Award-winning guitarist and vocalist Josh Williams released his first album (Tall Pickin'), which focused on the banjo-playing part of his persona, when he was ten. A couple years later, Williams formed Josh Williams & High Gear, who went on to record two albums for Copper Creek. After graduating high school, Williams accepted an invitation to play mandolin and fiddle in Chicago's Special Consensus, a role he filled until 2003, when he left to join Rage as their guitarist. During this period he recorded Now That You’re Gone (2000), which was followed with Lonesome Highway (2004). Down Home was scheduled for release in 2009 but was shelved; the label eventually folded, but Rounder released the disc in early 2011. ~ Thom Jurek