About Us

Bill Wells grew up in the mountains of Virginia right near the Carter family, and bluegrass music was in his blood since his early years.  He moved around with the Navy, married his lovely wife Louise, and they started a family.  During that time, Bill started his band, Bill Wells & the Blue Ridge Mountain Grass.  Bill, Louise, and the band traveled around to festivals where Bill became well-known and respected in the bluegrass community.  

Bill's idea to have a place for musicians to do some pickin' started back in 1985 when he and Louise moved to Columbia, South Carolina. The first location was on State Street in Cayce, where Bill started the Friday night bluegrass jam sessions. About twenty pickers showed up the first night and it swelled to fifty-five by the next month. The store opened with a few guitars and banjos in stock along with some instruments taken on consignment. Bill would order from a catalog if a customer wanted something else. Slowly he added strings, picks, straps, and other music supplies followed by coffee, candy, and soft drinks.

In 1987, Bill's Music Shop and Pickin' Parlor moved to its current location with both a much larger shop and concert hall. Admission to Friday night jam sessions was a $1 donation . It was always important to Bill to keep the music affordable for working families.  The next year, Bill received his license to sell Gibson instruments. He became licensed to sell Martin instruments two years later, the best bluegrass instruments you can buy!

Sadly, Bill passed away in 2011, just months after being awarded the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest civilian honor awarded by the state's governor.  Bill's family kept the music going strong as son Willie Wells took the reins and helped guide the store alongside Louise.  A force of her own, Louise was a joy to know and had an inner strength few could match.  We sadly lost Miss Louise in 2021.

Bill's Friday Night Jam still goes on today!  We're still proudly family-owned and do our best to keep Bill's vision alive and growing!  We have one of the longest standing histories in South Carolina for presenting bluegrass performances in a family atmosphere.  

Please come and join us for a song or two!