William Beckmann Takes PEOPLE Behind the Scenes of His Grand Ole Opry Debut: 'An Iconic Place'
Andrew Thorpe William Beckmann
William Beckmann has long come to rely on Parker McCollum. Certainly, the two rising country artists have much in common, from their Texas roots to their dedication to making the music that comes from their soul. And now, they also share another special similarity.
They both have played the iconic Grand Ole Opry.
"[Parker] was the one that called me and told me that the Grand Ole Opry had invited me to play," Beckmann, 27, tells PEOPLE mere days after his March 3 debut performance at the legendary venue. "I look at Parker as like a big brother and so I'm glad that he was the one that called me and broke the news."
It's a piece of news that Beckmann has long waited for, as the retro-looking artist delivering the brand-new sound has spent much of his life waiting for an opportunity such as this. "I come from a small town in Texas called Del Rio," says Beckmann, who currently splits his time between homes in both Nashville and San Antonio. "Things like this don't always happen to guys like me."
Andrew Thorpe William Beckmann
As a new kid on the block, Beckmann was only awarded a two-song set from the Opry, but he certainly made quite the impression with the two songs he picked to perform.
"I did really try to pick them wisely," Beckmann remembers of the songs he delivered beautifully at his Grand Ole Opry debut, captured in a series of pictures premiering exclusively on PEOPLE. "The first song was a song of mine that I wrote called 'Bourbon Whiskey,' which is a really traditional country song. It's probably the most country thing that I have. It just felt right to be playing such an old-school country song on such an iconic stage."
Yet, it might just have been Beckmann's second song that served up the most powerful moment of the night.
Andrew Thorpe William Beckmann
"It's actually a cover of a song called 'Volver, Volver' by Vincente Fernandez, which is a mariachi song that I did in Spanish," remembers Beckmann. "Having grown up on the border of Del Rio, Texas, I grew up hearing songs in Spanish."
In fact, the Mexican culture is one that Beckmann says he has always been "very close to," adding that "it only felt right to do something a little bit different at the Grand Ole Opry and show people where I'm from and how I was raised and what really influenced me growing up."
Andrew Thorpe William Beckmann
And leading with his truth resulted in a standing ovation from the Opry crowd, smack dab in the middle of the venue that years ago wouldn't have been quite as welcoming to different sounds.
"The people that are getting to play [the Opry] right now is leading the venue into the future," says the bilingual artist whose Las Posadas Tour: Hope for Uvalde sold out nine shows in 10 days across Texas last year, raising over $50,000 for Matthew and Camila McConaughey's Just Keep Livin' Foundation's Uvalde Relief Fund.
Andrew Thorpe William Beckmann
"I think it's a really cool thing to be able to sing a song in Spanish," continues Beckmann, whose single "Damn This Heart of Mine" currently sits inside the Top 20 on Texas Radio Charts and looks to have a new album out this spring. "It's something I'm sure has been done a couple times in the past, but definitely not often. It was really cool to add that little piece of history to such an iconic place."
And watching every moment of the two-song performance was a slew of Beckmann's family, including his parents and his two living grandparents along with a slew of cousins and siblings. His girlfriend of six months was also there to take in the special moment.
Andrew Thorpe William Beckmann
"I felt very blessed and fortunate to have such a great support system," says Beckmann, who kept the celebration going that night with a late dinner in Nashville.
"My father did a toast," Beckmann quietly remembers. "My folks have seen me through thick and thin, trying to make this my career. It's opportunities like the one that the Opry gave me that make it all worth it and make me feel fulfilled and make me feel like things are starting to look up." He pauses. "That's a great feeling as well."
