Bear Rinehart
William Stanley "Bear" Rinehart III is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who is a founding member and lead singer of the rock band, Needtobreathe. In 2019, he announced the launch of a solo career under the name Wilder Woods. His debut solo album was released on Atlantic Records in August 2019. His sophomore album, FEVER / SKY was released on Dualtone Records in March 2023.
Career
In April 2019, Rinehart began releasing music under the name Wilder Woods, starting with the songs "Someday Soon" and "Sure Ain't". The stage name comes from the names of Rinehart's two oldest sons, Wilder and Woods. His eponymous debut solo studio album was released in August 2019 by Atlantic Records. The album debuted at No. 20 on Billboard Emerging Artists and No. 2 on Top Heatseekers. The album single "Supply & Demand" peaked at No. 19 on the Adult Alternative Songs chart.In December 2019, Norwegian DJ Matoma, Michigan-born producer Petey Martin, and Wilder Woods debuted the single "Keep It Simple". An acoustic version and remix with Rayet followed in 2020.
In February 2021, Rinehart independently released "sink our love now " under his Wilder Woods moniker. The demos "man made weather" and "heavenly light" debuted in the following months. In April 2021, Rinehart released the work tapes ep which included the three songs. Rinehart recorded each of the demos by himself in his home studio in Franklin, Tennessee.
Preceded by the singles "Maestro ", "Get It Back", and "Patience" in early 2023, FEVER / SKY released in March 2023 through Dualtone Records. The lead single, "Maestro " peaked at No. 12 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. The album was dedicated to Rinehart's third son, Waters. Most of the album's songs were written in Rinehart's home while touring was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prominent contributors included producer Cason Cooley and guitarist Tyler Burkum. A headline tour of the United States followed in April to May 2023.
Songwriting for Rinehart's third Wilder Woods release, CURIOSO, began in 2023 with several collaborators and co-writers. In September 2024, "Hide Anymore" and "Devil In My Eyes" were released as the first singles from the album. "Time On My Hands " and "Offering " were released in October and November 2024, respectively. The album is scheduled to release in February 2025.
Rinehart has been a featured artist on a variety of songs for acts such as American Authors.
As a member of NEEDTOBREATHE, Rinehart was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2015.
Personal life
Rinehart is married to Mary Reames, with whom he has three sons. Rinehart was an accomplished college football wide receiver. A teammate of quarterback and former University of Florida head coach Billy Napier, the pair set numerous school records together at Furman University between 1999 and 2002.On June 13th, 2025, Bear's brother and former bandmate Bo Rinehart posted on Instagram a statement alleging that Bear had sexually, emotionally and physically abused him throughout their childhood. Bear responded to these allegations on social media on June 14th, 2025, writing in part that "My brother and I were both sexually abused at the age of 8 and 6 by a teenage counselor at the Christian camp where we grew up... Bo's recent accusation of me conflates our shared experience of abuse with a childhood incident he misrepresents." Bear went on to ask for prayer for their family and expressed hope for reconciliation between him and his brother. Bo and Bear both subsequently deleted the posts from their respective Instagram accounts.
Discography
Albums
As Wilder Woods
| Title | Album details |
| Wilder Woods | |
| FEVER / SKY | |
| CURIOSO |