Biography
Timothy Tyler Childers, born June 21, 1991, in Lawrence County, Kentucky, near the West Virginia border, grew up in a close-knit Appalachian community where his father worked in the coal industry and his mother was a nurse. From an early age, he sang in his Free Will Baptist Church congregation, learned guitar chords from his grandfather, and began writing songs around age 13, drawing inspiration from classic rock, 1980s country artists like Hank Williams Jr., Ricky Skaggs, and Alabama, and later bluegrass after his grandfather's death when Childers was 15. He attended Paintsville High School, graduating in 2009, and briefly studied at Western Kentucky University and Bluegrass Community & Technical College before dropping out to pursue music full-time, performing in Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia, with his early band the Food Stamps.[1][2][3][4]
Fun Facts
- In his 2018 Americana Music Honors & Awards acceptance speech for Emerging Artist of the Year, Childers criticized the 'Americana' label as a distraction from real country music issues.[3]
- His breakthrough album Purgatory stayed on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart for 261 weeks.[2]
- Childers' latest album Snipe Hunter debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on Top Country Albums, his highest charting to date.[2]
- He released his first album Bottles And Bibles at age 19 in 2011, building a regional following before mainstream success.[3]
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Sturgill Simpson - Key mentor and co-producer who helped launch Childers' career (Purgatory (2017)) [2017]
- Miles Miller - Drummer for Sturgill Simpson who first spotted Childers and facilitated connection to Simpson (Early career discovery leading to Purgatory) [2010s]
- Grandfather (unnamed) - Taught initial guitar chords and inspired bluegrass interest after his passing (N/A) [Childhood, early 2000s]
Key Collaborators
- Sturgill Simpson - Co-producer, guitarist, and backing vocalist (Purgatory (2017)) [2017]
- David Ferguson - Co-producer (Purgatory (2017)) [2017]
- Senora May - Wife and fellow performer; co-founded Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund (Philanthropic efforts) [2015-present]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Purgatory | 2017-08-04 | Album |
| Live on Red Barn Radio I & II | 2018-06-29 | Album |
| Country Squire | 2019-08-02 | Album |
| Bottles and Bibles | 2011-10-11 | Album |
| Rustin' In The Rain | 2023-09-08 | Album |
| Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? | 2022-09-30 | Album |
| Long Violent History | 2020-09-18 | Album |
| Hard Headed Woman | 2025-08-29 | Album |
| Snipe Hunter | 2025-07-25 | Album |
| Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 (Live At The Hollywood Bowl) | 2023-12-15 | Album |
| Country Squire | 2019-05-17 | Album |
| Purgatory | 2018-03-09 | Album |
| Purgatory | 2018-01-05 | Album |
| Colter Wall | 2017-05-12 | Album |
Top Tracks
- All Your'n (Country Squire)
- Feathered Indians (Purgatory)
- Shake the Frost (Live) (Live on Red Barn Radio I & II)
- Nose On The Grindstone (OurVinyl Sessions)
- Lady May (Purgatory)
- Follow You To Virgie (OurVinyl Sessions)
- Charleston Girl (Live) (Live on Red Barn Radio I & II)
- Whitehouse Road (Purgatory)
- Coal (Bottles and Bibles)
- Tattoos (Purgatory)
External Links
Tags: #alternative-country, #americana, #country
References
Heard on WWOZ
Tyler Childers has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 14, 2025 | 15:49 | Nose On The Grindstonefrom Snipe Hunter | Homespun Americanaw/ Ol Man River |