It’s been a winding journey from childhood performances on small-town community theater stages, but as the lead guitarist for country music star Lainey Wilson returns to his home state on June 20 to play for a sold-out crowd at Bank of America Stadium, it’s safe to say this UNC Greensboro School of Music alumnus has made it.
Wilson and her band, with Aslan Freeman ’11 at the helm as bandleader, have just wrapped their Whirlwind World Tour with stops across the US and in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Before he geared up for their 2026 festival season, Freeman talked North Carolina music roots, his college days in Greensboro, and how preparation met opportunity — or in his words, “stubbornness met luck” — unlocking his success.
