Few country artists can boast the background of Sam Williams. His father was outlaw icon Hank Williams, Jr., his grandfather Hank Williams was one of country's most legendary and influential artists, and his half-brother Hank Williams III is an outspoken country-punk firebrand. Following in his family's footsteps, Sam Williams is musically his own man. He has a low-key, emotionally intimate approach that's closer to contemporary folk and moody pop than country, and his songs don't take place in honky tonks. His early singles -- 2016's blues-influenced "Darkwater" and 2018's twangy "The Lost Grandchild's Plea" -- delved into rollicking roots music, but by the time of 2021's Glasshouse Children, he fashioned a more mature and introspective tone. He expanded on his debut with a 2022 deluxe version featuring additional material. Sam Williams was born in New Braunfels, Texas in 1997. He grew up in Paris, Tennessee, and while his famous father was well-known for his music, he rarely played or sang at home. When Sam became interested in music, his tastes ran to pop, hip-hop, and R&B. He expressed an interest in songwriting when he was six years old, though it presented itself in an unusual way -- he told his mother he's written a tune for her, but when he sang it, she quickly recognized it as "Lucky" by Britney Spears. Growing up, Williams was determined to follow a different path than most of his family, despite his creative instincts, and after completing high school, he moved to Nashville and enrolled in college, majoring in business. Williams proved to be a poor fit for higher education, and when he became a father at the age of 19, he decided it was time to make something of his passion for writing poetry and music. He began adapting his poems into songs, and landed a publishing deal, writing alongside respected tunesmiths such as Mary Gauthier, Jim Lauderdale, and Lori McKenna. He released his first single, "Darkwater," in 2016, which showed off an audible blues influence, and emulated vintage country on 2018's "The Lost Grandchild's Plea," inspired in part by his family's history. However, the more he wrote, the more he developed a sound apart from roots music, reflecting influences such as Ed Sheeran, Drake, Tyler Childers, and Margo Price. In June 2020, Sam's sister Katie Williams died in an auto accident, and her passing had a powerful impact on him. Williams took to writing and recording material paying homage to her and reflecting his sense of loss. In 2021, Universal Music Group Nashville signed Williams to their Mercury Records imprint, and in September 2021, it issued his first album, Glasshouse Children, which included the single "The World: Alone," which came out on what would have been his sister's 28th birthday. The album also included guest appearances from Dolly Parton and Keith Urban. A deluxe version of the album arrived in 2022 featuring six additional songs including the singles "Tilted Crown" and "Ragdoll."