By Steve Gillespie / assistant editor
Storm Williams’ first paying gig was at an outdoor venue when he was 5 years old.
“I was watching a Mississippi Power crew work from my back yard and I had a toy guitar,” Williams said. “One of the guys said he wanted me to write a song about America.”
Williams threw something together, apparently, because the Mississippi Power lineman gave him a dime.
Williams comes from a long line of musicians. His dad, Ira Williams, played music back in the 1950s. Before him, Storm said his grandfather, Odell Williams, played music in and around Quitman, where the Williamses are from originally.
Storm Williams was born in Tokyo, however, while his father was stationed there in the Air Force.
His father started him picking on a guitar at an early age. He has made music ever since. Sometimes he has help from his wife, Jammy, and two daughters, Madison, age 11, and Katie, age 6.
“I’ve played in a lot of local bands,” Williams said.
Many garage bands have taken up his time over the years. He played tuba in his high school marching band and during 1984 and 1985 he played keyboards for one of the groups of the Young American Showcase performers who traveled throughout the Southeastern United States.
For the past 10 years Williams has concentrated on Christian music.
“In 1996 I came to the realization that God is real. Jesus is real. That’s when I got serious about writing and recording,” Williams said. “It’s been Christian ever since.”
Now 40, Williams writes Christian music because he believes in spreading the word of Christianity.
“It’s not a message to force down anyone’s throat or anything,” Williams said. “It’s just there if anyone wants to listen to it.”
Sometimes, he said a certain melody will float around in his head for years before he puts words to it. Jammy helps give him focus on some of the songs.
She also sings and writes Christian songs. Her music is more contemporary sounding while some of Storm’s music has more of a rock flavor. His greatest musical influences have been The Beatles and Pink Floyd. His greatest Christian music influence has been the late Rich Mullins, although Williams admits the influence there is more about Mullins’ spirit than music.
In some of Williams’ material even a heavy metal influence can be heard.
Under the name Project Audio Storm, Williams records at home. He is working on booking live performances now. For his day job he is as a lab technician with Primary Care Associates.
“I hope one day to be playing music all the time,” Williams said. “I want my girls to get into music, too.”
He constantly gives away his CDs and they can be purchased from his Web site, www.projectaudiostorm.com, for a donation of any amount.
Williams started out doing a song for a dime. Now he provides nearly an hour’s worth of music for as little as a penny. It’s worth it to him because the message Williams writes about, believes in, and often gives away through his talent is the message of hope.
“The most important thing is the message of the music — Jesus loves everyone an incredible amount,” Williams said. “That’s why I do the music. That’s why I give the CDs away. Because the message is real.”
