tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-230238742011-11-12T10:56:02.390-05:00Billy Price, blue-eyed soul man, is the former lead vocalist with Roy Buchanan and founder of Billy Price &amp; the Keystone Rhythm Band. He has been entertaining Pittsburgh and east coast audiences for more than 35 years. The Billy Price Band began in 1990. Current members are Steve Delach, Jason Hollar, Jimmy Britton, Dave Dodd, Rick Matt, Eric DeFade, and Joe Herndon. Their latest CD, <a href="cds.html">Night Work</a>, with French guitarist Fred Chapellier, was released in 2009.Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.comBlogger721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-37174972832646718502011-03-30T07:37:00.002-04:002011-03-30T07:46:22.449-04:00

Last June, I participated in a benefit concert at the Alter Bar in Pittsburgh dedicated to the memory of guitarist Warren King, who died last year of cancer. Sadly, we also lost former Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band guitarist Glenn Pavone a few months later.The promoter of the Guitars Over Cancer concert has released a documentary film of the event, which will be shown for the first

Billy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00099702352769485102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-86988953124960194392010-05-01T13:54:00.003-04:002010-05-01T14:25:34.266-04:00

I'm excited to announce the arrival of this new CD and DVD package from DixieFrog Records. It documents two great nights at Espace Manureva in Charleville-Mezieres, France in May 2009 during our Night Work tour. Musicians are me and Fred Chapellier along with Fred's great rhythm section, Abder Benachour (bass) and Pat Machenaud (drums), and Billy Price Band keyboard player Jimmy Britton. For

Billy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00099702352769485102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-32767722109064632572009-11-22T21:55:00.000-05:002009-11-22T21:55:59.269-05:00

When you think about gifts this holiday season, we hope that you will consider our CDs and DVDs for the music lovers in your life. In particular, our latest CD with French guitarist Fred Chapellier, Night Work, continues to get great reviews like this one in Blues Revue. And when you order your disc from our website, just include a note with your order, and I'll be glad to sign it for you.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-50610017375427130952009-11-22T21:05:00.000-05:002009-11-22T21:05:01.984-05:00

We have some exciting shows that we have coming up during the next couple of months, and I hope that you will consider attending at least one of them if you're nearby--or even if you're not. This coming Wednesday night, the night before Thanksgiving, we will be playing the annual Johnstown Free Medical Clinic benefit concert at the Ace's Lounge in Johnstown, PA, where I have been playing for my

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-16844375732375328232009-09-13T20:44:00.000-04:002009-09-13T20:44:14.602-04:00

Check out this review in Blues Revue of Night Work. Blues Revue, Issue 120 (Oct/Nov 2009) BILLY PRICE & FRED CHAPELLIER Night Work DixieFrog Records They call it "Champagne Blues and Pittsburgh Soul." This unlikely but fruitful pairing between Pennsylvania veteran R&B vocalist Billy Price and French blues guitarist Fred Chapellier was sparked when the latter invited the former to guest on a 2007

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-69348189094277315302009-09-05T14:09:00.000-04:002009-09-05T14:09:02.690-04:00

How many shows have the Nighthawks played since they started in the early 1970s? How many shows have I played since I met the Hawks as a member of the Rhythm Kings around the same time? A lot. When two bands play on the same bill together, here's what always happens: One band plays the first show, the other band plays the second show, maybe they jam a little on the encore, and then everyone

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-4271291389358815782009-08-02T09:37:00.004-04:002009-08-25T07:14:10.201-04:00

I have known Washington D.C.'s great blues band, The Nighthawks, since the early 1970s, and have been proud to call them my friends ever since. Blues Extravaganza I was sometime around 1978 or 1979: on the show were the 'Hawks, the newly formed Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band, and my former band, the Rhythm Kings. It was organized and promoted by the owners of a bar in Swissvale, PA

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-51889471848362360462009-08-02T09:20:00.002-04:002009-08-02T09:32:52.300-04:00

Things are great with the Billy Price Band. We have some great shows coming up that we want to tell you about, but first, let me catch you up with news.Jimmy Britton and I had a great tour in France with our buddy Fred Chapellier and his fine band in May. Our latest CD with Fred on Bonedog Records, Night Work, continues to sell briskly and receive great reviews throughout the civilized world. And

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-26587798636849886232009-03-08T22:03:00.003-04:002009-04-07T06:43:28.335-04:00

Friends,We're going to be playing--yes, an actual live performance--at Jeffries Landing in Bridgewater, PA, which is close to Beaver, PA. The show is on March 21 and will start at 9:30.Then on April 3 and April 5, Fred Chapellier is coming to the U.S. to play shows with us at the Berks Jazz Fest in Reading, PA on Friday, April 3 and in McKeesport, PA, near Pittsburgh, at the Palisades Ballroom on

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-16740557484195328092009-02-17T21:16:00.002-05:002009-02-17T21:19:11.058-05:00

Available on our website now!

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-36224815689558572162009-02-09T20:04:00.002-05:002009-02-09T20:05:27.903-05:00

They should be here around February 12. When they arrive, we'll be putting them up for sale on our website.To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-40940652727167041812009-02-02T19:20:00.002-05:002009-02-02T19:26:58.403-05:00

The official release date of our new CD with Fred Chapellier, Night Work (DixieFrog Records) is March 12. Fred sent me a review of the CD at Mac & Guitare at http://www.macdan.org/spip.php?article1883. My French isn't too good, but I can tell that the writer likes it!Another advance review is in Jim White's blog at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/bluenotes/

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-16237373207162321652009-01-28T16:57:00.004-05:002009-01-28T19:37:57.277-05:00

A while back, we started a fan site on Facebook, and recently we've started to add more content there. There will be a lot more content coming, including photos and mp3s, and we'd love it if you would participate.Search for "Billy Price Band" in Facebook or go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Billy-Price-Band/19925994032.To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-75162534109356850582009-01-24T18:58:00.005-05:002009-01-24T19:50:57.030-05:00

My new CD, Night Work, with the great French blues guitarist Fred Chapellier, will be released in Europe in March on DixieFrog Records. There's a good chance that it will be available on our website before the official release.Here's some video from the recording sessions that the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review posted, along with this article. And check this sneak preview of the CD by Jim White on

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-16808347613288768742008-08-03T19:56:00.008-04:002008-08-03T20:57:12.452-04:00

Fred Chapellier, both of our bands, Jeff Ingersoll over at Bonedog Records and I are now hard at work on our new CD for DixieFrog Records, tentatively titled "Night Work." We've finished all the rhythm tracks and are now working on horn parts, final vocals, and overdubs including, we hope, cameo appearances from Mark Wenner, harp player of the Nighthawks, and Otis Clay. Here's an article from the

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-50472382513696002472008-05-26T11:03:00.006-04:002008-05-27T12:26:32.616-04:00

I've written here before about my tours in France with Fred Chapellier in November 2007 and April of this year. We have mp3 files and a video from some of my shows with Fred on our website, under the description of Fred's latest CD, A Tribute to Roy Buchanan, on which I sing a version of "A Nickle and a Nail." There are photos here, here, and here.Fred is coming to Pittsburgh to spend a week with

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-3056540964090922932008-05-24T15:53:00.005-04:002008-05-25T19:46:22.660-04:00

I recently got hold of a CD that an old friend burned for me of my first big-time band, the Rhythm Kings (l to r: Lazy Henry, Chris "Bloomfield Slim" Patarini, John Hogue, Kurt "Junior Smoke" Steinle, me, Gene "Dr. Feelgood" Hudak), playing live in State College, PA in 1975, and it's so good, I decided to share it with you all for free in mp3. Go here and download the songs.After listening to the

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-39902491767694839772007-12-23T08:05:00.000-05:002008-02-09T21:30:22.271-05:00

On March 14 at the Palisades Ballroom, 501 Water Street in McKeesport, PA, we're going to have the privilege of performing with my friend and mentor, the great Otis Clay. Otis, along with background vocalists Theresa Davis and Dianne Madison (who sing on my Soul Collection CD), is coming to Pittsburgh to perform at a private event on March 15. When we booked that date, Jeff over at Bonedog

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-78599541365704284142007-12-08T15:21:00.000-05:002007-12-08T15:24:23.777-05:00

You can now buy Fred Chapellier's CD, A Tribute to Roy Buchanan, on my web site.It's a great CD--highly recommended.To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-29998900446751298502007-12-02T18:59:00.001-05:002007-12-02T18:59:38.241-05:00

Here.To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-73415484933299377622007-11-17T15:10:00.000-05:002007-11-17T15:36:50.439-05:00

I'm back in Pittsburgh after a successful series of dates with Fred Chapellier and his great band--Abder Benechour on bass and Pat Machenaud on drums--in Ensisheim, Goussainville, Pagney-derriere Barine (near Toul), and Chaumont. The audiences in France listen with rapt attention, appreciate great music, and are a lot of fun to play for. The photo above is from our show in Goussainville, which is

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-25273468930876819482007-11-06T05:15:00.000-05:002007-11-09T04:04:57.388-05:00

We just got confirmation that the Billy Price Band will be at the Ram's Head Tavern in Annapolis, MD on New Year's Eve. This is just about our favorite place to play in the world, so we are really excited about this.They plan to add a dance floor for this gig--yes, dancing at the Ram's Head--and sell only 160 tickets, so if you want to be there, you'd better move quickly because it will certainly

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-489751918151776672007-10-21T20:25:00.000-04:002007-10-21T20:33:54.828-04:00

Which also happens to be my birthday!Here's the Web site for the event.To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-60549339976881620052007-10-18T05:56:00.001-04:002007-10-18T06:05:19.079-04:00

In a couple of weeks, I'll be on my way to France for a one-week tour with French blues guitarist Fred Chapellier. I first met Fred, yes, over the Internet. Shortly after East End Avenue was released, Fred contacted me, introduced himself, and told me he was a big fan of mine and of Roy Buchanan, with whom I sang in recorded in the 1970s. After I heard--and loved--Fred's recordings, we began

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-25977094083828479592007-10-18T05:50:00.000-04:002007-10-18T05:55:07.906-04:00

I was happy to run into Jim White from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at our show at Moondog's on Saturday night last week. Jim writes a great blues blog at the PPG and has been writing about and promoting the blues in Pittsburgh for many years.Here's what Jim wrote on his blog about the show:Saturday night it was back to Moondog's to see long-time Pittsburgh blue-eyed soul guy Billy Price, who I

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-47391220632402389162007-10-18T05:43:00.001-04:002007-10-18T05:48:47.847-04:00

A few years ago, I wrote some articles in a book called MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. One of the articles, about the Impressions, got the attention of Impressions' lead singer Ralph Johnson, and Ralph left a note for me in my guest book.Pretty cool!To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-54306874202510007572007-09-03T14:52:00.000-04:002007-09-03T16:03:36.346-04:00

Four days later, I'm still buzzed (forgive the crass metaphor, I'm talking about a natural high) about our show at the 32nd World Convention of Narcotics Anonymous in San Antonio, TX last Thursday night. We played for a huge crowd of amazingly attentive, positive people who were there to celebrate their liberation from drug addiction, and the energy that came back to us from the audience was like

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-52002386960631143572007-09-03T14:26:00.000-04:002007-09-03T14:30:33.319-04:00

Rex Rutkoski wrote a great article previewing yesterday's Labor United Celebration concert in Apollo, PA. The article requires registration, but the form is simple to fill out.I prefer doing interviews these days because they're now usually conducted by email. This prevents misquotes, which used to drive me crazy, and it also enables me to be more thoughtful about my answers to questions.Rex is a

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-58652722017797189722007-08-26T18:39:00.001-04:002007-09-25T11:53:12.827-04:00

We celebrate a blessed event.Please join us in welcoming to the world Joe and Christen Herndon's first child, the beautiful Sophia Grace.There will now be one more member of the Herndon family hitting high notes at home:To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-24714103684949290422007-08-23T18:25:00.000-04:002007-08-23T18:31:50.980-04:00

In around 1972 or 1973, I played at Armadillo World Headquarters with Roy Buchanan. While ego-surfing last night (I do this several times a day), I found this:Yep, that's me at the beginning of the video saying "Thank you" (I've always been a polite guy) and walking to the side of the stage for a song on which I don't sing.I can also be seen for a few seconds on the film Striking Distance

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-9870811910511621072007-08-16T05:25:00.000-04:002007-08-16T13:40:11.791-04:00

Our new guitar player in the Billy Price Band is Steve Delach. We've played a lot of gigs this year already with Steve, most recently at J.M. Randalls in Williamsburg, VA, and we're thrilled to have an accomplished guitarist like Steve join up with us.Steve has been playing guitar all his life. He's a graduate of the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA, where BP Band

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1786514638362205672007-08-16T04:55:00.000-04:002007-08-16T05:19:23.878-04:00

After 15 years--can it possibly have been that long?--Billy Price Band guitarist Lenny Smith has decided to leave the band. Increasingly during the past couple of years, Lenny wasn't enjoying the traveling we do throughout the year, and he's decided that he wants to be free to pursue some exciting ideas he has to develop in different directions as a musician. I respect his decision, and there are

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-29248178569047278422007-08-07T05:26:00.000-04:002007-08-07T05:37:48.526-04:00

This post builds on my last post about blue-eyed soul in Pennsylvania.I always thought that one of the reasons I did well in Pittsburgh after I started playing here was that the local disk jockeys had worked so hard during the 50s and 60s to build an audience for R&B, blues, and soul. And the king of all the Pittsburgh DJs was and is the great Porky Chedwick, the Daddio of the Raddio.Sometime in

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-58092344054522248592007-07-31T08:40:00.000-04:002007-07-31T09:10:29.018-04:00

I exchanged some email this week with Justin Hopper of the Pittsburgh City Paper. Justin is working on a story right now about Chuck Corby, a Pittsburgh soul singer now working the lounge circuit, and he asked my opinion about why it is that so many highly regarded blue-eyed soul and r&b singers have come out of Pennsylvania (e.g., me, Jimmy Beaumont, Johnny Daye*, the Del Vikings, the

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-31645400827168109952007-07-26T09:43:00.000-04:002007-07-26T10:06:23.381-04:00

Three great gigs this past weekend, beginning with the Pittsburgh Blues Festival on Friday night. Opening the show--we started at 6:30--is a challenging slot to get people moving, but I thought we did fairly well nonetheless. Here is one of several great photos that Glenn and Lisa Palm sent us from the show:The next day, we traveled to Morrisville, PA and played at the Bucks County Blues Society,

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-82650418106771258822007-07-22T11:41:00.000-04:002007-07-22T11:44:42.794-04:00

We hope you like the new design of our web site. We'll be working out some kinks during the next week or so, and you can help. If you see anything that looks funny or wrong, please send us an email.To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-17658521676894538652007-07-18T20:14:00.000-04:002007-07-22T08:24:40.858-04:00

We played for the Central Pennsylvania Center for the Arts at Penn State last weekend, and I got this nice note from Jim Myers, who came up from Indiana, PA:Very big show I must say. The band was so hot. I've never seen you into it as much as you were for Saturday's show. I thought I would miss that intimate "Moondogs" feel but you were killer. We all wanted more but I know there was a schedule

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-41340366402658703202007-07-15T19:03:00.000-04:002007-07-20T09:22:07.361-04:00

In preparation for a feature on this year's Pittsburgh Blues Festival, Scott Mervis at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asked me this question:"We're previewing the Blues Festival and what we'd like to do is have the artists talk about the musician who influenced them the most -- what they loved about them, what they learned from them. Would it be possible to email me a few graphs* in the next few

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-13128528836886460202007-07-04T19:58:00.000-04:002007-07-04T20:07:43.605-04:00

Friends,I expect that I will be blogging more frequently in the near future. We are almost finished with a complete redesign of our web site, and on the new site, the "BP's Blog" link is prominent on every page. That means that I'm going to have to get back in the habit of writing more frequently here; otherwise no one will ever bother to click these now-prominent links. So, to get me started, I

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1169773849748460272007-01-25T20:01:00.000-05:002007-01-25T20:10:49.760-05:00

Friends,Around mid-December, I asked you to vote for us in the 2006 Blues Critic Awards for Contemporary Blues, and I guess many of you--and several other people--did vote for me. I learned yesterday, to my great astonishment, that I won the award for "Blues Singer - Male." The award winners are listed here, and sure enough, there I am. To even be mentioned in the same company as Jackie Payne,

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1166387490832251162006-12-17T15:27:00.000-05:002006-12-17T15:31:30.846-05:00

I just found out that The Billy Price Band and I were nominated in three categories in the Blues Critic Awards 2006 for Contemporary Blues.East End Avenue, Best Soul Blues AlbumBilly Price, Blues Singer MaleBilly Price Horn Section (Rick Matt, Eric DeFade, Joe Herndon), Blues HornsIf you feel so moved, we sure would appreciate one or more votes in our favor.Thanks in advance for your help, and

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1164675169798393532006-11-27T19:49:00.000-05:002006-11-27T19:53:06.260-05:00

Friends,It's been a great year for me and the Billy Price Band, highlighted by the release of East End Avenue, which continues to get lots of airplay and critical acclaim throughout the world. Here are excerpts from some recently published reviews:"This album bursts of dynamic and inspired, adult soul music! The whole band is playing strong and tight and the horn section and the backing vocals

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1157923808043996312006-09-10T17:29:00.000-04:002006-09-10T21:47:34.220-04:00

Friends,On Saturday, October 7, the Billy Price Band and I will head for Richmond, Virginia for my first Richmond appearance in many years at the 30th annual High On the Hog barbecue festival in Libby Hill Park, along with the Bopcats, Memphis Rockabilly Band, and the Good Humor Band. Later the same night, we will be playing at J.M. Randalls in Williamsburg, VA, with two shows beginning at 10:00

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1157923349812732072006-09-10T17:22:00.001-04:002006-09-10T20:16:41.546-04:00

Friends,As you make your plans for the coming Labor Day weekend, if you are anywhere near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, I urge you to consider the Johnstown FolkFest. I make this recommendation not only because we are playing on Sunday evening, September 3 at 6:30 pm, but also because I think that the FolkFest is one of the best free music festivals in the nation, and I want more people to know about

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1157923307597236222006-09-10T17:21:00.000-04:002006-09-10T17:21:47.600-04:00

Friends,We're excited about our upcoming first-ever performance at World Cafe Live (www.worldcafelive.com) in Philadelphia. We have heard nothing but raves about this club, and we're hoping that many of you will plan to be with us on Friday, August 18. Opening the 7:30 pm show will be Vinyl Shockley (http://store.itsaboutmusic.com/vinylshockley.html). So wear your dancing shoes and come prepared

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1157923256647769612006-09-10T17:19:00.000-04:002006-09-10T17:20:56.663-04:00

Friends,We're getting ready to bring the new music from our recently released CD, East End Avenue, along with all of your old favorites, to a gig near you (we hope) sometime this summer.This coming weekend, we'll be traveling to North Carolina for gigs at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Friday, July 7 and the Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines on Saturday, July 8. We'll be at the Ram's Head Tavern

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1150768483745536252006-06-19T21:44:00.000-04:002006-06-19T21:57:00.763-04:00

We had a great release party for our new CD, East End Avenue, at the Rhythm House in Bridgeville, PA on Friday, June 16. Thanks to Sean McDowell of WDVE for serving as emcee, and to Darryl Price of the Rhythm House for the great hospitality.The big crowd that came for the event despite nasty construction and detours on US 79 saw a great show and seemed to love all the new material that we

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1150130780474085412006-06-12T12:25:00.000-04:002006-06-12T13:18:32.003-04:00

I have to share an email I got from a DJ in Siberia about our new CD: Dear Billy Price! Thank You so much for fantastic brilliant East End Avenue! You really can't imagine what is honor and proud for us, for our radio station, discover Your creation, touch perfectly splendid work, work of incredibly highest culture and mastery!!! I think we are unique here! It is really exclusive, invaluable

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1150057576413359942006-06-11T15:46:00.000-04:002006-06-11T17:29:16.883-04:00

The crowd at the Tin Angel in Philadelphia last week for our first of two CD release parties (the second is this Friday evening, 8:00, at the Rhythm House in Bridgeville, PA, south of Pittsburgh) was small but enthusiastic. There are two possible explanations for the small crowd:Everybody goes away to the beach on the weekends in Philadelphia, and it's hard to draw a crowd for a music show during

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1149956288412268382006-06-10T12:14:00.000-04:002006-06-11T15:41:48.916-04:00

Willy is home and recuperating. You can follow the progress of his recovery on his new blog.To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1148821886025095002006-05-28T09:07:00.000-04:002006-05-28T09:13:41.196-04:00

It's out. Thanks to all of you who have ordered it online and bought copies at our gig in Greensburg last night, and thanks in advance to all of you who will.So how do you like it? What songs do you like, and what songs don't you like? How does it compare to our other CDs? We'd love to hear from you!To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1147552357288712922006-05-13T16:30:00.000-04:002006-05-13T16:34:27.010-04:00

I posted low-fi MP3 files of all the songs from East End Avenue on the Billy Price Band web site today. They are one-minute samples; please let me know how they sound to you!To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1147477376140748342006-05-12T19:41:00.000-04:002006-05-12T19:42:56.140-04:00

Good news from Willy Franklin. I missed a call from him on my cell phone yesterday when he called from the hospital to tell me that he was improving and will be moving to a rehab facility soon. It was great to hear his voice.To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1147476978778003622006-05-12T19:15:00.000-04:002006-05-13T08:27:02.503-04:00

Jon Tiven, co-writer of six songs (five with me) on East End Avenue, our new CD, made a clean sweep last night at the 2006 Blues Music Awards. Jon produced Think of Me, the last CD recorded by Little Milton before his death. The CD won Album of the Year and Soul/Blues Album of the Year, and the title song won Song of the Year. Little Milton also won Soul/Blues Male Artist of the

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1145826813932647472006-04-23T17:07:00.000-04:002006-04-23T17:13:33.950-04:00

Willy Franklin, who has been both a full-time and part-time bass player with the Billy Price Band, was in a serious motorcycle accident on April 20. He suffered several broken bones, had emergency hip surgery, and has additional surgery scheduled on his leg and wrist. Willy is recovering at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. I'm sure he'd be grateful to receive an e-card from Billy Price

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1144538696188671412006-04-08T19:23:00.000-04:002006-04-08T19:24:56.203-04:00

at the Rhythm House Cafe in Bridgeville, PA. We'll start early, at 8:00. Make plans now!To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1144004236372758572006-04-02T14:57:00.000-04:002006-04-02T21:30:47.556-04:00

takes the stage at Moondog's on April 29. Jimmy Britton will be gone that weekend for New Orleans Jazzfest--call it a professional development trip--so I thought it might be fun to play the gig with two guitar players, since I know two great ones.One, of course, is Lenny Smith. The other is Jack Rigg, whose most recent credit is having played with Blue Oyster Cult (this is not a typo) and

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1143692210849517522006-03-29T23:09:00.000-05:002006-03-29T23:16:50.863-05:00

Jeff told me tonight that he decided, after now listening to me hundreds of times in the studio, that I sound like Junior Parker. Yep, I'll take that. To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1143599228826613352006-03-28T21:18:00.000-05:002006-03-28T21:27:08.853-05:00

We had about 350 people at our sold-out show at Phillip's Lounge in Arnold, PA last Saturday night. Here I am with Sally and Heidi, as Jimmy Britton looks on suspiciously from the rear.We're expecting another packed house for our upcoming fundraiser this Saturday night, April 1, in Upper Marlboro, MD. The gig is called "An Evening of Denim and Blues," and it's a fundraiser for Queen Anne School.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1143253821675323152006-03-24T21:27:00.000-05:002006-03-24T21:30:21.676-05:00

We're at Phillip's Lounge in Arnold, PA tomorrow night, and the show is already sold out--more than 300 tickets have been sold. I know it's been a while since I've played in Arnold, New Kensington, or Tarentum, but none of these places is too far from Blawnox, and I'm not getting 300 people to pay in advance to see us in Moondog's. So what's up with this?Meanwhile...All the recording on the new

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1143253557510397932006-03-24T21:24:00.000-05:002006-03-24T21:25:57.523-05:00

here. Thanks to Jim Price for sending these.To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1142913096334054322006-03-20T22:46:00.000-05:002006-03-20T22:54:15.280-05:00

Just found out that King Floyd, best known for "Groove Me" but also the originator of "What Our Love Needs," currently in the BP Band repertoire, died 10 days ago. Here's an obituary. I read this sad news, by the way, on a great great soul blog, Soul Sides: Music for Rhythm Addicts, which I highly recommend. You can download lots of obscure soul gems here.To add a comment, click the "Comments"

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1142562175225753212006-03-16T20:52:00.000-05:002006-03-16T21:22:55.236-05:00

Great long night of the blues last Saturday night, starring Piney Brown, now in his seventh decade singing the blues.That's James Hilton, a great guitar player whom I had never heard before, on the left, and Jeff "Head Bone Daddy" Ingersoll playing bass on the right. Don't know the drummer.Here's me with Bobby Wayne, who sounded great singing a couple of Bobby Bland songs that I used to do: Black

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1142027923785084862006-03-10T16:56:00.000-05:002006-03-10T16:58:43.836-05:00

Jim & Terri sent me this one, from the American Ale House in State College. It's a few years old, but I'm not sure how many years.Thanks folks!To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1141942480165253122006-03-09T17:05:00.000-05:002006-03-09T17:14:40.180-05:00

like Eric V did here. Let us know if it's okay to use your name, and we'll credit you.We're going to be working on a major redesign of the Billy Price Band web site in the next couple of months, and we'll be adding a photos section. We invite you to send your digital photos of Billy Price Band gigs.We'll post our favorites on the the web site.One change we made to the site last night that is kind

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1141822812712458962006-03-08T07:53:00.000-05:002006-03-08T08:05:06.290-05:00

"I'm not going to pay a lot for this muffler."Praise the Lord and pass the collection plate. Why didn't someone tell me what this looks like from the back?To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1141592920104332242006-03-05T15:50:00.000-05:002006-03-05T16:08:40.116-05:00

Jeff Ingersoll of the Boneyard told me yesterday that at one time, before the steel mills closed, McKeesport was the third largest city in Pennsylvania. Could that possibly be true? The place is kind of a ghost town now. Jeff, D.J., and I went over to have hot dogs at Sam's on Saturday at about 2:00, but it was closed. It wouldn't have been closed at 2:00 on Saturday in 1965.We're trying to

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1141434516914437622006-03-03T19:40:00.000-05:002006-03-05T15:49:20.146-05:00

Tomorrow night we'll be at Carnegie Mellon, for the Beaux Arts Ball, in the revival of a longtime tradition at CMU. The costume ball, which hasn't been held since 1993, is described by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as having a "lushly costumed history...which, at times, was so bacchanalian that one reveler said it would have made Caligula blush."Update: Here's a photo from the first set, which we

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1141148975159698252006-02-28T12:30:00.000-05:002006-03-01T23:02:56.570-05:00

Great day in the studio yesterday. I took the afternoon off from work and headed out to McKeesport to work with the horn section on some parts. Those guys are amazing. Wait until you hear Eric's sax solo on "Faithful and True," Rick's solo on "East End Avenue," and the great section parts that the guys came up with. Photos here.I'm about 95% sure that the CD is going to be called "East End Avenue

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1141013077610681212006-02-26T23:03:00.000-05:002006-02-28T20:35:52.613-05:00

Here.Updated 2/28 with new photos.Thanks to Jimmy Britton for the photos.To add a comment, click the "Comments" link below.

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1140996651278996782006-02-26T18:16:00.000-05:002006-02-26T22:05:10.463-05:00

In a comment to my last post, Julie Toye wrote...release of Hard Rain's last CD and your next CD increases the likelihood that one day music historians will just marvel over the high quality of music made and/or distributed by tiny labels Moondog and Bone Yard Records that most Pittsburgh area commercial radio sadly kicks to the curb rather than support and play. I love Pittsburgh music and never

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23023874.post-1140901046808772592006-02-25T15:57:00.000-05:002006-02-26T06:50:05.106-05:00

Friends, Things are coming together nicely on our new CD, which doesn't yet have a title (though we're leaning toward "East End Avenue," which is also the title of one of the hottest songs). It's hard for me to believe that it's been 6 1/2 years since my last studio CD, but it's true. We're recording at the Mojo Boneyard in McKeesport, PA (which has been in the news lately), site of a burgeoning

Billyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760848289265456912noreply@blogger.com7