a cover band for weddings, social events, and festivals from an array of musical genres ranging from the 1950s to the present. They’ve performed in various venues on the East Coast and have played in historic venues including The Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan and The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles. They’ve been known to break into “jam sessions” during performances that will simply amaze the listener.
Josh Wyatt on drums (foreground) and Wil Petty on bass. {Contributed photo/Jody Adams}
Petty’s skillful bass playing and his love of music show that following one’s passion will become your reality. Using his talent, he’s traveled extensively, met and befriended other talented artists, and experienced the palpable rhythm of life through music.
The band “Radio Sparks” can be reached at: https://www.samhillbands.com/bands/radio-sparks
