| William C. "Billy" Hancock Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 4, 1946 , Alexandria, Virginia |
| Genres | Rock 'n Roll, Rockabilly, Blues, Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Country |
| Occupations | Vocalist, Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar, Bass |
| Years active | 1962-present |
| Website | www.billyhancock.com www.myspace.com/billyhancockmusic |
William C. Hancock Jr. (known as Billy Hancock) (born November 4, 1946) is a singer, guitarist, and recording artist. He has made several recordings, primarily in the rockabilly genre but also has recorded rock 'n' roll, blues, jazz, rhythm & blues, and country music. He performs live primarily in the Washington, D.C., area, but also at European festivals.
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Hancock was born in Alexandria, Virginia, where he has lived most of his life. His father worked for the Southern Railway 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 1940s, influenced his musical development.
Hancock began his career playing in bands around Washington, D.C., while still a teenager. After graduating from high school, he played with bands in Rhode Island and New York before returning to the Washington area. In 1968, he moved to Baltimore to attend the Peabody Conservatory, and continued to play in bands in the Baltimore area.
Hancock hooked up with guitar wizard Danny Gatton in the early 1970s 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 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 and 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 record, "Hey Little Rock And Roller" that was released in France on the Big Beat Label. 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 played in backing bands for prominent musicians, including Fats Domino, Gene Vincent, blues guitarist Roy Buchanan, rockabilly-st Charlie Feathers, 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 2002, Hancock and his brother Television Director, Dale Hancock founded TURKEY MOUNTAIN RECORDS TM (an Indie record label. The label was formed to find and promote talented artists of all genres who for whatever reasons have been ignored by other record labels.
Their TURKEY MOUNTAIN RECORDS TM Archival Series is now busy re-releasing material on artists of the past whose works have been unavailable until now. TURKEY MOUNTAIN RECORDS TM roster of artists includes: Danny Gatton, Coastal People (featuring Carol Ann Blum), The British Walkers (featuring Roy Buchanan), Bobbie (The kid) Howard with Link Wray and The Ray Men, Rockabilly King Charlie Feathers, and Billy Hancock himself.
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.
In 2010, Hancock was inducted into the Southern Legends Hall of Fame. He is already a member of 3 other International Hall of Fames.
Hancock continues to play in his usual diverse and various styles, having released on his own label: jazz, blues, rock, and rockabilly albums and even a country album.
Hancock now resides in Nashville, TN, but continues to tour and make records internationally.