Late Nashville Songwriter Chad Sellers Honored With Posthumous Release of “If I Were The Wind,” Completed by His Son

Chad Sellers’ legacy will be celebrated with a tribute show at The Green Room in Nashville, TN on January 13th.

The family and creative community of late Nashville songwriter and producer Chad Sellers (1978–2023) honor his enduring legacy with the release of “If I Were The Wind,” out now. The deeply moving single arrives as the next chapter in a forthcoming tribute project celebrating Sellers’ life and music, and features the final vocal performance he began before his passing—completed in an intimate collaboration with his eldest son, Gavin Sellers.

LISTEN TO “IF I WERE THE WIND” HERE.

Co-written with rising Texas Country artist William Beckmann, “If I Were The Wind” stands among the most introspective songs Sellers penned in the final months of his life. Rooted in folk-Americana warmth and unguarded honesty, the track captures a quiet yearning to be a steady, protective presence for the ones we love—“like the wind… whisperin’ your sweet name through the trees.” Early recordings revealed a tenderness Sellers rarely allowed himself to show so openly, leaving behind scratch vocals and lyrical fragments that felt too personal for anyone else to finish.

A lifelong runner like his father and now a student-athlete at Lewis & Clark College, Gavin had never sung in a recording studio before. Under the guidance of producer Adam Sickler, he completed the song not as a replacement, but as a continuation—delivering a vocal performance so emotionally resonant it feels inseparable from his father’s voice.

Executive producer Bryan Ruby, who co-wrote more than 110 songs with Sellers, recalls the moment vividly: “Watching Gavin step into the booth for the first time in his life and deliver a vocal that sounded uncannily like his dad… that hit me in a way I’ll never forget. Shepherding his record toward release after he passed has been one of the heaviest, most meaningful things I’ve ever done. I’m grateful for the chance to help bring Chad’s music to the world.”

The release follows “Bird On A Wire,” which offered listeners their first glimpse into the creative space Sellers was entering during his final year. Co-written with Neil Cooper, the song reflects on hope, fear, and the delicate balance between holding on and learning to let go. Cooper notes: “His combination of talent, attention to detail, and profound humility made collaboration effortless… We not only became genuine friends but also successfully penned and produced great songs, including ‘Palomino’ and ‘Bird on a Wire.’”

Across Nashville and beyond, Sellers was known as much for his generosity as his craft. Don Louis, one of his closest collaborators, remembers him as both mentor and friend: “Dazzy Chad, my brother, mentor, and one of the first believers. He always had the best of energy. We cried over music together, prayed together. I love him forever.”

Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Sellers lived a life defined by curiosity and relentless drive. A former sponsored marathoner, entrepreneur, English major, and published poet, he moved to Nashville with his family in 2018 and quickly became a trusted voice in the songwriting community. His credits span Contemporary Country, Texas Country, Americana, Pop, and Christian music, with cuts by Don Louis, Bryan Ruby, Derek Johnson, Xavier Joseph, Neil Cooper, Anderson Daniels, Shellem Cline, Dan Harrison, Cassandra, Steel Ivory, Antonio Moraes, and others.

Before his passing in August 2023 at age 44, Sellers had begun shaping his debut EP—a folk-Americana collection exploring love, struggle, loss, and the quiet questions that defined his inner life. In the wake of tragedy, his family and Nashville collaborators came together to complete the project he didn’t get to finish.“If I Were The Wind” now stands as both a farewell and a promise—a song carried forward by the voice of a son, and by a community determined to ensure Chad Sellers’ music, spirit, and impact continue to be felt.

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