Ward Guenther
The “My Music Row Story” weekly column features notable members of the Nashville music industry selected by the MusicRow editorial team. These individuals serve in key roles that help advance and promote the success of our industry. This column spotlights the invaluable people that keep the wheels rolling and the music playing.
Ward Guenther is the Founder of Whiskey Jam, a Nashville-based live music series that has hosted over 1,000 shows and provided a platform for thousands of artists. Since its genesis in January of 2011, Whiskey Jam has become known for its dynamic blend of emerging talent and household names, and is a celebrated staple of Nashville’s vibrant music scene. Guenther is also the host of Country Risers Radio and The Ward Guenther Show on Apple Music. He sits on the ACM Board of Directors.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. I was born in Mississippi, but moved there when I was two years old, so my upbringing was in Memphis.
What were you into as a kid?
I was just a regular, active kid—riding bikes and playing sports. I didn’t get into music until later in high school, and it just kind of took over from there.
I found a guitar while working at a summer camp in North Carolina. We were getting ready for the campers to come one year, and someone had a guitar just sitting in one of the cabins. I picked it up and started playing with it. At the end of high school and going into college, I got the bug. I did anything I could do to be around it.
Photo: Courtesy of Guenther
How did you make it to Nashville?
I went to college at UT Knoxville and majored in Advertising, which came in handy later on. I made the move to Nashville to write songs, sing and do the whole thing. I worked in and around the business for quite a while, while doing tons of cover gigs and writer’s nights. I got a job selling t-shirts on the road with Billy Currington for a couple of years. I also had a gig with David Nail, singing backup and playing guitar on radio tours.
Early on, in my first five or six years in Nashville, I saw the whole country either from a tour bus or riding around in a radio rep’s car. I got to see the business from the smallest club in a strip mall in Georgia to arenas with Brad Paisley when we opened for him. It was a great education—seeing where country music can take you and what it actually is when you get there.
How did Whiskey Jam get started?
When I was out with Billy, I realized I could work for someone else doing this, or I could head back home, get a job and try to do my own music. So, that’s what I did. By then, I’d played so many writer’s rounds and got to the point where I thought, “Let’s do something of our own.”
The one thing missing from those experiences was a fun, loose environment. That’s where Whiskey Jam was born. We decided to get our friends together and play songs we’d been working on—sometimes ones we wrote that day. We wanted it to be more full and fun, with a band in a bar and not as subdued as a listening club.
It worked out great. It immediately filled a void in the scene, acting as an intermediary between writer’s rounds and proper showcases. Showcases often felt commercial and staged, like someone was trying to push music on you. With Whiskey Jam, it was a natural setting where we featured artists we knew and liked.
Photo: Courtesy of Guenther
What do you remember about the very first one?
The first one was at Winner’s and it was incredibly busy. It was before social media was much of a thing. We sent out a message saying, “Come to the first-ever Whiskey Jam.” I texted everyone in my phone book.
The first few Whiskey Jams had a great mix of writers, like me, who didn’t have much going on, and established artists like Chris Young and Love and Theft. It started as a loose jam but quickly became clear that we needed to schedule it like a show. That evolved into what it is now—booking bands, promoting the shows and throwing that same party every couple of days.
Was there ever a time in the beginning when you faced doubts or challenges?
I thought we had something special from the start, but I doubted it myself at times. I kept records of who played when, but three or four months in, I stopped. Looking back, I think I thought, “This is just a fun night. It’s never going to last.” I started keeping record again, though.
I’ve always been Whiskey Jam’s biggest doubter—wondering how long the scene would support what we do or how long people would want to see the same show. But Nashville’s nature brings new people to town all the time. Someone moves here this week, and they might play next week. That’s kept it fresh for hundreds of weeks now.
Many people have either been discovered at Whiskey Jam or made important connections. Who stands out from the early days as someone for whom that happened in a big way?
In the early days, we were still building the mystery of Whiskey Jam, trying to keep it secretive and underground. A lot of artists established the foundation. I started Whiskey Jam with a guy named Josh Hoge, who had a lot of contacts in the pop music world. He brought in The Fray, OneRepublic and some songwriting buddies like David Hodges. That led to Chris DeStefano playing.
They were established, but many went on to become massive songwriters and artists. Members of Lady A would pop in occasionally. Charles Kelley even sat in on drums a few times.
Cole Swindell started playing Whiskey Jam as a songwriter and evolved into a star right before our eyes. Chris Young and Brett Eldredge were in that first “class” of Whiskey Jam graduates. By 2015, Maren Morris played a few times and was off to the races. Luke Combs came through in 2015-2016, Morgan Wallen in 2016-2017 and Lainey Wilson not long after that. Every few years, someone comes through, and it recharges me, the brand and the scene. It reminds people that stars are still emerging out of Nashville. Zach Top is one to watch in the next couple of years. Megan Moroney and Ella Langley are also bubbling up. It just happens naturally as time passes.
I meet a lot of newcomers and some tell me playing Whiskey Jam is one of their goals.
I’m really proud of that. It’s not necessarily a means to an end—it’s not like playing Whiskey Jam will immediately get you a publishing deal—but it’s a great way to showcase your skills in a low-risk setting. If you bomb at Whiskey Jam, it’s not the end of the world. There are artists whose first Whiskey Jam shows weren’t great. Now, looking at where they are, you’d never guess. Everyone has to cut their teeth somewhere.
Photo: Courtesy of Guenther
When did you start adding people to your team?
In 2015, I took over full-time when Josh Hoge went into songwriting. For a couple of years, I refined things, which was great because I could focus. Around that same time, my wife and I had our twins in 2016. Bartending, running Whiskey Jam and having four kids was overwhelming.
In 2017, my friend Ryan O’Nan came in as a managing partner. He used his business and management experience to help me focus on the creative side, which allowed for much healthier growth. Since then, it’s been mostly Ryan and me running it, with occasional office assistants or coordinators helping with small tasks. We like being hands-on and keeping things in-house, because we know the language, mission and voice better than anyone else.
What has the brand grown into now?
We still do two shows a week—Mondays and Thursdays—but there’s so much more. We have merchandise that ships worldwide. We’ve done pop-up shows on Luke Combs’ stadium tours as a tailgate party and opened for Old Dominion on tour.
We’ve hosted stages at festivals like Voices of America in Ohio. These events amplify Whiskey Jam, showcasing artists we believe in and giving them a bigger platform. Some artists from these shows move on to the main stage the following year. For example, the first tailgate we did with Luke Combs featured Megan Moroney and Bailey Zimmerman, introducing them to a crowd of strangers in Denver. It’s exciting to trust our gut and see these artists take off.
You recently had your 1,000th show celebration. What was that like?
It was crazy. We had a mix of up-and-coming artists and established names. Getting Dierks Bentley to play was a huge deal—he’s supported us for years. It was incredible to watch him play in a small bar and connect with the crowd. Afterward, he texted me, asking when he could do it again.
We’ve done big celebrations, like our 10th anniversary at the Ryman, but this one felt more personal. It was small, acoustic and up close. I think we’ll look back on it as a special night.
In addition to leading Whiskey Jam, you’ve also become a big presence at Apple Music. Tell me about that.
Apple came around in 2019. They were looking at Nashville and vetting people they wanted to work with. I had no idea at the time, but they’d been coming to shows and observing what we do. I think they wanted to involve people deeply ingrained in the culture—real people with authentic experience, not just the most experienced DJs or broadcasters. They wanted someone with Nashville in their blood.
We’re now approaching 1,000 shows there as well. It’s been a great partnership. I meet artists early in their careers—sometimes at their first shows in town—and then see them graduate to being featured on Apple Music playlists or exclusive sessions. My work with Apple validates what we do at Whiskey Jam, and Whiskey Jam gives me credibility with artists. It’s a great synergy.
Photo: Courtesy of Guenther
Was it a natural fit for you to start doing?
There was definitely a learning curve—being behind a microphone isn’t just about talking. You have to learn how to craft your breaks and present new music in an engaging way.
Apple has been great with coaching and providing resources. Now, it’s second nature to present new music in this format. It’s unique because, unlike traditional radio where you might hear one new song every few hours, we’re introducing multiple new artists in a single show. It’s a dream to have a worldwide platform to spotlight artists like Laci Kaye Booth and say, “Look at this artist for one second. Listen to this and tell me it’s not amazing.” Apple gives us the freedom to truly play what we believe in, which is revolutionary in the radio world.
What’s a typical week like for you with everything you have going on?
It’s pretty routine most of the time, but it can get crazy. For instance, we once had a weekend with Old Dominion while also being on the road with Luke Combs, running a festival in Ohio, and hosting a show in Nashville—all in the same week.
Usually, I take my kids to school in the morning, then head to the office to handle Whiskey Jam tasks like merchandise and orders. In the early afternoon, I go to Apple for my show. Twice a week, I host the live Whiskey Jam events. Balancing it all has been a process, but I think I’ve found a good rhythm. My priorities are providing for my kids while being present at their baseball games and gymnastics practices.
Who have been some of your mentors?
That’s an area where I wish I’d done better. I’ve learned a lot from bar owners like Jason Sheer from Tin Roof and Steve Ford at Winners and Losers. They taught me how bars operate and how much bigger their world is outside of our little event.
For what we specifically do, it’s been a lot of trial and error—figuring it out as we go. When we hit 1,000 shows, I looked at what else in Nashville had lasted this long, and the list is short.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
Someone once told us not to open a bar. In Nashville, it’s tempting to take something cool and capitalize on it, but they said, “You don’t want all the extra responsibilities that come with that.”
That advice stuck with me. It’s not about chasing commercial opportunities—it’s about doing things with purpose. If we ever do open a bar, it’ll be because it serves our community and aligns with our mission.
What are you looking forward to? What’s next?
I’m looking forward to growing outside of our routine events. Personally, I want to find someone to help carry the torch for the next thousand Whiskey Jams. I’ve been hosting and organizing them for years, and I know I won’t be doing it forever.
I’d also like to spread the word about Whiskey Jam through media extensions. We’re working on ways to contribute meaningfully to the media space, helping artists beyond their time on stage. It’s about finding the right medium to connect artists with fans who’ll appreciate them.
I’m intrigued by larger events, like festivals. We’ve done tailgates and outdoor shows, and they’re so much fun. I also think about having a home base—our own space where we can serve the performer and audience community seven days a week.
We always think big. For years, “Whiskey Jam Airlines” has been a joke on our whiteboard. It’s about dreaming beyond the obvious. Could there be Whiskey Jam liquor store? A movie? Nothing is off-limits. At the end of the day, I care more about raising everyone up and keeping the community strong than about finding the next big thing.
