He grew up singing gospel music, alongside his grandfather, at his local Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church.

At the age of 14, Willis watched an online video of Muddy Waters performing "Hoochie Coochie Man" and was drawn towards blues music.

[2] He learned to play many styles of country blues including Delta, Piedmont, and Texas, eventually becoming adept on the guitar as a fingerpicker, flatpicker and slide player.

[3] The exposure led to appearances at music festivals and Willis self released his debut album, Blue Metamorphosis, in April 2017.

[7] On the resulting promotional tour, Willis played as the support act for the two seasoned blues men on several dates.