Stephen Wilson Jr.’s ‘Stand by Me’ Cover Reinvents Ben E. King Hit

Stephen Wilson Jr. is on the cusp of his breakthrough. Since releasing his debut album Son of Dad last year, he’s mesmerized audiences at festivals like Stagecoach, on tour with Hardy, and, most recently, via an appearance on the Atlanta-based online series Live at the Print Shop, where he performed a cover of Ben E. King’s 1961 hymn “Stand by Me.”

The response to Wilson’s version — featuring his slashing acoustic guitar playing and the raspy moan of his voice — was remarkable, and the Indiana singer-songwriter found himself with a new crop of fans (as well as more than 1 million views of Live at the Print Shop‘s video). On Friday, Wilson officially released his “Stand by Me (Live at the Print Shop)” to streaming services.

Wilson’s creative output has been informed by the loss of his father: Son of Dad courses with the energy of Stephen Sr. in haunting songs like “Father’s Son” and “Grief Is Only Love” written after his death. “Stand by Me” hits differently — Wilson’s reimagined performance connects him to a time when his father was still alive.

“‘Stand by Me’ was the song that brought my dad back, if only for a few,” he says in a statement. “It was that song that made it all clear what I was supposed to be doing with my time from that moment on.” 

“Stand by Me” follows up Wilson’s collaboration with Hardy on “Father’s Son,” released in September, and arrives in the midst of a headlining tour that will take him to Atlanta, Boston, New York, and Nashville. In July, Wilson released another reinvented cover that underscored the type of grunge-country music he plays: a version of Nirvana’s “Something in the Way.”