GRAFTON — As Josh Wells positions himself in front of the piano, a moment passes through his mind as he decides which song best showcases his talent. Eventually, he selects “Helpless,” a favorite song from his debut album, “Love Journey.”

At the age of 18, Wells is locked in — he knows his future will revolve around entertaining.

A 2010 graduate of Midview High School, Wells is majoring in business at the University of Akron, but music is on his mind.

Wells, the youngest of five children, began playing the piano at the age of 5. His mother was always playing the piano and his siblings, Karlton Wells, James Alex Wells Jr., Koneake Lawrence and Karlethia James, all play the piano.

Luckily for his parents, the Rev. James and Bobbie Wells Sr., they never had to force their youngest son to practice. Even at a young age, Josh’s parents saw something different. They saw passion in his eyes when he sat in front of a piano.

“I remember when my sister and brother would go off to piano lessons. One day, I asked where they were going and I wanted to go, too,” Wells said.

According to Bobbie Wells, she remembers when Josh stopped taking lessons.

“The teacher couldn’t teach him anymore. He started to do it on his own,” she said.

Wells soon realized he learned better by ear than by lessons. “I would look for patterns when my sister Karlethia played church hymns,” he said.

For Wells, performing for others is his way to connect with the world.

“I want people to feel my music,” he said from his parent’s home in Grafton. “From the first note on the first track to the fadeout on the last track, I want them to feel it.”

All the songs Wells performs are original pieces. Some songs he can compose in a day while others may take him longer, depending on the topic and his frame of mind.

Wells tried out for the popular TV show “American Idol” last summer, but the judges rejected him.

Inspired by Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles, Wells hopes that he too can bring music back to the time when people sang from their soul.

After American Idol, Wells attended a seminar in Chicago, which had entertainment talent scouts. There, Wells met a Los Angeles/New York City-based record producer who told him that when he could afford a three-month stay in either city, to give him a call.

Until Wells is certain his music career will take off, he is going to continue college and make his own music.
“If it was a sure thing, I’d go, but right now, it’s too much of a gamble,” he said.

So, for Wells, he will continue his passion for music his way, which is to write and perform songs people can relate to on a personal level.

The first album, “Love Journey” tells the story about the beginnings of new love. The second and third albums, which are still being produced, will continue the story about love.

“I love to perform slower songs and I like songs where you can hear and understand the words,” Wells said.

Buy it

“Love Journal” by Josh Wells can be purchased by calling (440) 453-9359 or e-mail nytecorona@aim.com.

Downloads are available at iTunes, Amazon.com, Spotify, MySpace Music, Medianet, eMusic, Zune, Rhapsody.com, Nokia, Shockhound, Napster, Thumbplay and IMVU.

Send your Grafton/LaGrange/Columbia news to Melissa Linebrink, 329-7155 or mlinebrink@chroniclet.com.

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