Lon Wilson of Monroe makes it big in Music City as a drummer

Lon Wilson is famous for keeping the beat on more than 400 top 40 singles on country radio. From Tim McGraw's "Indian Outlaw" to Rascal Flatts' "Bless the Broken Road". And even on current country chart-toppers like Dustin Lynch's "Seeing Red".

To date, Wilson has either played drums, co-written or sung on more than 118 number one singles and 282 top tens. His wall in his Franklin, TN studio is decorated with appreciation from the artists he's played with.

"At this point in my career to still be involved and seeing lives changed. You know these young artists with dreams they come in and you're playing on the record, you never know when it's going to be a hit," says Wilson.

Both his mother and father, Bill and Nancy Wilson of Monroe, are musicians. Bill was the drummer for the late Billy Ledbetter. Ledbetter was Lon's uncle. Bill says he'd take Lon along to band practice when he was just a tike.

"I looked over and Lon was right on the beat and I couldn't believe it. So I pulled him up on the drums a few times and that's when we knew he had the talent cause he recognized the rhythm," said Bill Wilson, Lon's Dad.

And Nancy has been a singer for years, even appearing on the KNOE show PM Panorama in 1955.

"If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be doing what I do. They're the musical influence on me. My uncle Billy Ledbetter, which is my mother's younger brother, was a huge influence on me growing up as a kid down there," says Lon Wilson.

Lon and the old drum line reunited at Neville High School for their 40 year class reunion recently. He graduated from Neville in 1979. And just ten hours short of a Marketing degree from ULM, Lon moved to Nashville. That was 1980. Within 18 months he had a record deal and was the lead singer for the country band, Bandana. But it was "Boot Scootin Boogie" by Brooks and Dunn that launched Lon to stardom on the Nashville music scene.

Nearly four decades and 345 top twenty songs later, you can bet he's made his parents proud.

"I'm really proud of the way he's handled himself," said Nancy Wilson, Lon's Mom.

"We have four children and they're all talented and it's just amazing that he's done so well as he has and he's still busy in the studio," said Bill Wilson.

For Lon, the only drawback to being a success in the song making capital of the world is being away from home.

"I think more than anything I miss my family, my mom and Dad and my sister Becky she's still there," said Wilson.

Wilson can be heard playing drums on the records of this new crop of country crooners, like Luke Bryan, Randy Houser, and Joe Nichols.

Wilson has three siblings. None are musicians and only one still lives in Monroe.