Airport Songster Has Oklahoma Ties

By Darren Brown, News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Most of us have been stuck in an airport before, but most of us wouldn't even think of starting a sing-a-long with 100 other people while we were waiting.

A few weeks ago, Josh Wilson and his wife, Becca, were in Newark, preparing for their connecting flight to Mumbai, India.  They had left Nashville a few hours earlier with a group of musicians headed for a mission trip.  The group was expecting a layover at the Newark airport, but nothing like the one they experienced that day.  A man somehow sneaked past security in order to see his girlfriend off, and as a result, passengers were de-planed and the entire airport was locked down for hours, leading to some very disgruntled passengers.

Becca Wilson, a Jenks High School grad, and Josh's personal airport videographer, recalled that day. 

"There were two girls sitting next to us, kinda college age," Becca said.  "And they said 'Oh, can you play a song for us?'"

No one knows exactly how Josh was nominated, because he didn't even have his guitar with him, but he claims it was a dare of sorts. 

"A buddy of mine named James, he said 'Hey man, you should stand up and play a song,'" Wilson said. 

Before he had really thought about it, Wilson had tuned his borrowed guitar and kicked off the Beatles' "Hey Jude."  Much to his surprise, he wasn't the only one singing.

"I played it out a couple ways in my mind, I played out people sorta laughing and telling me to quiet down," said Wilson.  " Another scenario played out where they're maybe singing along, so I would say it definitely played out better."  

Wilson, a recording artist who recently signed with Sparrow Records, didn't think the video that he posted on YouTube would get nearly as many hits as it has.  And he's overwhelmed by the reaction that he's gotten from the media.

"Actually while we were in India, I was receiving text messages on my phone from friends and family," Wilson said.  "They were saying 'You're on national news.'"

Since then, Wilson has gotten numerous e-mails and messages from passengers who saw him perform that day in Newark, and also folks who just wish that they had.