FAYETTEVILLE — Guitar guru, songwriter and storytelling folk singer Jack Williams loves his peaceful home in rural, southern Washington County, but he's too busy performing for fun to enjoy it often.

Most musicians dream of fame, fortune and success, but Williams is more than content to make a modest, honest living performing his unique style of music in venues all across the country.

People are always telling him how to make it big.

"I'm not encumbered with that desire," he said. "There is no actual happiness to chasing the brass ring."

It's hard for a first-time listener to pay attention to the inspiring stories in his songs because his finger picking - of the Martin guitar he bought new in 1974 - is so amazing it's hard to focus on anything else.

When you listen, the many sounds of his guitar enhance the story he's singing like a great soundtrack helps a good movie.

After shows, people often compliment his picking abilities, but he prefers fans connecting with the messages in his music.

"The way people view me is misplaced. I'm not a technical whiz."

His songs are considered to be folk music, even though he said most people don't know that that is.

Williams said that if he wrote a song and then:

• Pete Seeger sang it, you'd consider it folk.

• Bruce Springstein played it, you'd call it rock.

• Garth Brooks performed it, you'd call it country.

Traveling troubadour

He's honed his skills through the years playing in nightclubs and bars, but now it's mainly concert halls, festivals and private shows. You won't find him in the local hot spots around here. He plays solo gigs he books himself and occasionally joins a friend or two for a performance or workshop.

His touring schedule includes shows all over - Evanston, Ill.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Round Rock, Texas; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Ontario, Canada; just to name a few.

He tries to book about 150 shows a year, which is a busy pace after considering travel time. His wife Judy, always travels with him. She's his number one fan and maintains his Web site, but you won't find her on stage.

Williams can't hide his distaste of the commercial music industry because its primary focus is making money. He admits he has to make money to keep playing for a living, but to him, music is about much more.

He turned down a recording contract with a Nashville, Tenn., record company after the president of the company told him how he planned to change his music to increase its commercial appeal.

"I just do what I do and hope for the best," he said. "I'd rather be honest about it."

He admits that staying true to yourself comes at a price because honesty doesn't pay as well.

"You can either take somebody somewhere or you can make a buck," he said.

Many people mistakenly think musicians live an easy life - partying all the time and hanging out in bars. That's just not the case for him.

"We just want to make a living," he said.

Advice for pickers

Williams explains that musicians are sometimes discouraged in our current culture where people think that if you are not the best at something then "Why bother"

He disagrees. His advice is quite simple: "Play for the fun of it and enjoy it."

Performing music requires a certain amount of innate talent, he believes, but the level you're performing at doesn't make any difference. So what if you only play a few chords for songs that you enjoy? Don't be discouraged by naysayers.

"Never ever in the rest of your life watch 'American Idol,'" he suggests.