AUDIO – MUSIC HEALS –
Sept. 8, 2025 – Singer-songwriter Billy Strings says his guitar has been his best friend for as long as he can remember. “I slept with my guitar when I was 4 or 5 years old,” he says. “I’d put it right under the blankets with me. I used to kiss it good night.” Though he never took formal lessons, Strings learned to play the guitar by hanging around with his dad and listening to him play Doc Watson.
“My dad played his music all around the house growing up. And by the time I could play guitar, you know, 5, 6 years old, I was learning those tunes, too,” Strings says. “I might’ve been able to play some of them before I knew how to tie my shoes or something.” they also struggled with addiction throughout his childhood and adulthood. This past June, his mother died as the result of an overdose.
