Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN) - As a resident of the small town of Cherryville, North Carolina, Daniel Williams grew up around bluegrass and country music. With interests and inspirations ranging from Roger Allen Wade to Weird Al Yankovic, Williams decided at 15 to pick up a guitar and never looked back. Nowadays, you can find him playing shows around the local area as Possum, the Musical Marsupial Playing Acoustical.
"I've always kind of been prone to entertain and make people laugh or, you know, get them excited or whatever. So entertainment's in my blood," and that couldn't be truer for Williams. People may not know his father by name, which is Brian, but if you say 'Chainsaw Ted,' almost everyone in the local area knows who you're talking about. As Williams puts it in his newly released single, one man (his dad) certainly earned his 15 minutes of fame by appearing as "Chainsaw Ted" on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1989.
However, Williams and his father aren't the only two with entertainment in their blood. If you show up for a show, you might get treated to a family of musicians with his sister, father, and himself on stage. He recalled that he grew up with a piano at home, and around the age of 7, his grandmother and dad started teaching him how to play. This led to his interest in guitar, which he picked up at the age of 15. Williams noted that when going to a Metallica concert, he felt the urge to play music live for people himself. Eventually, inspirations like Roger Allen Wade and Benjamin Todd convinced him to go unplugged and pursue a career as a singer-songwriter.
This tradition, however, extends not only to three generations of the Williams family, but to Williams' own daughter. When asked if she would continue the family tradition of playing, Williams' young daughter eagerly nodded and smiled. Williams noted that she has taken a liking to the drums, despite already singing covers live with her father. However, with her suggesting we add her possum plushie to the table for her father's in-studio recording of "Small Little Town", and drawing logos for him, perhaps she has a future as Williams' band manager!
Williams approached the owner of Dragonfly Market and, after being asked if he could play well, gave an "I'd like to think so," and landed his first gig. This has led to a 12-year streak of keeping the local roads hot. Since then, you could see Possum, the Musical Marsupial Playing Acoustical at locations like The Rooster, The Pita Wheel, and now even in his hometown at the Cherry Pit.
While Williams usually plays sets alone, he occasionally finds himself taking the stage alongside other artists, such as Rise of the D: A Tenacious D Tribute Band and A.P. Rogers, whom Williams respects so much that he has added them to his list of inspirations.
On stage, Williams is known for his crowd interactions. He always brings an extra microphone and tambourine to allow anyone who knows a song to come up and join in with him. Fans know Williams is likely to change lyrics in a cover, and they look forward to seeing what he comes up with. He also has what he calls "Kamikaze Requests," where he makes his best effort to play what the fans ask him to, whether he knows it or not. Overall, it's a show worth heading out for.
Possum has recently released his first two singles, which can be found on all major streaming platforms. We've provided Spotify links to "Small Little Town" and "My Resume" here for our audience. You can also hear Williams perform "Small Little Town" at the end of our in-studio interview!
The upcoming shows are:
Whiskey Mill - 201 West E. Pennsylvania Ave, Bessemer City, NC 28016
January 23rd, 2026, from 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Dragonfly Market - 101 W Warren St, Shelby, NC 28150
January 30th, 2026, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM
The Cherry Pit - 201 N Mountain St, Cherryville, NC 28021
February 7th, 2026, from 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Be sure to head out to one of his shows if you want your own "Possum, the Musical Marsupial Playing Acoustical" merchandise.
You are also likely to find Williams at the Dragonfly Market on Wednesdays during their open mic nights. However, you can also book him for private parties and gigs. Williams can cover acoustic songs from all genres of music. If you'd like to have him at your event, please reach out to Musicmarsupial@yahoo.com or call 704-913-8346.
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