Billy Yeager Music

Billy taught himself how to play his fathers homemade guitar at 6 years old. He excelled at being an excellent guitar player by listening to record albums on an old record player where he learned to slow the 33-rpm speed down to 16 rpm speed and pick out guitar licks note for note by Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix.

Billy started writing songs at 12 years old and playing in bands professionally when he was 17 years working in Disco and Funk bands in Miami Beach.

The early years and brush with fame

When Billy was 14 years old he met Mick Ronson and David Bowie when they were touring in South Florida. Billy was working as a dishwasher where the band was staying at The Hemispheres Hotel in Hallandale. Mick Ronson (Ziggy Stardust) and David Bowie invited Billy to play guitar with them at a jam session. In 1978 Billy also met Tommy Bolin at The Castaways Hotel where Billy was performing. Tommy Bolin was opening for Jeff Beck in Miami and staying at The New Port Lounge across the street.   Billy and Tommy became friends and hung out together and Billy was with Tommy just hours before he was found dead in his hotel room.

Billy produced his first album in 1983. He arranged a 12 piece horn arrangement and used the McAurthur High School Cheerleaders on his songs. That same year 5 of his songs from the album were accepted into The Miller High Life's "Rock to Riches Talent Search". There were 16 songs chosen out of 1200 songs. All 5 of Billy's songs made the finals and "My cup of Tea" was the featured song that was marketed on "Miller High Life Rock to Rich's album".

In 1984 he met Jaco Pastorius and the two of them jammed together and recorded on a ghetto blaster playing bass and guitar out of one amplifier.

The 2 became good friends. When it came time for Billy to develop the character of Lloyd in his film he decided that Lloyd would become   a loose knit version of Jaco.

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In 1985 Billy was invited to play guitar for the reggae band   "Inner Circle" (Cops Theme). He toured as their guitar player from 1985 until 1987 and also recorded for   Rita Marley and Pearl Marley at Inner Circle's Circle Sound Studio.

Later that same year Billy auditioned for the television show "Star Search" and was the only performer chosen from a street audition out of 1200 singers.

Throughout 1985 until 1992 Billy secluded himself in his apartment and had a part-time job taking trips to California and New York when he felt he had a great sounding demo tape with some hit songs. He also produced and directed his own music videos to promote his music. He was rejected by all of the major record labels beggining in 1979 when he first started submitting songs to the record companies.

In 1986 he recorded his second album performing all of the instruments himself. He recorded the album at Circle Sound, Inner Circles private studios. There he was able to experiment creatively with mandolins, church choirs, and church bells, xylophone, timpani drums, and banjo.

In 1992 Billy had written and recorded over 550 original recorded songs that he produced on his 4 track-recording machine. He wrote 3 to 5 songs a day. He also collected over 200 rejection letters from music publishing companies, record producers and record companies.

Most of his tapes were not really being listened to.

In 1993 Grammy Award Winner Bruce Hornsby received one of Billy's demo tapes. Bruce Hornsby had 2 big hits under his belt " That's just the way it is" and "Mandolin Rain". He also wrote and produced " End of the innocence" for Don Henley and "I can't make you love me" by Bonnie Riatte.

Bruce liked what he heard.

New Times 1992 " Billy's tape was different. It's the first time I thought, this is something!"

Bruce hooked Billy up with his manger Tim Neece who received money from Capitol Records to get Billy a development deal to record some better sounding demos.

Tim Neece and Bruce both tried to help get Billy signed with a major record label but had a difficult time. The labels informed Billy that they were only interested in Rap music and Grunge music at the time. Billy was considered an adult contemporary artist.

Billy " Bruce was a great help and inspiration. There are not many artists that are willing to take their time and put themselves on the line to help you out, while they are all trying to keep their own careers alive. But Bruce was different and an exceptional talent and songwriter. After having a Grammy Award Winning artist take an interest in you, it makes your creative level and aspirations rise to the next level. He was very instrumental in helping me improve on my writing skills and overall arrangements of songs.

Gerry Morrata, Peter Gabriel's drummer also got involved calling the record company's and letting them know that he wanted to record the drum tracks for Billy's songs.

The songwriting, determination, persistence, recording and rejection were all documented in Billy's award winning film   "Jimmy's Story".

Soon after in 1994 Billy was signed to a management deal with Gerry Georgettis who had worked with Pink Floyd, Tool, Sponge and Jane's Addiction/ Porno for Pyros.

Billy went into the studio again and recorded some new songs. Gerry and Billy went to Los Angeles and New York to meet with the record labels. Once again every major label rejected him. In Los Angeles Billy did get the chance to hang out with Perry and the guys in the band.

In 1997 Billy pulled off his elaborate hoax and did not submit any music to the major labels. Instead he put more time into his film. He continued to film and document his life,   edit and re-edit the film ' Jimmy's Story". Eventually there were 3 parts of the film. In 2004 he finally compiled all of the segments and put them together to make 1 complete version.  

Faust and Billy Editing Jimmy's Story on Media 100. 20 hour days editing, Billy gets some sleep on the floor. Co-Produced by CDG

Billy has recorded over 22 c.d.'s and plays every instrument on them. He continues to write and record music today.

Jaco Pastorius has gone on record to say that Billy is one of the greatest guitar players he has ever played with. Billy has also record with jazz great Ira Sullivan.

Billy still writes and records songs. He has recently released several c.d.'s styles that range from Mexican Flamenco/ Jazz Surf Rock/ Trance and Blue grass mixing many styles of music.

Billy Yeager with Pat Metheny

Just recently Billy was discovered again by Rod Stewart in Palm Beach where he was performing. Billy talked to Rod about his next album, which is going to be a rock album this time. Billy is currently writing songs for Rod to consider for the project.

He recently finished a C.D. with Katie Beraha titled ' Katie and Billy.

Billy also composed and performed all the music for the soundtrack for his film"

  "A   Perfect Song".  

Billy is now accepting select students for his "music composition classes" series.

This class teaches students the fundamentals of songwriting please see www.AAAacting.com

This is Billy performing in Nashville at "The Songwriters in the Round" event that takes place every year. Billy was chosen out of 350 songwriters to be the featured guest performing his original songs for the evening.