By Marcel Pacatte
Next month, Jacksonville native Will Clark will have a dream come true. He said he had always dreamed of seeing the Grand Ole Opry from the inside … and now, on September 20, his dream will bust wide open as he walks into the Opry House on the red carpet as a nominee for both country male vocalist of the year and for “Road Trippin’” — up for Country Male Song of the Year.
The nominations are for the Josie awards, started a dozen years ago to recognize independent artists across all musical genres.
Clark, based now in Nashville, is pinching himself over the nominations fresh from a performance at the Illinois State Fair, with a stop afterward at Waverly’s Wagon Wheel tavern, where many of his fans have turned out for several of his performances, including one acoustic show last year that was staged as a surprise for his mother, Beverly Clark, who lives now in Chapin.
Will Clark debuted the song he wrote about growing up in Jacksonville, “This Ole Town,” in the backyard at the Wagon Wheel because he wanted his mother to witness it and she wasn’t able to make the trip to Nashville.
Clark, who has performed at the Wagon Wheel solo, with his band, and both acoustic and plugged in, said he likes the casual, low-key atmosphere in Waverly.
Clark, a good son, said he tries to get back to the area every couple of months to visit his mother.
Of the nominations, he said on Facebook that it only recently was starting to sink in.
“I’m up against some incredible artists, who’ve got some great music out there, so just receiving the nomination among them is an incredible honor!” shared Clark.
