Billy Cross

Billy Cross (born in Manhattan, New York on July 15, 1946) is an American guitarist, singer and producer who has lived in Denmark since 1980. He was also part of Danish bands Delta Cross Band, Cross-Schack-Ostermann and Everybody's Talking.

Career

Cross started music in the United States in 1960 as a studio musician and helped produce many albums. He played briefly with the 50's nostalgia act Sha Na Na and played guitar in the Broadway show of Hair. He became the musical director of the National touring company of Hair in 1972. Cross also played in Jim Rado's after Hair show, "Rainbow" in NYC. He played guitar on Jobriath's two albums and was a member of his live band. He visited Denmark in 1974, and gave concerts in Copenhagen. He returned often there though he worked with Bob Dylan and Meat Loaf and was a member of Dylan's band from late 1977 to spring of the 1979 and took part in recording a live LP by Dylan in 1978 a live LP Bob Dylan at Budokan and a studio LP "Street legal". He was also a member of the New York based trio Topaz that released one LP in USA in 1977.

In 1979 he recorded the album No Overdubs with the Danish Blues/rock band Delta Blues Band and becoming a regular member of the band, with name slightly changed to Delta Cross Band to welcome him, released three more albums: Rave On (1979), Up Front (1981) "Astro Kid" (1982) and Tough Times (1990). "Dirty Trax" a greatest hits CD was released some time later.

In 1980, he produced Danish rocker singer C.V. Jørgensen's Tidens tern also playing guitar and co-writing the music on the recording although he remained committed to Delta Cross Band who after 1983 had slowed down considerably with fewer concerts in between.

In 1983 he wrote "Take Me Back" to Bonnie Tyler's signature-album Faster Than the Speed of Night.

Billy Cross also followed a solo career and an album, although he remained better known as a producer and studio musician. In this capacity, he produced works by Anne Dorte Michelsen, C.V. Jørgensen, Björn Afzelius, Allan Olsen, Henning Stærk, Søs Fenger, Henrik Strube, Jørn Hoel, Pretty Maids, Johnny Madsen, Lars Lilholt and the Danish band Dalton made up of Lilholt, Madsen and Olsen.^[1] In recent years he has also been part of the trio Cross-Schack-Ostermann and of Everybody's Talking. Everybody's Talking released 4 CD's: "Everybody's Talking" "Talk of the Town" "Louisiana" "Now Welre Talking" between 2003 and 2010.

In 2004, he released his solo album Life Is Good, followed by another album So Far So Good, released in 2009. He came back with his album The Dream Hasn't Changed in 2012. In 2010 published a book of his memoirs "Så langt så godt – et liv med rock"

Bibliography

• 2010: Billy Cross: Så langt så godt – et liv med rock (memoirs)

Discography

Albums

References

External links

• Official website