Will Oldham

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

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Img_capt =
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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = William Oldham
Alias = Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Born = birth date and age|1970|12|24
Died =
Origin = Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Instrument =
Genre = Singer-songwriter, folk, country
Occupation =
Years_active = 1993–present
Label = Drag City, Domino
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.bonnieprincebilly.com www.bonnieprincebilly.com]
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Will Oldham, a.k.a. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (born 24 December 1970 in Louisville, Kentucky), is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. Prior to adopting his current moniker, he performed and recorded under various permutations of the Palace name, including Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music (1993-1997).

Music

Will Oldham is known for his "do-it-yourself punk aesthetic and blunt honesty,"cite web | publisher = Chico News & Review | date = March 28, 2002 | author=Baldwin, C. | title = The Wanderer | url=http://www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=8724 | accessdate = 2007-05-08 ] and his music has been likened to Americana, folk, roots, country, punk, and indie rock, although Oldham is dissatisfied with these labels: "I don't think it's roots music, though it's definitely influenced by Western popular music."cite web | publisher = The Phoenix | date = January 20 2003 | author= Ashare, Matt | title = Mystery Man: Palace Brother Will Oldham becomes Bonnie 'Prince' Billy | url=http://72.166.46.24/boston/music/top/documents/02671921.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-09 ] He has been called an "Appalachian post-punk solipsist" and is notable for his unique voice, which has been described as "a fragile sort-of warble frittering around haunted melodies in the American folk or country tradition."

Producer Steve Albini commented on Oldham's approach to recording:

Will Oldham first performed and recorded under various permutations of the Palace name, including Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Palace Music, and simply Palace. Regarding the name changes during this period (1993-1997), Oldham said:

Beginning in 1998, Oldham has primarily used the moniker Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, which draws inspiration from several sources:

Oldham has explained that "the primary purpose of the pseudonym is to allow both the audience and the performer to have a relationship with the performed that is valid and unbreakable." [cite web | publisher = Foggy Notion | month = April | year = 2003 | author= | title = Bonnie 'Prince' Billy | url=http://www.dragcity.com/press/pimages/pressclips/dc233fn_art.pdf | accessdate = 2007-05-08 |format=PDF]

Discography

*"There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You" – Palace Brothers (1993)
*"Days in the Wake" – Palace Brothers (1994)
*"Viva Last Blues" – Palace Music (1995)
*"Arise Therefore" – Palace Music (1996)
*"Joya" – Will Oldham (1997)
*"I See a Darkness" – Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (1999)
*"Ease Down the Road" – Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2001)
*"Master and Everyone" – Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2003)
*"Sings Greatest Palace Music" – Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2004)
*"Superwolf" – Matt Sweeney & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2005)
*"The Brave and the Bold" – Tortoise & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2006)
*"The Letting Go" – Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2006)
*"Wai Notes" – Dawn McCarthy and Bonny Billy (2007)
*"Lie Down in the Light" – Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2008)
*"Notes For Future Lovers" – Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2008)
*"Is It The Sea?" – Bonnie 'Prince' Billy with Harem Scarem and Alex Neilson (2008)

Response

Much of Will Oldham's music has received considerable critical praise. Some of his albums, such as "There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You" (1993), [cite book | last = Irvin | first = Jim | coauthors = Colin McLear | title = The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion | publisher = Canongate | date = 2003, 3rd ed. | pages = 585 | isbn = 1841954381 ] "Viva Last Blues" (1995), [cite web | publisher = Pitchfork Media | date = November 17, 2003 | author=LeMay, Matt | title = The Top 100 Albums of the 1990s | url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/36737-staff-list-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/page_5 | accessdate = 2007-05-08 ] and "I See a Darkness" (1999). [cite book | last = Irvin | first = Jim | coauthors = Colin McLear | title = The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion | publisher = Canongate | date = 2003, 3rd ed. | pages = 651 | isbn = 1841954381 ] [cite web | publisher = Pitchfork Media | date = November 17, 2003 | author=Bowers, William | title = The Top 100 Albums of the 1990s | url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/36737-staff-list-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/page_10 | accessdate = 2007-05-08 ] [cite book | last = Dimery | first = Robert | title = 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die | publisher = Universe | year = 2006 | pages = 854 | isbn = 0789313715 ] , have appeared on greatest albums lists.

He is mentioned in the lyrics of the Biffy Clyro song Saturday Superhouse and is the main character in the song 'Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror' by New York Anti-Folk artist Jeffrey Lewis.

Film

Will Oldham began his acting career at the age of 17, when he portrayed a teen preacher in John Sayles's film about an Appalachian mining community, "Matewan" (1987). Oldham moved to Hollywood to pursue acting, and was well received, landing roles in a couple of films. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the film industry and quit in 1989. [cite news | last = Byck | first = Peter | title = Oldham journeys back into acting | pages = 5 | publisher = Scene | date = on September 20, 2006. Will Oldham also played the role of a preacher in the Horse Apples special of Wondershowzen in series 2 of the show.

Filmography

* "Matewan" (1987), directed by John Sayles
* "Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure" (1989) (TV movie)
* "Thousand Pieces of Gold" (1991)
* "Elysian Fields" (1993)
* "Radiation" (1998)
* "Julien Donkey-Boy" (1999) (uncredited role), directed by Harmony Korine
* "Slitch" (2003), directed by Dianne Bellino
* "Tripping with Caveh" (2004), directed by Caveh Zahedi
* "Junebug" (June 10 2005)
* "The Guatemalan Handshake" (2006)
* "Old Joy" (2006)
* "Wendy and Lucy (2008)

Photography

Will Oldham shot the black-and-white cover photograph for Slint's critically acclaimed 1991 album Spiderland. The photo depicts members of the band treading water in the lake of an abandoned quarry.McCarthy, Shannon. " [http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608004609/Slint.html Slint Lyrics and Biography] " Musicianguide.com. Retrieved on 25 November 2007.]

Oldham also featured as guest aesthetic designer for the North American literary magazine Zoetrope All Story (vol 11 no 1) in 2007. In a note contained in the issue, he jokes that it would be "really magnificent to imagine this issue as a cocktail party at which all of the contributors, word and image, are present. add a bowl of keys and some mushroom cookies and i am there. [sic] "

References

External links

* [http://www.bonnieprincebilly.com/ Bonnie 'Prince' Billy] official website
* [http://www.dragcity.com/bands/oldham.html Will Oldham] at Drag City (record label)
*allmusicguide|11:5n6ftraqklox|Will Oldham
*imdb name|id=0646165|name=Will Oldham
* [http://users.bart.nl/%7eljmeijer/oldham/ The Royal Stable] - Fan site with news, photos, tour dates, etc.
* [http://www.palace.free.fr/ Palace (French)] - French fan site with complete lyrics and tablature
* [http://pry.com/pulpit/ The Pulpit] - Fan site with some lyrics and tablature
* [http://www.daytrotter.com/article/237/bonnie-prince-billy-so-unquestionably-human-that-hes-inhuman-thereby-making-him-mystical-and-perfect-for-every-one-of-our-funeral-services Daytrotter] session
* [http://www.newsreview.com/issues/chico/2002-03-28/music.asp The Wanderer] - Chico News & Review article
* [http://www.3ammagazine.com/musicarchives/2003/jun/interview_bonnie_prince_billy.html How Can I Know? How Can I Care?] - 3am article
* [http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/march_2004/oldham.html Freewilliamsburg.com] interview
* [http://www.howwastheshow.com/index.cfm/action/reviews.view/reviewKey/487 How Was the Show?] Review of Will Oldham live
* [http://www.dragcity.com/press/pimages/pressclips/sn11stn_art.pdf Touching the Void] Signal to Noise article (PDF)
* [http://www.dragcity.com/press/pimages/pressclips/dc233fn_art.pdf Foggy Notion] article (PDF)
* [http://www.dragcity.com/press/pimages/pressclips/dc233sky.gifThe Journey of Will Oldham] Skyscraper article (GIF)
* [http://www.dragcity.com/press/pimages/pressclips/dc252mojo_art.pdf The Man Who Would Be King] Mojo article (PDF)