Juno Award winner William Prince draws inspiration from relationships, deep voices and Johnny Cash
William is Anishinabe from Peguis First Nation on the western shores of Lake Winnipeg. He had a fan following before he even released his first album, Earthly Days. William Prince joins us for an extended interview where he'll play live and share some of his favourite songs.
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William Prince (Mike Latschislaw)
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This episode originally aired July 3, 2016
William Prince was inspired to pick up a guitar after seeing his dad play. His parents ran a DJ service and he grew up surrounded by music — often falling asleep at events as country and rock tunes played in the background.
When asked to choose four artists that inspire him, Prince came up with a list that includes a high school buddy, a few contemporaries on the Winnipeg scene and the Man in Black.
Johnny Cash Tennessee Flat Top Box "Johnny Cash's (voice) did something to me and it changed my life forever. Tennessee Flat Top Box is the reason I learned to play guitar. That's where music really began for me was hearing that riff. I'll never, ever forget the feeling I got."
Johnny Cash ( Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Richard Inman D-Day Dodgers "He's young, he's only about 23 years old. He's got this soulful, woeful voice ... you can't help but be taken by it. D-Day Dodgers is truly one of the most poetic tunes I've heard. It's a beautiful painting of a song."
Richard Inman (Supplied) Don Amero Turn These Grey Skies Blue "Nothing moves me quite like his Turn These Grey Skies Blue tune. I really love that song, every time I hear it live it just impresses me again at Don's ability. He's a musician's musician in terms of guitar playing and he's a great writer, great father and a great friend."
Don Amero (Donamero.com)
Leonard Sumner Tears and Time "I can state that from grade 10 onwards, Leonard Sumner has always been a genius lyric writer. From the days I first met him, that's all he did. He had a notebook, he'd write raps, he'd write lyrics, he'd write poems. I believe a gentleman is somebody who always makes others feel comfortable around them and that's Leonard Sumner all the time."
