William Walter's love of songwriting began early

A single song can resonate so powerfully in a person that it changes his life.

For William Walter, the life-altering moment came as he stood in front of his locker at Henley Middle School.

“I was in the sixth grade, and I can think back to the exact place where I was standing,” Walter said during a recent telephone interview. “I can probably go back and touch the very locker I was standing in front of when I heard Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the USA.’

“I thought it was killer. It was Christmas time and I asked my parents for an electric guitar. We went to Charlottesville Music and Rob [Robert Walker] sold me my first electric guitar.

“It was crazy looking, with yellow and black stripes. It was the second-best Christmas present ever, right behind the Schwinn BMX.”

Walter’s initial excitement was quickly tempered by the sobering realization that he had a lot of work to do before he would be making music with his new instrument. Further inspired by guitarist Eddie Van Halen, he stuck with it, and after learning the A and G chords, he moved on to others.

If you don’t already know what the Boss and Van Halen wrought in the Henley alumnus, you soon can. William Walter and Company will be performing at the Southern Cafe and Music Hall on Saturday night.

The guitar helped Walter discover a talent for songwriting. It also made him realize that he wanted to be a professional musician.

By the time Walter had reached the eighth grade, he had formed his first band. His current band came about by chance, but it has endured and continues to gain popularity.

“This particular band came about around 2004, when I met Tucker Rogers at a mutual friend’s house,” Walter said. “It was someone’s birthday party and I remember they had a keg.

“I was playing my guitar, and Tucker came up and said he had a guitar. I told him to go get it, and we started playing and it went from there.

“We sought out other people to play with, and now the guys in the band are some of my closest friends.”

William Walter and Company gained national attention in 2009 with the song “When I Leave for California.” In addition to getting a lot of radio airplay, the song also was nominated for the International Songwriting Competition.

The band’s high-energy rock ’n’ roll made it a favorite at festivals. A few years ago, 14,500 music fans attending FloydFest voted the band “Best Emerging Artist.”

Rogers’ work on his Fender Telecaster can be dazzling. Stuart Holme started out playing piano, but Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” motivated him to switch to bass.

Adam Silvers started on piano and stayed with it. Those who have seen and heard him play are glad he did.

Nate Brown is the drummer for the band, and his talent is such that he’s in high demand for work with other artists. Michael Taylor fills in for him, and he will be keeping the beat Saturday night.

The Charlottesville-based band has four albums to its credit, and performed more than 250 shows last year. It continues to satisfy established fans and gain new ones with top-tier music and original songs penned by Walter.

The songwriter doesn’t sit around waiting for inspiration to spark a song. Experience has taught him that songs arrive in different ways.

“I’m always trying to write, regardless,” Walter said. “Oftentimes I’ll go back to notebooks and look for ideas from a ton of writing I’ve done.

“I’ll be lucky if there’s one decent thing in 10 pages of stuff I’ve written. Some songs you have to wrestle to the ground over a period of time.

“Others will be born within the space of 10 minutes, and they’ll be done. The song ‘When I Leave for California’ was a song like that.”

Walter discovered his calling via a song. Now, he writes songs he hopes will be meaningful for others.

“At the end of the day, I don’t thing there will ever be anything more powerful than a guy who can stand there with an instrument, be it a piano or a guitar, and sing a song that connects with people,” Walter said.

“There’s magic in those moments.”

William Walter and Company will perform Saturday evening at the Southern Cafe and Music Hall. Opening will be DJ Williams Projekt. Doors open at 8 p.m., with the show starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 the day of the show. Seating is limited.