Born the youngest child of two blind parents, William Fitzsimmons was raised in
the outskirts of the steel city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Reared more on
sound than sight, Fitzsimmons was immersed in a musically saturated home teeming with
a myriad of instruments, classical and folk records, talking parrots, and a pipe organ
his father constructed with his own hands. His influences include the folk icons of
Nick Drake, Simon & Garfunkel, and James Taylor, the melodic sounds of the Beatles and
Brian Wilson, and the contemporary eclecticism of Ben Gibbard and Imogen Heap. He is most
often compared to Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine, with touches of the Postal Service.
William is a multi-instrumentalist, completely self-produced, and has a penchant for including
such multifarious elements as pianos, guitars, banjos, melodicas, flutes, clarinets, and
electronic elements in his music. He holds a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling,
worked with the mentally ill for several years, and often includes experiential, intimate,
and family subject matter in his writing. Fitzsimmons has so far completed two full-length,
self-released records, "Until When We Are Ghosts" (2005), and "Goodnight" (2006), the latter
written about the divorce of his parents. His music has been featured on TV several times,
including "Grey's Anatomy," "Army Wives," and "Life of Ryan," and has appeared in highly
regarded music publications such as Paste Magazine and Performing Songwriter Magazine. He
has toured with Cary Brothers and toured and recorded with Ingrid Michaelson, whose vocals
are featured on his most recent album. Fitzsimmons is currently touring and preparing to
record his third album. His records can regularly be found on the iTunes top 50 folk
albums chart.
