Billy Crawford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Billy Crawford
Billy Crawford, in 2018
Born	Billy Joe Ledesma Crawford (1982-05-16) May 16, 1982 (age 43) Manila, Philippines
Occupation	Actor musician singer comedian dancer television host
Years active	1986–present
Spouse(s)	Marie Courchinoux ​ (m. invalid year)​ Coleen Garcia ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	1
Musical career
Genres	Pop R&B soul OPM
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano drums
Labels	V2 Universal MCA Viva Records

Billy Joe Ledesma Crawford (born May 16, 1982) is a famous Filipino actor and singer. He is also a talented dancer, comedian, and television host. Billy has won several awards, including a NRJ Music Award and a special Aning Dangal award for his contributions to culture and arts.

Billy started his career very young, appearing on the TV show That's Entertainment as a child. He also acted in movies like Lost Command and Sandakot Na Bala. When he was 12, Billy moved to the U.S. to study at a special performing arts school in New York City. A year later, he was chosen to be one of Michael Jackson's backup dancers for a performance at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards.

After finishing high school, Billy returned to the Philippines. He had a big homecoming concert called Billy Crawford: It's Time. In 2022, he won the French dance competition Danse avec les Stars (which means ‘dance with the stars’). Billy Crawford has sold about 2 million records around the world. This makes him one of the best-selling Filipino artists of his time. His second album, Ride, was very successful. It included his most popular song, "Trackin", which became a huge hit in Europe.

Billy's Early Life and Career Beginnings

Billy Joe Ledesma Crawford was born in Manila, Philippines. His mother, Mayette Ledesma, is Filipino, and his father, Jack Crawford, is American. He also has two half-brothers.

Billy was discovered when he was only 3 years old. He was singing at a bowling alley that his mother often visited. He then became a regular on a TV show called That's Entertainment, where he was known as Billy Joe. He also acted in films and TV shows. One reviewer said he was a very natural child actor.

He went to school in the Philippines while also working as an actor. When he was 12, he moved to the U.S. to start a music career. He performed in the United Kingdom, France, and Asia. He lived in Dallas, Texas, and then moved to New York City. During this time, he officially changed his stage name to Billy Crawford. He attended the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City. Other famous young performers, like Mandy Moore, also went there.

In 1996, when Billy was 14, he got his first big job as a backup dancer. He danced for Michael Jackson during his performance of "Dangerous" at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards.

Billy's Music Albums

His First Album: Billy Crawford (1997–1999)

Billy recorded his first album, Billy Crawford, when he was 15. It included popular songs like "Urgently in Love" and "Mary Lopez".

His Hit Album: Ride (2001–2002)

In 2001, "Trackin'" was the first song released from his album Ride. It became his most successful song, reaching number five in France and selling many copies. It also hit number one in the Netherlands and was popular in other European countries.

By April 2002, Billy released his second album, Ride. It quickly became a gold record in France and Switzerland. Later, it sold over 600,000 copies in total. Other hit songs from this album included "When You Think About Me" and "You Didn't Expect That".

Big City (2004–2005)

Billy's album Big City was created with help from top music producers in America. He wanted to try new things in his music career.

Big City Tour Live (2005)

Big City Tour Live is a live concert DVD from Billy. It was released in France in 2005.

It's Time (2007)

It's Time is Billy's fourth studio album. It was released in 2007, and its first song was "Like That".

Groove (2009)

Groove is Billy's fifth album. It features new versions of classic songs from the 1970s and 1980s.

Sky Is the Limit (2013)

Sky Is the Limit is Billy's first EP (a shorter album). It has five new songs, a remix, and an instrumental track.

Work in Progress (2019)

In 2019, Billy released the song "Filipina Girl" from his album Work in Progress. The album has ten songs and was produced by Marcus Davis Jr. Billy said he dedicated the album to his wife, Coleen Garcia, who encouraged him to make music again. Work in Progress was released on March 22, 2019.

Billy's Music and Television Journey

Billy Crawford had great success with his music in France and other parts of Europe. His song "You Didn't Expect That" even reached the top 40 in the UK. He also sang a cover of the Pokémon TV series theme song for Pokémon: The First Movie.

In 2004, Billy's album Big City was released in France and Asia. The song "Steamy Nights" from this album did well. Its music video was filmed in Los Angeles and featured actress Jenna Dewan as Billy's dance partner.

In 2006, Billy started working on a new album. He also toured with the group L5 in France. He recorded a cover of "Super Freak" by Rick James for the French animated movie Asterix and the Vikings.

Billy Crawford in London, November 2009

In 2007, Billy returned to the Philippines to host a dance show called "MOVE: The Search for Billy Crawford's Pinoy Dancers". This show looked for six backup dancers for his concert. After his successful concert, Billy went back to the United States for other projects.

In 2008, Billy signed with ABS-CBN in the Philippines. He became a regular on the Sunday variety show ASAP. He also hosted Pinoy Dream Academy Überture, a singing reality show.

In 2009, he acted again in Your Song Presents with singer Nikki Gil. He also released his fifth album, Groove. He later hosted the talent show Showtime.

In 2010, he hosted Pilipinas Got Talent with Luis Manzano. They both won an award for Best Talent Search Program Hosts.

From 2011 to 2020, Billy hosted the weekday variety show It's Showtime with Vhong Navarro and others.

In 2013, he released his EP "Sky Is the Limit". In 2017, he promoted his song "Future," which he dedicated to his wife, Coleen García.

In September 2020, Billy moved to TV5 Network. He hosted the Philippine version of The Masked Singer and the noontime show Lunch Out Loud. He also started hosting the game show The Wall Philippines in 2021. When The Wall Philippines moved to GMA Network in 2022, it marked Billy's return to his first network after 15 years.

Billy also competed in the French dance competition "Danse avec les stars" and won with his dance partner, Fauve Hautot.

More recently, Billy became a coach on the Philippine version of The Voice TV show. He was a coach on The Voice Generations (2023) and The Voice Kids (2024).

Billy's Personal Life

In 2013, Billy Crawford and Filipino actress Nikki Gil ended their relationship. The next year, he started dating his co-host Coleen García from It's Showtime!. They got engaged on December 20, 2016, and were married on April 20, 2018. On September 10, 2020, they welcomed their son, Amari.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

Notes

• A^ Song was released in the United States in 2001, and internationally in 2003.
• B^ Song was originally recorded by the Filipino-American girl group One Voice.
• C^ Album and songs were released only in the Philippines, and therefore, did not chart as there are no official albums and singles charts in the Philippines.

Filmography

Film

Television

Billy's life story was also featured on the Philippine TV drama show Maalaala Mo Kaya.

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Billy Crawford para niños