By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Del Rio’s William Beckmann is dropping his first major label album June 20 on Warner Brothers Records.
“I’m currently on my bus traveling back to San Antonio. We just played Tulsa, Oklahoma, last night,” said Beckmann in early May. “We recently had shows with Parker McCollum in Virginia, South Carolina and Florida. Then we came across to Missouri and are making our way south through Oklahoma before going home.”
Beckmann has William Morris Endeavor, one of the world’s premiere talent agencies, plotting his path across the country. He shares an agent, William Glasscock, with artists like Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack, Randy Rogers Band, Parker McCollum, Josh Abbott Band, Stoney LaRue and Flatland Cavalry while he shares a label with Blake Shelton, Zach Bryan and Cody Johnson.
Many remember the baby-faced Beckmann playing events like the Wild Game Dinner, Rudy’s on Wednesday nights, White Horse Lounge regularly and any chance he had to perform locally. Now, prices for his shows range from $15 to $150, depending on the venue and other promotions. His show at Corpus Christi’s Brewster Street Ice House May 31, a few concert goers will pay $150 for an “Oyster” Table, that offers fans a more comfortable and exclusive experience.
Now, instead of going to shows in his jeep with his guitar tossed in the back seat and his sound system in the back, he travels on a state-of-the-art tour bus with his band.
“We’ve been on the road for three weeks, so as you can imagine, my guys and I are ready to be home. Living on a bus with 10 guys for that long can be exhausting,” Beckmann said. “We are all in good spirits, though. I love every minute of it, and they do too.”
The king of Texas Red Dirt music, Randy Rogers, was one of Beckmann’s first managers. He had a small management company called Big Blind that signed Beckmann in early 2019.
“In the short time that they managed me, he and his team were able to open a lot of doors for me,” Beckmann said. “The pandemic forced him to hang up the management company to focus on RRB. Luckily for me, I was able to find new management with a great Nashville-based company. Since then, I’ve signed with Warner Music Nashville, and I couldn’t be happier. They really believe in my art and give me complete creative freedom. That’s all an artist can really ask for.”
That freedom has played a defining role in Beckmann’s new album, a record he said was crafted to avoid sameness and take listeners on an emotional journey.
“What excites me about this new album is the complexity of it,” he said. “I really tried to make each song different and unique so that it wasn’t just 12 songs that all sound the same. I like records that take you on a journey.”
Influences like Roy Orbison, Gary Allan and Willie Nelson echo throughout the project. One track, “Lonely Over You,” nods to Orbison’s classic style, while “Game I Like to Play” channels the anthem-driven energy of early 2000s Allan. The emotional core of the record, however, lies in “Neon Sounds”—a vivid barroom tale penned by songwriting legend Dean Dillon.
Produced by Jon Randall, who has worked with Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley and Parker McCollum, the album captures Beckmann at his most honest and vulnerable, many say.
“Recording ‘Neon Sounds’ was a magical moment,” he recalled. “We did it in one take—no edits, no vocal comps. Just the band, the tape rolling and a real performance. I heard Dean cried when he listened to it. That’s an amazing feeling.”
Beckmann said the album was born from personal heartache but became a broader reflection on love, loss and authenticity.
“I wrote it during a time when I was watching a relationship fall apart,” he said. “It’s autobiographical. I had to get it out, and I made this record because it mattered to me. I just hope it connects with someone who’s lived through the same.”
With a major label behind him, a world-class booking agent helping mold his career, a trusted producer in his corner and a growing fan base nationwide, William Beckmann is emerging not just as a rising star in country music—but as one of its most sincere voices.
When his album drops June 20, Del Rio’s Beckmann may very well find his career in the stratosphere, rubbing elbows and sharing even more stages with country music greats.
