Stan Matthews is the NB Town House Artist of the Month for October 2026
I’ve always loved music. I listen to nearly everything and I draw inspiration from everything. My earliest recollection was living in Virginia. My mom put me in front of our black and white tv to watch The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. After that nothing was the same.
Photo by a local photographer from North Brookfield, Shania Defazio
My family, Mom and Dad and my maternal grandparents had a deep love of music. They were my main inspiration, whether it was Louis Armstrong, Eddy Arnold, Hank Williams, Roy Acuff to Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers. It’s safe to say that the musical tastes of my family led me on this musical journey.
At the age of 12, I heard the riff to “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple. I told my Dad that I wanted to learn how to play guitar. The next day he came home with a Jimi Hendrix record. He told me that if I really wanted to learn how to play the guitar, then I needed to listen to Hendrix. Because he was the best.
In high school, my best friends and I started a band. While in high school, I started writing poetry. Upon graduating, I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. Not being content playing in cover bands, I started writing my own songs.
I recorded a demo at a new recording studio in Worcester. Those songs did get some airplay on WAAF and WBCN, they were the big rock stations back then. I would eventually shop my songs to record companies both in New York and London. My frustration with the reality of the music business led me to a personal hiatus.
The release of Johnny Cash’s American Recordings series brought me back to my love of music and a desire to create again. It was a big challenge to juggle a renewed interest in songwriting with a wife, three children and a full-time job as a truck driver.
I emphasize to my now adult children that it matters not to be famous vs being unknown. But like everything that we do in life, we must try. And when we fall down, we get up and keep on going. “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up “ – Vince Lombardi. When I was much younger, I believed that I wanted to be a rock star. I’m glad I never did, those that did have paid the price. Fame has a high price, just look at Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Jimi Hendrix and many more. I’m much happier with my family than I would if I had made it to the big time. I’ll continue making music until they put me in the ground. My music will last long after I’ll have turned to dust. I did it my way!
I view each song as a painting. Each instrument, musical note and words are color on a canvas. I write as each song is a personal experience. My music is stark, stripped bare, and the lyrics are honest. I sing about life from the perspective of the working man. My music takes you on life’s journey; search for love, joy of a child’s birth, the struggle of relationships, the anguish at the loss of a job, the sorrow at a loved one’s passing.
I’ve released four CD’s. I won an award from the International Singer Songwriter’s Association. I continue to write and record music. I also continue to write poetry. Most Fridays I can be found at the open mic series at Lost Towns Brewing in Ware. For more information on new releases or future events, one should check out my website. www.stanmatthewsmusic.com
I’ve lived in North Brookfield for 7 years with Tonya, my wife of 33 years, our five children and at the moment, 11 chickens.
Follow Stan on https://substack.com/@stanthetruckdrivinman for “general useless thoughts!
