Stephen Wilson Jr. releases powerful version of his song “Gary,” from his performance at CMA Fest

Stephen Wilson Jr. has new music! He’s releasing the live version of “Gary,” recorded during his set at CMA Fest 2026.

Wilson first released “Gary” late last year. It’s currently in the Top 40 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. It was featured in “CMA Fest Presented by SoFi,” which aired Thursday night on . It was his first time performing on the headlining Nissan Stadium stage.

Wilson is a rising star in the country music world, a world he hadn’t originally planned to be a part of.

“When I first moved to Nashville when I was a freshman in college, I was a young science student,” he said before his set at CMA Fest.

He realized his musical talent in his teens and taught himself to play guitar. He considers Willie Nelson a mentor.

Wilson says songwriting and music are what can unite us.

“I find that if I’ve experienced something, there’s a good chance somebody else has too. Even though we are all very much unique creatures, I find a lot of us have so many parallels in our lives and our jobs as songwriters and performers is to find those parallels and thread a needle through them and perhaps present them on a stage,” he said.

“CMA Fest Presented by SoFi” is streaming now on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

For more interviews with this year’s performers, watch “On The Red Carpet Presents: CMA Fest” HERE.

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