Sam Williams - Bass

After watching School of Rock aged 11 and having a disastrous career as cellist, Sam took Jack Black’s advice to tip it on its side and “Cello-ooo! You’ve got a bass.”

Cello firmly in the bin (or back to the music service), Sam picked up the bass guitar at 13. He cut his teeth playing pubs and clubs up and down the Merthyr Valley - “We’d usually played to two men and their dog. Sometimes there wasn’t even a dog.”

As the gigs improved, so did Sam’s reputation as a bass player. This led to him being a first-call session player in South Wales, working with producers such as Martin Levan (John Martyn, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Iron Maiden), Charlie Francis (REM, The Noisettes) and Amy Wadge (Ed Sheeran) with various acts.

Good news spreads fast, and this led to a call from YouTube and Guitar Phenom, Chris Buck, to complete the lineup for his new band, Cardinal Black. Since joining the ranks, Sam has become a integral member of Cardinal Black and enjoyed #1 chart positions with their debut single, ‘Tell Me How It Feels’, and a debut album, January Came Close.