Billy Craig BELIEVE Update
Billy Craig
Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot. Charlie Chaplin
The Story
The pluralistic trajectory of the music artist Billy Craig over the last several years has seen him pull double duty. While releasing multiple country, Americana, rock-infused albums, he has also been a member of the legendary rock band Brownsville Station doing summer shows as special guest for big rock names such as Ted Nugent, Boston etc.
It’s a role he cherishes when he hears the roar of 15,000 crazy fans showing their appreciation to the opening chords of “Smokin’ In the Boys Room” Brownsville Stations mega-hit that peaked at # 3 on the Billboard 100. Billy said, “There’s nothing like plugging into an incredible guitar rig and performing in front of a massive sea of faces that came to rock out.”
Billy is the real deal. He is a singer, he is a songwriter, and shares lead guitar duties for Brownsville Station. What people don't know is at the same time, he is also an accomplished Country Artist. Did you catch that? I said Country artist! How can this be possible you ask? I would have to say it’s because he is so well rounded and exceptionally talented.
In Detroit, Billy has been featured on Channel 4 WDIV, The Mitch Albom Show, WCSX’s Overeasy Show, WYCD’s The Coop Show, and has produced many parodies with his friend Country Radio Hall of Famer- Dr. Don for Detroit’s Country Radio WYCD.
As a songwriter, Billy’s style leans toward unique storylines and music that is refreshing like a twist of lime in tequila. Songs on his first release, ‘This Side of Somewhere’, have received interest from radio in the USA as well as overseas. His feature summer song, “Flip Flops,” aired on NBC’s Today Show. His second full-length, Next Exit Paradise, oozes the perfect summer blend of rock, beach, and country.
Billy’s current Country effort is his 3rd Country album “Psychedelic Rodeo” featuring 14 songs. Billy says it has a “country” feel but it does rock as well! His experience covers many years and a lot of distance from smoke-filled corner bars one of the largest amphitheaters in the Midwest, DTE Energy Music Theater. He has performed endless shows throughout the USA and abroad.
His musical perspective falls within the melting pot of American music genres that fit perfectly into what would be called the modern country radio format. Currently, Billy is promoting his new single Believe off his current Psychedelic Rodeo album while finishing up what will be his fourth solo Country, Rock release.
G-Note Entertainment Magazine caught up with Billy Craig as an update with his music and interesting career with his endeavors.
G-Note: Billy, tell me about your current release, a Country album called “Psychedelic Rodeo”
BC- “Psychedelic Rodeo, has been out for a while now. It has been a long process since I started out with 75 songs, and brought it down to 20 then brought that number down to my favorite 14 songs.”
“One of the songs is a collaboration with Manny Charlton the guitarist and producer of another legendary rock band Nazareth (Love Hurts). I also did a song with Henry Paul of the Outlaws (Green Grass and High Tides) and Doug Phelps from the Kentucky Head Hunters was a big help.”
“It’s an album-oriented effort. I’m kind of a throwback that way. I wanted it to be something that you would listen to on a long road trip. Get lost in the music and enjoy on a long drive on the open highway and wow, you’re at your destination! It’s a good listen, it’s a fun listen and little contemplative at times with a lot of rock, country, and even folk feels to it.”
G-Note: Can we talk a bit more about the how you made the transition to Country music as an artist when you are very well known as a “Rock & Roll” guitarist?
BC- “Well you know the number one country station in the USA is here in Detroit. Detroit is very country but yeah it’s also R & B with Motown and that is on top of this big mountain of incredible Detroit rock & roll as you know.”
“I was always kind of into country music because as music goes in all directions from an influential standpoint it is always cutting new territory. I love the stories and emotional release that country music represents. I started writing with a friend of mine in the early 2000’s. We were writing more folk, rock and country stuff and it just kind of went into that musical direction. The more I got into it the more I enjoyed writing in that way. That’s when we ended up going down to Sun Studio, where Elvis and Johnny Cash got their start, to do a little recording session. That was the beginning of the whole process for my first country record “This Side of Somewhere.” One of the songs from that session Jake Terry ended up getting played on WSM in Nashville and FLIP FLOPS was played around the country and overseas.
G-Note: How did you become the guitarist for Brownsville Station?
BC- “I actually met Henry “H-Bomb” Weck at the Memphis Sun Studio sessions. He knew the band I was in that had a couple of radio hits on many of the top rock stations in the Midwest and we became brothers from different mothers and fathers (laughs). The members of Brownsville Station knew who I was and I for sure knew who they were so over time with emails and phone calls and exchanging ideas back and forth, we became very good friends. When they started up the new album for Brownsville, I went in the studio and did some vocal tracks and a little bit of guitar work. When they decided to put the band together to tour, I was hired to be one of the lead guitar players of Brownsville Station because that's what I do.”
G-Note: Do your Rock and Country personalities occasionally clash?
BC- “I don't think it does but the funny thing is, when I first started on the country music side of things, I mainly used my acoustic guitar and I became the frontman of my band. I brought in another guitar player to take care of all the electric stuff, I looked at it as kind of a role change for me. But then it started getting boring and I said to myself, I am going to strap on my electric guitar and do what I do best. People didn’t realize that I could play the electric guitar and from that time on, I never looked back because it’s part of the show. I've always tried to make it a payload of fiery guitar and a country rocking show.”
G-Note: You seem to be involved in the whole process. How hard is it to wear that many hats from an industry standpoint?
BC- “It gets a little tough sometimes, I am the songwriter, singer, guitar player, producer, engineer and many times the promoter and booking agent. I just wish 95% of my time was in creating and writing music instead of the marketing side although I do enjoy the marketing side. That being said, I’m looking forward to finishing up the new album, so I can just pick up my acoustic guitar on one of those beautiful summer days and write songs on the back patio.”
“I grew up in the album rock era and that’s what I really love. It’s kind of turned into my approach. If you make music with your heart and you work hard in that way, you will make a record you can be proud of presenting to the world.”
G-Note: Where do you fall as an artist or who do you most compare yourself with.
BC- “In the sense of originality, I’ve always been driven to find my own sound as an artist and as a guitar player. That’s not such an easy thing to do because historically, there are so many influential artists to draw inspiration from. If I was going to say, I'd say somewhere between J.J. Cale and Bonnie Raitt but with a whole lot more of the modern country and rock feel to it, to be honest.”
G-Note: You mentioned that you have three full-length country releases, This Side Of Somewhere, Next Exit Paradise and of course Psychedelic Rodeo; do you have any other types of releases that showcase your talents?
BC- “Yes, I have an album that I released to support the touring show that I was involved with for many years. It’s called the “I Love This School Tour,” soundtrack. It’s all original material for kids with messages about learning. It’s is still listened to and purchased around the world. In fact, it really is my biggest seller to date! I did release another interesting piece if you want to Google it, Billy Craig, An Epic Tale. It’s a 28-minute piece of music that I call my longest single and it features instrumental music that I had composed years back, recovered, and finished. The production of it is a little dated because I pulled it from an old forgotten box of tapes from years ago that I decided to dust off and digitize and finish it off for prosperity. It was a lot of fun and it’s available on iTunes if you want to get a copy or listen. It is a great little listen on headphones and quite a departure from anything else that I’ve released. I’m hoping to do a few more of these when I get the time.”
G-Note: Everything we have talked about here today and listed is available on iTunes, correct?
BC- Everything is available out there in the digital world but yes, it is on iTunes as well.
G-Note: Thank you Billy for spending the time with us. I want to say something about Billy Craig. Billy is a very nice guy with a huge heart. Billy is a charismatic entertainer who puts the audience first and isn't afraid to walk the edge to get the crowd involved and have fun.
Add his current single BELIEVE to your playlist and watch out for his fourth album.
BC- Thank you Nick and G-Note for being so supportive, I appreciate the interest and opportunity to talk about my music career with you.
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