Staff Reports

Rickie Joe Wilson is an Indiana-born Nashville recording artist/songwriter who performs year-round up and down the Emerald Coast of Florida.

His latest single, “Whiskey For Breakfast,” was unveiled to the masses March 22 on AOK Records in Nashville, Tennessee. The song was produced by Adam Knight, president of AOK Records, and is the second album Wilson has recorded with Knight, the first being “Honky Tonkin Guitar Man,” which dropped in March 2021.

“Rickie Joe Wilson is a beacon of hope for fans of country music since he is probably the only artist in the industry today who pays due diligence to his roots but still keeps every new release fresh, edgy and compelling,” a news release states. “His songs are always anchored by the exceptional lyricism that he brings to the table, drawing from his own experiences of loss and eventual redemption.”

His story also is the story of addiction, recovery, faith, love and loss, and he uses these powerful and poignant prompts to set the tone for the underlying message in his latest single.

It is now common knowledge that Wilson was a practicing drug addict for 25 years. He cleaned up and got sober in 2003 and then spent 13 years in ministry, taking his message of a faith-driven recovery to numerous prisons and jails in southern Indiana.

In 2010, he established The Alley in Seymour, which fed the homeless and poor of Jackson County. The Alley serves 20,000 meals per year and is still in existence today.

Wilson now uses the unique name brand he has crafted for himself to inspire and give hope to all those who feel lost and abandoned.

In 2018, he moved to Florida with Teresa, his wife of 32 years, and his five adopted children, who now tour together on the Emerald Coast with Rickie’s solo Hillbilly Rock and Roll Show.

His live shows are an eclectic mix of classic country, outlaw country, classic rock and ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and some ’90s radio hits.

Wilson is a retired minister. He also performed regularly in bars, honky tonks and taverns during his time in ministry.

He also spent 20 years in radio as an on-air personality at Radio 96.3 WJAA in Seymour. He was the host of the popular radio show “The Lunch Rock Cafe” for nearly 20 years.

Wilson performs 200 shows a year and says as long as he can still give an audience his best, he will continue playing live shows.

For information, visit rickiejoewilson.com.