When my friends were listening to hip-hop or R&B, I was in the crib listening to Billy Joel and Michael Bolton, Luther Vandross, and Oscar Peterson.
I went to an ordinary primary school, and then I started performing in a show called ‘Billy Elliot’ on the West End, and that was sort of my drama school.
I came out with my five-piece group and opened at Billy Burke’s Swing Oar. This was when Hollywood was really jumpin’. This was when Frankie Laine used to come in and ask if he could sing a number.
I am going through a Neil Young phase. I also listen to a lot of alternative country, a band called Smog and Bonnie Prince Billy, which is very dark and twisted.
I listen to Billy Joel. He is fabulous. I saw him with Elton John when they toured together, it was so great.
Billy Joel is an incredible musician. He just feels like one of the guys, you know. I grew up listening to his music.
We are unique because we’re the same three guys, and as Billy says, playing the same three chords.
My trainer, Marty Jones, was trained by Billy Robinson, so was Johnny Saint and a lot of great British wrestlers.
Billy Graham talks about how he doesn’t judge people. I don’t either. Some people I am just pissed at.
OK, I dated Jordan Knight from New Kids on the Block, I dated a ‘Baywatch’ boy named David Charvet, and I dated Billy Idol.
I like old tunes when I’m driving. They’re fun and uplifting. Billy Ocean, that kind of thing.
Billy Gunn, Bill DeMott, and Dusty Rhodes all helped me find myself and how to express it to people so they understand.
‘Sunset Boulevard’ by Billy Wilder, it’s one of my favorite films. I love all the movies from the 1950s.
Billy Bremner… was the captain of a very successful side. He was quite small but feisty as anything and that’s what I love, playing with people that get stuck in and don’t get bullied by other teams.
I know that this sounds grand, but I don’t try to compete with other people. I like to think there’s enough pie for everyone. The kind of people I’m competing with are my heroes – Woody Allen, Billy Wilder – who I know I’m going to fall short of.
I don’t play guitar. I sing. I’m the lead singer, of Cousin Billy. I also play harmonica, after a fashion.
A movie that makes me cry every time is ‘Billy Elliot.’ That scene where he’s dancing in the hall, and his dad walks in. And the first time his dad can see how amazing he is dancing, but he’s so conflicted with kind of his own feelings towards it. Oh, it’s so emotional.
I saw ‘Billy Elliot’ again, and what I loved about it was the way it had become a social document, a reminder of what happened with the mining communities in the ’80s. And I thought, ‘Everyone keeps wanting me to make a sequel to ‘Beckham,’ but maybe a musical remake is the answer, embracing all this theatricality.’
Usually, if I want to just listen to something or sing along to something, I’ll put on some Gavin DeGraw or some Billy Joel. Occasionally, if I am feeling vocally in really great shape, I will sing Jean Valjean’s soliloquy from ‘Les Miz’ or something.
Me, Billy Crystal and John Goodman hang out non-stop, and all we do is silly voices. We hang out in a little closet and do voices together.
There are so few who are men worthy of praise in this dreadful life: Mr. McMahon is one who immediately comes to mind; Billy Shakespeare is another, Bob Barker, god rest his soul – wait, he’s not passed yet has he? Drat, take that one off, I suppose.
I learned early on that ‘Billy on the Street’ is a great lesson in ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’
Of all the projects I’ve worked on, I’ve never worked with another director like Billy Friedkin. I think he’s a genius.
I wrote ‘Young Guns’ on spec because I really believed that the young age of these guys historically, the whole legend of Billy dying at 21, would attract a young staple of stars, and that would be the game-changer.
‘Billy on the Street’ is a very exhausting show to do, as you can imagine, but it’s worth it.
I’ve written enough books with real celebrities, such as Walter Payton and Hank Aaron and Billy Graham, to know that fame looks good only to people who don’t have it.
The idea that the Tony committee and the New York theater community as a whole have embraced ‘Billy Elliot’ is very, very exciting.
Billy Connolly is probably the greatest stand-up this country has ever produced and he swears all the time.
Oh, yeah, I’ve always thought of covering some of my influences like Billy Joel, Elton John, Stevie Wonder.
During my teens and early 20s, I proved to be anything but what most people expected Billy Graham’s son to be. I’m so thankful he never gave up on me or quit loving me.
When I was on the road with Billy Bragg, it was cool because I was doing the whole thing solo and travel a lot by myself, which I quite like. I mean, I love being with friends, but it’s kind of nice having that alone time.
Billy Sheehan has always been my number one favorite bass player of all time.
‘Billy On The Street’ has no doubt always been about the people we talk to. That being said, it thrills me that the show really has a dedicated following in the comedy world.
For me, people in Ireland who became actors would have to go through the Billy Barry’s in Dublin.
Back when I first came up with the Twins as a second baseman, Billy worked with me on my fielding, on playing the game, on being heads-up, hustling, always doing my best, not alibiing. And when he was the Twins’ manager, I enjoyed playing for him.
It’s hard to think what should make your blood boil more – what happened to Billy Ray or what didn’t happen to those who abused him. It’s something we can’t ignore.
What the guys have learned is that whether you’re preaching to one or 10,000, it really doesn’t matter. That one person you touch may change the nation – could be the Billy Graham of Ethiopia.
I got to work with Dustin Hoffman on a film called ‘Billy Bathgate.’ I got to work with Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn and Bob Zemeckis on ‘Death Becomes Her.’ There are still a few actors out there that I would like to work with.
Billy not only had a distinguished career in the Legislature, but he also has great business instincts and has done exceedingly well making investment decisions in both stocks and private ventures such as real estate.
I’m a huge fan of Billy Idol. I spiked my hair every day like him in 7th and 8th grade.
Elton John and Billy Joel, I find them both to be huge inspirations, those guys are so talented.
When Billy Ray and I first got married, we lived in an A-frame house in Kentucky, and I didn’t even know you could get drapes made – I used to get drapes from Dillard’s. Once I hired a designer to help decorate that house was when I discovered a passion for designing.
I was drawn close to God at the birth of my twins, Barbara and Billy. You know, they were born prematurely and some thought they wouldn’t live, but God had other plans.
Chopin or Billy Eckstine or Miles Davis – that stuff helps me, more when I’ve already written and I need a little energy to keep editing.
My dad was not someone who you would strike with a billy club and he wouldn’t strike back. It just wasn’t in him.
I respect Billy Joel, but I’m not a guy who’s gonna sit down and listen to the entire ‘Essential Billy Joel.’
