Bill Dees facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Dees
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| Birth name | William Marvin Dees |
| Born | January 24, 1939 Borger, Texas, United States |
| Died | October 24, 2012 (aged 73) Mountain Home, Arkansas, United States |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1959–2012 |
William Marvin Dees (born January 24, 1939 – died October 24, 2012) was an American musician. He was best known for writing many songs with the famous singer Roy Orbison.
Contents
Bill Dees: A Songwriter's Journey
Bill Dees was born in Borger, Texas, in the United States. He loved music from a young age. He started his musical journey playing guitar and singing.
Early Music Days
In May 1958, Bill Dees made his first recordings. He was part of a band called The Five Bops. They recorded their music with Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico. Later, the band changed its name to The Whirlwinds. They became popular enough to perform on a radio station in Amarillo, Texas.
Meeting Roy Orbison
Bill Dees eventually moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville is a very important city for music. There, he met the legendary singer Roy Orbison. This meeting changed Bill Dees' career. They started working together, writing many songs.
Their partnership created several hit songs for Monument Records. Two of their most famous songs were "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "It's Over". These songs became very popular around the world.
Writing for Movies
In 1967, Bill Dees helped write all the songs for a special project. It was for a Roy Orbison album and an MGM movie. The movie was called The Fastest Guitar Alive. This showed how talented Bill Dees was at writing music for different projects.
Other Famous Songs
Besides his work with Roy Orbison, Bill Dees wrote hundreds of other songs. Many famous artists recorded his music. Some of these artists include Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, and Glen Campbell. He even recorded his own album in 2000. It was called Saturday Night at the Movies. This album featured songs he wrote with Orbison and some he wrote by himself.
Later Life and Legacy
Bill Dees lived in different places, including Ozark, Arkansas and New Boston, Texas. He kept writing and playing music. Later, he lived near Branson, Missouri. He continued to write songs with another musician, Jack Pribek. Bill Dees passed away on October 24, 2012. He was living in Mountain Home, Arkansas, at the time. His songs continue to be enjoyed by many people.
