wilson braswell band

Everyone's musical palate calls for a different taste, if you label those tastes in colors then here you have a band that can certainly paint a rainbow. The Wilson Braswell Band brings tons of performance experience as well as some of the most diversified talent to be found anywhere.
Although, the band's sound is based around the soulful voice and fiery guitar of Wilson Braswell, there is plenty more to offer. Add two more really great singers, Gene LeSage of The Collin Raye Band playing keyboards, and Brad Williams playing bass guitar, you get a combination that just has to be heard to believe. All sitting over a foundation laid out by George Sandler the bands drummer.
These guys have all performed locally around Metro Atlanta in various groups and have just recently teamed up for this project and are beginning to fill the book with dates. The strong following of each player is combined for this show and is attracting strong crowds at every venue. An evening of Classic Rock, Soul, Blues, and Funk at its finest!
Please enjoy the information on the following pages about the band and thank you for your consideration when the need for Great Live Entertainment is the answer.
For booking information please contact Wilson Braswell at (770) 330-9263
Band Member Bios
Wilson Braswell (Guitar & Vocals)
Like a fine wine some things only get better with age. This would certainly be a perfect description for the musical talent of Wilson Braswell. His hard work ethic and determination combined with lots of inspiring musical influences have culminated in a unique style and sound that he can truly call his own. Growing up as a child in a family environment of music with his father, grandfather, relatives and others getting together every weekend for the family jam session at the Braswell house, the seeds were planted for a long eventful career as a musician.
Wilson officially began his music career in the early Seventies, at age seventeen, as lead singer and guitarist for the band Commonwealth. These popular rock and rollers not only made a big following for themselves with the party crowd in Panama City, Florida but, went on more than one nationwide tour. Commonwealth also toured as the back up band for National Recording Artist and Grammy Award Nominee the Mighty Sam McClain.
Wilson continued playing with various local groups in his home town of Talladega, Alabama and a return trip to the hot club scene in Panama City, Florida to work with a very popular new group called Power Company. In search of greater economic opportunities Wilson moved to “Hotlanta” playing the local club scene with bands Process Blue, Sweetwater and for the last five years as the driving force for the hard working Borderline Band.
Wilson’s hard work began to pay big dividends when studying at a Guitar Clinic in Sarasota, Florida when he met super talent Dan Toler, the guitarist and co writer with Greg Allman on the hugely popular I’m No Angel and Just Before The Bullets Fly albums. Wilson and Dan hit it off and teamed up with some other great musicians for some memorable impromptu shows much to the delight of the lucky few who happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Wilson names a number of musical greats that influenced his style, among them Greg Allman, Paul Rodgers, Robben Ford, Dan Toler and Dickey Betts. Whomever the influences that may be named, if you want to hear Allman Brothers, Doobie Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd guitar and vocals the way it’s supposed to be done, get yourself down to the next show and get ready to relive the musical experiences that we all grew up with. See you at the next Show!
Gene LeSage (Keyboard & Vocals)
Since June of 1991, Gene LeSage has been Keyboardist and High harmony background vocalist for country music artist, Collin Raye. Performing up to 180 dates a year, Geno has definitely experienced the strenuous road life of a Musician.
Gene's father, Gene LeSage III, owned a small recording studio in Minden, Nevada. At this studio, the young LeSage learned to play guitar at age 7 and recorded Ricky Nelson songs, singing both lead vocals and harmonies. At church, he played drums and bass as early as 9 years of age. "From age 10 through 15," laughs Geno, "I was my Dad's only employed studio musician." During high school Geno had a solo act that performed at a local Mexican restaurant. Around graduation , he started playing in bands around the Carson City and Reno, Nevada areas in several bars and casinos. One of the first bands in which Geno performed was "Nikki Nelson & Gold Rush." Nikki later became lead singer for the award-winning country group Highway 101. Geno recall's, "We were childhood friends. We met at church, and one night she came to my Dad's studio and started singing the song 'Teach Me To Cheat' by The Kendells. I can still see my Dad snickering while she sang -- the material was a bit mature for a 7th grader." While performing in a group called "The Silver State Band," Geno was approached by Collin Raye's manager, Steve Cox, and asked to join Collin's band. Collin would often attend their shows after he had completed his own shows for the evening in the Reno area. "What a tremendous honor and education it has been to work with Collin," Geno says of his boss of eight years.
With his earliest musical influences being Ricky Nelson and Elvis, Geno sites Ricky Skaggs as his "ultimate influence on the die-hard traditionalist country side.
On the 70's and 80's pop/rock influences side, I've got to mention Elton John and Lionel Richie," he remarks. "In a perfect world, musically I'd like to meld all my influences -- and I think the music I'm currently writing at least gives a little taste of that."
Since 1997 Geno has had writers deals with EMI and Britsar Music Publishing. Geno got his first cut in 1999 when Collin Raye and Bobbie Eakes recorded " Loving this Way," which was a top 40 hit. Since then, he has had 5 other cuts including "Forgotten," "Heart," and "We'll Be Alright," on Collins current Album "20 Years and Change." In 2001, Geno wrote and produced the demo for newly signed DreamWorks artist Jennie Jordan. Since then, he has co-produced Collin Raye's new "20 Years and Change" album (released November 2005) and another Raye album that was released in Europe. Lately, Geno has been playing in the Atlanta area with “Wilson Braswell”, "Borderline", and has also been taking solo gigs for restaurants such as "Garrisons," and Johnny Esposito's "Athletic Club." Geno also performs at other special events and will be going back out on the road with Collin Raye through the summer. Geno has also been in the studio producing aspiring artists that he thinks deserve a shot at a recording career. "There's nothing cooler than helping talented people achieve their goals." On another note, Geno is now a licensed real estate agent in the state of Georgia, where he lives with his wife Kristen and their two beautiful children Lily and Levi. Together, in the real estate community, he and Kristen are known as the "LeSage Team." As you can see, Geno has stayed very busy.
Brad Williams (Bass Guitar & Vocals)
Atlanta native, Brad Williams, has been involved in music nearly all of his life. He recorded his first album at age 5, then completing the 2nd at age 11. At age 13, Williams performed on the nationally syndicated television program, ‘Star Search’.
As an instrumentalist, Brad first started musically as a classically trained percussionist. He received formal training at Brevard Music Center (N.C.) and the Chautauqua Institution (N.Y.). His instructors include: Jack Bell, Tim Howard, Cloyd Duff, Christopher Norton, and Todd London. Brad studied percussion performance at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and free-lanced as a drummer/percussionist.
After returning from Nashville, Brad divided his time, performing as percussionist and bass guitarist. He spent 6 years as band leader and lead vocalist of Timeless Highway, a mostly traditional country band. The group performed hundreds of dates throughout the southeast and worked with numerous national acts.
He has performed or done shows with Andy Griggs, Patty Loveless, Kenny Rogers, John 'J.T' Thomas & Doug Derryberry (Bruce Hornsby), Dan Toler (Allman Brothers), and Charlie Daniels.
Brad now divides his time with several projects. He plays in Livin’ Large, The Wilson Braswell Band, The Lance Price Trio, and The Deliverymen. He also does session work in the Atlanta area.
When he is not performing, Brad is the Audio/Visual Specialist and Webmaster at Wesleyan School in Norcross, Georgia. He lives in Alpharetta with his son, Skyler.
George Sandler (Drums)
GEORGE SANDLERBorn in Atlanta GA., George has played drums and sung with LOU’S BLUES REVUE, DEREK ST.HOLMES (former lead singer w/Ted Nugent), MIKE VEAL, TOM GROSE AND THE VARSITY, THE WILSON BRASWELL BAND, and CCM group SUNDAY DRIVE to name a few. He marched in the SPIRIT OF ATLANTA DCI drum and bugle corps at the age of 16 and was a percussion/music major music major at Georgia St. University in Atlanta after graduating high school. He has taught in and around Rockdale County for 15 + years, was the percussion instructor at Heritage High School for 10 years and also taught at Newton High School and Alcovy High School. George also has been involved with Church in the Now and Impact Ministries as a performer and continues to be involved as a producer/engineer/drummer with several organizations and groups. He is currently a member of the prasie bands at Northside United Methodist Church in Atlanta and Metropolitan Church of God in Birmingham. Always the versatile performer, George has served in the pit for productions of OLIVER TWIST at the Alliance Theater, ROCKIN’ TO THE POINTE’ at the Atlanta Civic Center and the Ferst Fine Arts center at Ga Tech, a production of SWEENY TODD at Georgia State University and served as the orchestra director for the City of Conyers Christmas productions at the Georgia International Horse Park from 1997-1999. He was the musical director/drummer for the 2005 and 2006 Conyers Rockdale Council for the Arts production of ALWAYS, PATSY CLINE. George has also worked as an extra on the television show IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT while it was being shot in Covington. George has been a session musician on literally hundreds of CDs including the DOVE award winning CD by THE GREENES, Glory Mountain, OFF THE BEATEN PATH by Erik Veil, TIM GREENE (played on the Dove award winning THE ROCKS CRY OUT) and the award winning Christmas musical A Journey by THE NELONS as well as numerous jingles and other independant projects.