36 Comments
User's avatar
Andy's avatar

Saw Billy play in a tiny club in New Orleans right around 2017-2018 when he was starting to really blow up. So amazing to watch him play.

For a heartwarming Billy story, check this out. He found his (biological) dad's long-lost guitar up for sale online and went to great lengths to get it back. https://umgf.com/f-s-1993-c-f-martin-d-93-guitar-back-where-it-belo-t94334.html

Brad Kyle's avatar

Holy crap, is that the original ad?! I saw him tell the story on a YT vid this week! It never occurred to me the actual ads could still be up! Andy, would you be interested in putting together an article, merging your personal account of the New Orleans gig and the story of Billy going to his great lengths to get back his dad's guitar?

If you're game, at least, to tell your gig story, I could pull together the guitar story. Your call. If you want to publish it on your site, I could cross-post it. LMK what you want to do, OK? And, thanks!

Andy's avatar

Yep, that's the original one! Would love to tell my gig story if you want to write about the guitar. When should I have it to you by? I'm relatively new to substack and haven't cross-posted anything yet - how have you done this in the past?

Brad Kyle's avatar

Great! Thanks, Andy! I've done it a bunch of different ways (I've been 'Stackin' since 8/21). Why not write your gig story on your own Stack....that's more than appropriate: It's your story, plus it'll give you some content (if that's a concern at all). I could then cross-post it...which means MY subscribers will get to read your post (with all due credit, of course), and some may even subscribe to you (which I'll certainly encourage)!

Depending on how long your gig story is (and my found guitar story is...which will just be merging the YT vid with the copy of all the notes to get the guitar....little from me, except for set-up and context), I may just keep them separate, but I can also see them both "living together" as one article....again, depends on the total length.

I'm in no hurry.....please do it at your leisure. I'm the one asking you, so it's only proper I wait 'til you're able to produce the piece with no pressure or stress!

The other option is for you to simply write your gig story (any photos?), e-mail it to me, and I'll merge it into my story about the guitar, then you could cross-post my article after I publish (you'll have to subscribe, if you don't already)!

Cross-posting is easy: You'll see the "cross-post" button on every e-mailed post. Push it. Then a box will come up where you can write a couple paragraphs about why you think your readers will like my/this article. Then it'll prompt you to send the cross-posted article to your e-mail list. Substack makes it clear who has written the article, so there's no confusion.

Holler if you have any questions. Let me know if you have a preference of how to do this, or need more clarification.

BTW, I have a singer/songwriter/recording artist (Stephen Michael Schwartz....a 1974 album on RCA Records when he was 20) writing for me. He's written 20 articles for FR&B (all in his own words, e-mailed to me), including his search for HIS Martin! I'll incorporate (or just link to it) somehow: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/schwartz-stories-3-stephen-michael

Ellen D Stone's avatar

Saw that on YouTube...awesome!!!

Daniel Moran's avatar

Great post about Billy. He is a singular talent, that’s for sure. Interesting what he says about Sturgill Simpson—everything old is new again. And that’s a good thing.

Brad Kyle's avatar

Thanks, Daniel! I love how he's bluegrass/country thru'n'thru (certainly when recording), but, he's all about classic rock, when he pulls out the covers onstage!!

Daniel Moran's avatar

That half of his setlists are covers reflects his deep knowledge of--and love of--music.

Diggin' it's avatar

Thanks for sharing Brad! I’ve learned something new about one of my favorites out there ✌️

Billy is a great artist and has amazing following on top of that. Night after seeing him in Dublin we went to The Celt for some Guinness and trad music.

I saw a lady wearing Billy Strings sweatshirt, I asked her if she went to the concert, we talked about our favorite albums, she flew in with her husband from Seattle. We enjoyed a trad session together. On their way out from the pub they stopped by and gave me some Billy Strings stickers and a patch ❤️

Brad Kyle's avatar

Great story, Diggin' it! Thanks for sharing it here! Billy's quite the talent, and the legends are pickin' up on him, too! Have you seen the music video he did with Willie Nelson a couple years ago?! Amazing! Thanks again for subscribing! You're always welcome, FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE!

Ellen D Stone's avatar

He is coming to Norfolk, Va on July 19th...and I’m going!!! Cannot wait! (My amazing husband bought me an early 18 year wedding anniversary present) So amazing to read a great article about a new-to-me artist who I am now a HUGE fan of!!!! Life is good 😊

Brad Kyle's avatar

Wow, congratulations, Ellen! Color me envious! Billy, as we've discovered, is a big ole💖sweetheart💓, who is not only fun to listen to👂, but awfully fun to root for! If you're at all inclined, I'd love to feature (on FR&B) a personal review/reflection of the show around the fourth week of July! We'd include, of course, a tip o' the cap to your AT A LOW HUM within!

Please give it a thought, Ellen, and by all means, ENJOY THE SHOW!🎼🎶🎵

Ellen D Stone's avatar

I would be HONORED! Now if I could only get a new post written.

Brad Kyle's avatar

Woo-hoo! Thanks, Ellen!👏

Ellen D Stone's avatar

Listening to Fire Line...wow!!! Thanks for giving me more new music to love!!!!

Brad Kyle's avatar

Happy to be of service, Ellen! He was an unknown to me just a few weeks ago....and, more to the point, just a week ago, when I really started to dig into his life and music! I'm glad you found the "Renewal" sentence link! I wanted to put a Spotify box like I did for his Grammy-winner and his new one, but, the struggle is always to keep the page uncluttered, at least as much as possible!🎸

Ellen D Stone's avatar

And, of course, I don’t like country music, right? My husband loves it and we bought property to retire to in Rogersville, TN (In the Green Mountains of Northeastern Tennessee) so I better start opening my mind more! And I’m in love with all things Elle King, too!

Brad Kyle's avatar

Wow, sounds beautiful! With a new-found love of "mountain music," I think I see a banjo in your future! If that sounds unseemly, I may be thinking more of a lovable puddle of fur, a bow-wow simply named "Banjo"! Your choice!

Ellen D Stone's avatar

Funny you should say that since my "job" is working as a pet carer for Rover...ELLENS70156, https://www.rover.com/sit/ellens70156. I have had ONE guitar lesson from Michael Gurley (of DADA awesomeness) via Zoom, but it was a struggle.😄

Ellen D Stone's avatar

I’m getting ready to watch some YouTube videos of him. Some of the best music I’ve ever heard is by people I hear on anything but the radio.😊

Brad Kyle's avatar

And, like most artists, they're most fun to listen to while watching them! Plus, his finger-speed is pretty amazing to witness, too! Enjoy! My research tells me there's LOTS from which to choose!

Ellen D Stone's avatar

Yep, watching The Making of ME/AND/DAD video...great stuff. Thanks, again.☮️

🅟🅐🅤🅛 🅜🅐🅒🅚🅞's avatar

Love the grass of blue

love a lass so true

Love ice cream and pie

I know you are,

But what am I

Enough of that silliness. Never heard of Billy before, but I love him too. The Led Zep song was pretty awesome. Will have to put him on my spotify radar. When did you first hear about Billy Strings?

Brad Kyle's avatar

About a week ago....seriously! Actually, about a month ago, just trolling the 'net, and poking into dark corners. I saw the pic Wiki has on him (how I got THERE I wish I could remember...I do a lot of searching in my research!), and wondered what such a "normal" looking "kid" was doing being raved about in the bluegrass lane. I created a 'Stack page for him (so I wouldn't forget), then finally, last week, got around to tending to writing about him!

Another example where knowing an artist's background (and influences) helps enjoy the current output! Like, "Hey, he likes what I like" (Sabbath, Led Zep, Allmans, classic rock) regardless of the bluegrass lane! You're more like listening to a friend playing what he's talented in, and can dig it more knowing he's more than just a product of Bill Monroe records (not that there's anything wrong with that)!

🅟🅐🅤🅛 🅜🅐🅒🅚🅞's avatar

Yeah, I appreciate all musicians. Even flautists 😀

Brad Kyle's avatar

EVEN flautists?!?! Golly, you ARE tolerant!🏑There's no flute emoji, so a field hockey stick is filling in!

🅟🅐🅤🅛 🅜🅐🅒🅚🅞's avatar

sorry...you know I love you, not that there is anything wrong with that...

🅟🅐🅤🅛 🅜🅐🅒🅚🅞's avatar

Good title for a post "Not That There's Anything Wrong With That".

Brad Kyle's avatar

Headline I'd like to see: "Mr. Murray That Admitted Into Psychiatric Care; Not That There's Anything Wrong With That......Oh, Wait.........."

KW NORTON's avatar

Love this celebration of Billie’s music and talent. He is one of the young musicians saving Nashville currently from delusional irrelevance. With those like Tyler Childers, Whiskey Meyers, and Colter Wall they are saving Nashville and modern American music.

https://open.spotify.com/track/4Bu4aJ7xLdIeRnD69pFBXU?si=kjDOOssAQumthL309Gwacg

Brad Kyle's avatar

Thanks, KW! Billy is a fascinating artist, and is hopefully leading a new parade of relevant country/roots/bluegrass music. Thanks for the other artist tips, and I appreciate the Childers playlist....I'm already a few songs into it, and am a new fan of Tyler Childers and the Food Stamps!

KW NORTON's avatar

Epic thanks. Thank goodness for American music, right? Look forward to your posts.

Brad Kyle's avatar

Thanks, KW! Great to have you aboard!

KW NORTON's avatar

Yes, thank our lucky stars for SubStack.

Steve Goldberg's avatar

I've been following Billy Strings for a few years now -- thanks originally to the YouTube algorithm! -- and was awed from the start. I never wrote about him yet as his songs were/are less earwormy (to my ears) but glad you did! And that it stemmed from him being a new discovery for you. I discovered Molly Tuttle similarly, and she is, in a way, the female Billy Strings, but really her own unique brilliant instrumentalist and songwriter. She's more impressive live than on record (to me) so check out many great concert clips online....

Steve Goldberg's avatar

Here's a clip of Molly and Billy together....

https://youtu.be/LJzz-Nuo-QQ