Meet Chad Wilson Bailey | Artist, Musician & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chad Wilson Bailey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chad Wilson, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Through an unexpected set of circumstances, that I felt at the time were unfortunate, I came to the realization that I wanted more time in my life to be creative and to focus more on my mental and physical health. At that point, I was in my early 40s and had been working on and off in the music industry for my entire adult life. I decided to double down on my efforts as a musician and created an LLC. I focused all of my attention on my career in music, and basically never said ‘no’ to any work that came my way. It was physically and emotionally challenging at first, performing nearly 300 shows per year while also writing and releasing my own original music. But in time, I found balance and now I know it was the best decision I could have made for myself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

One of the things I am most proud about is the feeling of respect that I get from my peers in music. Choosing to make music your career takes dedication, perseverance and a bit of risk taking. I feel like other artists understand that and respect that in each other. There’s no clear path to becoming a professional performing artist/writer. Each individual has to create their own brand and identity and it takes considerable fortitude. I’ve been performing live and writing music since I was a teenager, but switching gears from a part‐time passion project to running a full time business was not easy. I think I’ve been successful due to a number of things that really have nothing to do with music. Being reliable is huge, having the correct equipment and knowing how to use it is crucial, having a strong work ethic is essential and finding balance in life is equally important.

The learning never stops but I’d say one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is the power of giving back to other human beings. Helping others to achieve their dreams is remarkably rewarding.

I don’t think about, “what I want the world to know about me” very often, if at all. I would simply say that I really love what I get to do, I’m grateful for every performance opportunity that I am offered and I appreciate every fan that I get to meet and talk to.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Arizona and I have to say I LOVE it here. We have magical places like Sedona and The Navajo Nation. You can drive 4 hours south of Phoenix and be on white sand beaches on the Sea of Cortez. We have great snowboarding in the winter. We have incredible restaurants like Mariposa in Sedona and classics like Durant’s in Phoenix. Anyone who visits me for a week will be kept very busy and will have a lot of fun!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There have been so many individuals along the way that have encouraged me and inspired me to follow my dream of being a professional musician. All of my favorite artists such as Peter Gabriel, Sting, U2, Tom Petty and so many others still inspire me daily with their body of work. I’m inspired by my brother, Charles Bailey, who has been my life long musical companion, as well as my wife who writes with me and encourages me everyday to be mindful and present in each moment. Honestly, my fans and friends who come see my shows and listen to my music truly inspire me and fill my heart with gratitude.

Website: www.chadwilsonbailey.com

Instagram: chad_wilson_bailey