Hayley Williams' grandfather Rusty Williams is set to release his debut album, Grand Man, recorded 50 years ago, thanks to support from Paramore.
Rusty Williams, who is being helped by his granddaughter Hayley and her bandmates, had written songs and joined a band in his earlier years, according to a press release. He reportedly made an appearance on Hayley's Petals for Armor album in 2020, providing vocals and piano on "Crystal Clear," the final track of the record.
Rusty's "old production partner" Frank Morris reportedly rediscovered the Grand Man record.
"So many people our age are mining these albums for tones and things you can't even replicate," Hayley said in a statement. "And Grandad has a way of cutting to the core of a feeling, and not overcomplicating it. Which we tend to do, because the world is hard. It's nice when you can hear something plain and simple and know that it is true."
Paramore's Zac Farro has plotted to release the record by way of his Nashville-based label Congrats Records. "I thought that it was a crime that these songs were sitting there on the shelf," Farro said.
"I don't expect anything, and I'm too old to be famous," said Rusty, who doesn't hope for a major career renaissance. "But I just want to know someone liked what I did, and to be touched by whatever the hell they are listening to. I want people to see how it felt when things were real."
"You write stuff, and you want somebody to get something out of it," he added. "I just had to wait for a granddaughter and a band with her to really do anything with mine."
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