Billy Hancock

Billy Hancock

Billy Hancock

Born: November 4, 1946 Alexandria, Virginia

Genres: Rock 'n Roll, Rockabilly, Blues, Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Country

Occupation: Vocalist, Musician

Instruments: Guitar, Bass

Years active: 1962-present

Websites: www.billyhancock.com www.myspace.com/billyhancockmusic

Billy Hancock (born November 4, 1946) is a versatile vocalist and musician best known for his rockabilly recordings, but who also records and plays rock 'n' roll, blues, jazz, rhythm & blues, and country, primarily in the Washington, D.C. area, but also at European Festivals.

Contents

 1 Early Life 2 Career 3 Discography 4 References

Early Life

William C. Hancock, Jr. (Billy Hancock) was born in Alexandria, Virginia, where he has lived most of his life. His father worked for the Southern Railroad and his mother worked for Waxie Maxie's, a local record store chain, and other record stores. The records his mother brought home from work, primarily rhythm and blues from the late 1940's, influenced his musical development greatly.

Career

Billy Hancock began his career playing in bands around Washington, DC while still a teenager. After graduating from high school, he left the area and played with bands in Rhode Island and New York City before returning to his native Virginia to play around Washington. In 1968, he moved to Baltimore to attend the Peabody Conservatory, but continued to play in various bands in the Baltimore vicinity.

Hancock hooked up with guitar wizard Danny Gatton in the early 1970's and they formed Danny and the Fat Boys with Hancock on vocals and bass, Gatton on lead guitar, and Dave Elliott on drums. In 1975, the group released a critically acclaimed diverse album, "American Music" on a label that Hancock and his brother owned. The album's title was taken from a rhythm and blues song Hancock had written. It was later re-issued on CD.

In 1978, Hancock recorded four rockabilly songs under the name Billy Hancock & the Tennessee Rockets for Ripsaw Records, a small independent label. He continued to record rockabilly for Ripsaw under that name for two years. Ripsaw released four singles during that time and licensed those and other titles to larger labels both in the U.S. and France. It is these rockabilly recordings for which Hancock is known internationally.

In 1983, Hancock recorded another rockabilly label that was released in France. Later that year, he returned to Ripsaw to record various rock and roll songs, six of which Ripsaw released in 1985. All of the Ripsaw material was later released on CDs.

Throughout his career, Hancock has backed up some of the most renowned artists in all fields of popular music, including Fats Domino, GeneVincent, blues guitarist Roy Buchanan, rockabilly Charlie Feathers, vocal group The Clovers, Amos Milburn, and country stars Dottie West and Jean Shepard. He co-produced and played guitar on Tex Rubinowitz's rockabilly classic recording of "Hot Rod Man".

In 2005, The Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) awarded Hancock a Special Recognition Award for his 40 plus years as a vocalist, musician, songwriter, producer, promoter, and label owner. In 2006, WAMA presented him two "Wammie" awards for 2005 Roots Rock Vocalist and Roots Rock Recording.

Hancock continues to play in various styles, having released on his own label two jazz albums, a rockabilly album, a blues album, and two albums of diverse material.

Discography

 1975 - American Music 1981 - Rockabilly Fever 1981 - Shakin' That Rockabilly Fever 1983 - Hey! Little Rock and Roller 1985 - Wanted: True Rock 'n' Roll 1988 - Vintage Masters 1997 - American Music 2000 - Live at Colonial Beach 2000 - Shakin' That Rockabilly Fever 2002 - On the Jazz 2003 - Wanted: True Rock 'n' Roll 2005 - Billy Hancock & the Tennessee Rockets Live! 2005 - Passions 2006 - Birth of a Billy: Anthology 2008 - Out of the Darkness

References

"Billy Hancock" by Terence McArdle, Blue Suede News, # 82, 20 (Spring 2008, Duvall, Wash.); "Billy Hancock - The Interview", American Music, # 97, 4 (Sept. 2003, Varberg, Sweden).

Morrison, Craig, (1996). Go Cat Go! Rockabilly Music and Its Makers. Univ. of Ill. Press, Urbana and Chicago, 240. ISBN 0-252-02207-6; American Music # 97, 8; Blue Suede News # 82, 23-24.

Morrison, 240-41; Poore, Billy, Rockabilly - A forty-year journey. Hal Leonard, Milwaukee, 236-38. ISBN 0-7935-9142-2; "Billy Hancock - Part 2" by Terence McArdle, Blue Suede News # 83, , 5-6 (Summer 2008, Duvall, Wash.); "Ripsaw - The Rock Interview" by Tor Arne Petzold, Rock # 100, 13 (1999 Oslo, Norway).

Blue Suede News # 83, 7; Rock # 100, 16.

Blue Suede News # 83, 7-8.

Morrison, 240; American Music # 97, 7-8; Blue Suede News # 82, 22-23.

www.wamadc.com; Blue Suede News # 83, 8.

Blue Suede News # 83, 7-8.