Sammy Lee
Every artist that experiences a breakthrough must first experience a crucible moment where one goes all in. This point is often the deciding factor for careers that never blossom or become that of legend. Sammy Lee’s moment was being booed offstage at a college songwriter showcase. This pain point tested him and forged his talented swagger fans have grown to appreciate today.
Before Sammy made believers out of hecklers, he grew up in a military family that moved every two years. Sammy is one of three kids whose best friend was the radio. Sammy’s earliest inspiration came in the form of Kenny G, whose smooth jazz sparked hope that one day he would entertain audiences with such ease. Lee’s ear also gravitated toward Miles Davis and the Dave Matthews Band. At the age of four, Sammy developed at aptitude to play the piano by ear. His improvisation on the keyboard led to him experimenting with more than fifteen instruments by high school. He arranged music by ear, which produced a folk and blues sound, and expressed his teenage emotions through poetry that became some of his early song lyrics – although Sammy adamantly identified as a songwriter and not a vocalist.
In 2014, Sammy left for Nashville where he was accepted into the fold of Tennessee up-and-comers. He played musical festivals, bars, and an entire circuit six days a week. This grueling schedule was everything he hoped for until it revealed a previously undiagnosed condition, multiple sclerosis. His body began shutting down and Lee, returned to Virginia, resigned himself to a short-lived musical career.
His new plan was to focus attention on his music consultation business, grown from his musician contacts in Nashville, now that his performing days were finished. While rehabilitating, through nutrition and exercise, word got out that Sammy had returned home to Williamsburg. The local contingency was unwilling to accept that he had given up entertaining them. Today, Sammy Lee writes with a renewed enthusiasm in creating his most technically challenging and inspiring work. “Between Project Argos Initiative, and writing as much as I have been, I’ve fallen back in love with music again,” Lee admits. Fans can expect a cadence driven, collaborative, self-titled album in the coming months. Sammy credits his new album influences on gypsy-jazz artist Paul Todd, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, Marc Broussard, and Chris Stapleton. He also started a new business, Iota Music, which partners with Retro Daddio on Mooretown Road to create a mobile recording studio for local artists to record original content.
Canaan Smith
“Williamsburg was a town that never did me wrong, [it] always had what I was looking for,” stated Canaan Smith, the Williamsburg native turned country music star. The Lafayette High School graduate recounted his earliest gigs played at Aromas Coffee Shop, on Prince George Street, for a handful of patrons on Thursday nights. “I grew up on the Toano - Williamsburg line. Richmond Road was where it all went down for me,” Canaan reminisced. He laughed out loud as he recalled rowdy times back in his old stomping grounds. Canaan always felt drawn to the roots of old country music and his experiences flow naturally through the storytelling of that genre. “There’s a safety and pride I take in sharing heartbreak, anger, nostalgia, and partying through country music,” Canaan stated. Smith knew that the move to Nashville in 2005 would lead to the next level for his musical career.
After almost a decade of hard work, by 2014, Canaan married his fiancée Christy, recorded his self-titled EP, then released his first full studio album, titled Bronco. In 2015, Canaan toured with Dierks Bentley which helped him achieve chart-topping singles and a tour with Florida Georgia Line. The last several years have brought great fortune and new challenges as Canaan, a recent father, charges into 2020. “It’s hard to be a parent,” exclaims Canaan, father to a five-month-old daughter. Fatherhood introduced a maturity and awareness of humanity in his upcoming projects as he balances both being a new dad and recording new singles. His upcoming project is all about his roots. Listeners can expect singles “Sweet Virginia,” “Cabin in The Woods,” and “Colder Than You” to take them into his deep love for Virginia. “I want Virginia fans to rally behind their hometown boy and know how proud I am to sing about home.” Canaan emphasized the importance of sharing hope. “I’m living proof that the garage band success story can come true.” Canaan's songs catalogue a love for music and life which are grounded in his humble beginnings. “I will never not be a Williamsburg, Virginian.”
