William Lee Golden

A member of the legendary group The Oak Ridge Boys, William Lee Golden is one of the most recognizable faces in Country music. William Lee was born and raised in the small southern town of Brewton, Alabama. A Farmer's son, William began singing regularly on his grandfather's weekly radio show at the age of seven with his sister, Lanette. The love and talent of all aspects of art run in his family. His mother, Ruth, is a treasured poet with two volumes of her work published.

William’s fascination with and knowledge of the native-American way of life has earned him respect and recognition from American Indians, as well as members of The Mountain Man Association. He has been honored with many awards, including Celebrity of the Year in 1994 by the Indian Exposition of Anadarko, Oklahoma, which is made up of 15 tribes across the nation. He has also received acclamations from the Cherokee tribe.

After years of collecting and studying art, the bearded mountain man of music began painting in January of 2002. The subjects of Golden's paintings are selected from photographs he takes of scenic locations while on tour. He paints colorful landscapes in various hotel rooms across the nation before his concert performances in the evenings. His work includes several paintings of Walkers Point in Kennebunkport, Maine where the Oaks visit regularly with former President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush. In fact, a piece entitled "Walker's Point Vista" hangs prominently in one of the bungalows on the Presidential compound. The autumn mountain landscape entitled "Ozark Mountain Jubilee" began showing at the respected Gilchrist Museum of Art in Oklahoma in April of 2007. Golden has also enjoyed painting scenes from his travels in the western United States and Canada. "Traveling over 165 days each year, I get to fulfill my passion for painting in the daytime and my love of singing at night," William states. "Thank God for life and visions."

William Lee Golden resides at Golden Era Plantation in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The historic 6,000 square foot home was built in 1786. "This is a peaceful place," says Golden. "It encourages relaxation and creativity. Our family loves it. I have a lot of great memories here, especially those involving my wife Brenda and my sons Rusty, Craig, Chris and Solomon. And the grandkids make it a fun place too - Rush, Marlin, Kaitlyn, Elizabeth, Rebekah and Elijah. We love sharing Golden Era with family, friends, history enthusiasts and creative folks.