Bought my 1st guitar at 21. Self-taught. Started writing songs and entering singing competitions. Won several of those. Started playing solo gigs a few years later. Landed opening spots for Eric Church, Joe Nichols, Lee Brice, Jason Boland, Cody Canada, Cody Jinks, Billy Don Burns, Jackson Taylor. Started the band Nathan Wade & The Un4given late 2009. Played all over the Midwest at the large venues and packed them. Recorded three studio albums between 2010 and 2015 of original music and sold thousands of CDs. The band didn’t want to proceed as an original act and I did, so that ended in 2013. From 2013-2015, I performed solo acoustic. The crowds dwindled and I heard the whispers, “they don’t want to listen to all original songs, gotta play some covers”. For the past 10 years, I had been very inactive for that reason. Continued doing benefits and charity events for Veterans but not gigging much. On January 16, 2019, my grandson was dropped off in my driveway. Two years later, we adopted him as our own. This year I finally decided to give my music another shot. Quit my dead-end job and started booking shows. To my surprise, it has been extremely well received. So much so during a 3-day, 5-show Songwriter Festival in Deadwood SD, I was nominated for induction into the Dakota Country Music Hall of Fame next September.

For me, it’s all about the songs I’ve created that make people feel something. You won’t leave my show without laughing, crying, or screaming Hell Yeah! Or all of the above.

It’s not about “My Own Name” anymore. I want my songs to be the legacy that lives on far beyond me.

Give me a venue, a barstool, and a microphone, and let me sing my songs.