Anne Wilson Details the Tragic Life Moment That Inspired Her Singing Career

Anne Wilson stopped by The Bobby Bones Show for International Women’s Day to talk about her new album Rebel.  

Wilson grew up in Lexington, Kentucky and her mother's side of the family was very musical. She didn’t get into music though until she was 15, after her brother, Jacob, was tragically killed in a car crash when he was 23. Her life drastically changed overnight, and she was heartbroken and devastated. She recalled having a vivid moment when she found out he was killed that she knew she needed to make an impact on earth with her time here, that’s when she turned to music. The first time she sang was at her brother's funeral, a cover of Hillsong's “What a Beautiful Name.” She chose to sing that song there because she had a moment where she realized she had to trust God in this horrible loss in her life, and she knew if she didn’t put her faith in God she would not survive. The first time she heard that song, she felt sacrifice of putting her trust in God and said singing it was healing for her.  

It’s wild that something so devastating started Wilson’s musical journey, but she looks at it as a special moment. From there, she signed a record deal when she was 17 and moved to Nashville when she was 18 and graduated High School in 2020. When she got to Nashville, she had already written 120 songs. When she walked into one of her first writing sessions, she had a bunch of title ideas, and one was called “My Jesus.” The two people she was writing with also had that title written down, so they took it as a sign and started writing a song about their relationship with God. Wilson’s biggest surprise as an artist was when she realized how much work it was and the sacrifice of leaving the family to go on the road. She has to sacrifice things most people don’t have too, but the reward she gets from seeing how her music impacts people’s lives makes it worth it.  

Wilson’s past work has been in the Christian music genre, but her forthcoming album, Rebel, that will be out April 19th, is country. Her previous album, My Jesus, was about her brother and their memories together. She said writing and recording for Rebel was healing because it’s about a new chapter and she felt healed and ready to move on. Rebel is so authentically her that it’s an extension of who she is. It still has a faith-based message but has more country to it and said her “roots are in it.”  

Being a Christian artist, there are times she felt like she couldn’t show fans that she lives a normal life. When people would tell her that her music saved their life, she would remind them that she didn’t, and it was God. Wilson is proof that artists can exist in multiple spaces and still be successful and relevant. God has always been a pillar of country music so that’s why she thinks it’s worked so well, and everyone’s been very supportive of her.  

Wilson looks up to Lainey Wilson as a mentor because they started around the same time. She’ll reach out to her if she needs advice and called her a “big sister.” Wilson is in CMT’s 2024 Next Women of Country Class and is looking forward to the opportunities this year will bring her!  

While in studio, Wilson performed “God & Country” and her latest single “Rain In The Rearview.”