Wyn Starks has been singing since he was young. The Minneapolis native was surrounded by music thanks to his mother, and he started singing in church when he was really young.
“[My mother] always sang to me and my siblings when we were kids, we were always around music,” recalled Starks. “I started singing in church and then I realized it was something I really had a passion for when I was 13.”
Starks moved to Nashville five years ago to get serious about his music career. After meeting and working with different musicians and artists in Nashville’s music scene, Starks started to explore what his sound really was.
Starks started to perform live in the following years, but was stuck in the same position as many musicians were in when the COVID-19 pandemic first started.
“I started getting more gigs around [New York City], and then COVID hit. It shut everything down. I did some virtual things, but I had just started getting in my groove right before that, around 2020,” said Starks.
He still was trying to figure out what exactly his sound was meant to be and while working on an album, Starks released an EP that included his song “Who I Am,” and it was thinking about that song that gave Starks the push to do something outside of his comfort zone and take part in the 17th season of “America’s Got Talent.”
“My twin brother, that was one of his favorite songs. He passed away in 2020, it was very unexpected,” said Starks. “When that opportunity came up I was kind of in a dark place, a lot of grief. But I knew my brother would want me to do that, he was my biggest supporter, when they reached out to me, I said I’m going to do this.”
Starks ended up auditioning with a performance of “Who I Am,” earning two standing ovations from judge Simon Cowell and guest judge Sofia Vergara.
“I’m so so glad to be able to honor [my brother] in that way. My biggest thing is that I want people to know him and I think that song gives a glimpse into my brother,” said Starks.
Though Starks only made it to the semi-finals, his audition video amassed over 4 million views on YouTube, and Starks was able to use his experience for his own personal growth.
“[It was about] overcoming any type of fear and realizing we got this one life and I want to live it to its fullest. I’m ready to jump into this river and just go,” said Starks. “I waited for too long and let fear hold me back for a long time. This opportunity helped me let go of that fear, I was discovering my sound and who I was, that’s what ‘Who I Am’ is about, I’m on that journey and still on that journey.”
Starks recently kicked off his first tour as a headlining artist, with his first show taking place last week in Atlanta. On Nov. 29, Starks is performing at 54 Below, located at 254 W 54th St on the Upper West Side.
“I’m excited to be back in New York,” said Starks. “I was here a few weeks ago as an opener, and it’s exciting to come back and do my full set and I’m really excited about it.”
Starks especially has a love for New York City’s music scene as well as those who come out to his shows.
“I’m so excited for tonight’s show, I felt all this love from the live show I did here. It always feels like home when I’m here,” said Starks. “I know that the reception that people are giving the music here, it’s so cool. If you can get that New York approval, you know you’re good.”
In the coming weeks, Starks will be taking his tour to Los Angeles, Nashville and Minneapolis, where he will perform his original music for the first time in his hometown. For Starks, the excitement of having a full tour of his own is a dream come true, but he is making sure that he takes it all in along the way.
“I always wanted this, my biggest thing was never giving up. I knew that this is what I wanted and I was going to go after it,” said Starks. “Now that it’s here and I’m starting to do it, it happened really fast and now I’m catching up with it, and it’s cool and I really love it. But I want to make sure that I’m taking it all in because sometimes I’m so focused on the end goal, I don’t want to miss the journey. I’m taking all of these moments in.”
Tickets for the show at 54 Below start at $29 and are available at 54below.com. For more information about Starks, visit wynstarks.com or follow him on social media @wynstarks.
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