Billy Hancock facts for kids

William C. Hancock Jr. (born November 4, 1946 – died January 22, 2018) was an American musician. He was a talented singer, guitarist, and bassist. Billy Hancock was known for playing many different instruments. He recorded many songs, especially in the rockabilly style. He also made music in rock 'n' roll, blues, jazz, R&B, and country music. He often performed live in the Washington, D.C. area. He also played regularly at music festivals in Europe.

Growing Up with Music

Billy Hancock was born in Washington, D.C.. He grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, where he lived for most of his life. He went to George Washington High School in Alexandria and graduated in 1964.

Music was a big part of his family. His grandmother, Katie, sang and played piano and harmonica. Two of his aunts, Eileen and Anita, were singers in the 1940s. They sang regularly on radio stations in Washington D.C. His grandfather, Mitchell Hancock, played the mandolin from 1897 to 1902. He often played on riverboats in New Orleans.

Billy's mother worked at local record stores. She brought home many records, especially R&B music from the late 1940s. These records greatly influenced Billy's own musical journey.

Billy Hancock's Music Career

Billy Hancock started playing in bands in the Washington, D.C. area when he was still a teenager. After high school, he played with bands in Rhode Island and New York. Later, he returned to the Washington area. In 1968, he moved to Baltimore to study at the Peabody Conservatory. He continued to play in bands there.

Forming Danny and the Fat Boys

In the early 1970s, Billy Hancock started working with Danny Gatton. They formed a band called Danny and the Fat Boys. Billy played bass and sang, Danny Gatton played guitar, and Dave Elliott played drums and sang. In 1975, the band released an album called American Music. Billy and his brother owned the record label that released it. The album was named after an R&B song Billy had written. It was later released again on CD.

Recording Rockabilly Hits

In 1978, Billy Hancock recorded four rockabilly songs. He used the name Billy Hancock and the Tennessee Rockets. These songs were for Ripsaw Records, a small independent label. He kept recording rockabilly music for Ripsaw for two years. Ripsaw released four singles during this time. They also allowed larger labels in the U.S. and France to release his songs. These rockabilly recordings made Billy Hancock famous around the world.

In 1983, Billy recorded another rockabilly song, "Hey! Little Rock And Roller." It was released in France. Later that year, he recorded more rock and roll songs for Ripsaw. Six of these songs were released in 1985. All of his Ripsaw recordings were later released on CDs by a Finnish record company.

Working with Other Musicians

Throughout his career, Billy Hancock played in bands that backed up many famous musicians. These included Fats Domino, Gene Vincent, and blues guitarist Roy Buchanan. He also played with rockabilly artist Charlie Feathers, the Clovers, Amos Milburn, and country singers Dottie West and Jean Shepard. He also helped produce and played guitar on Tex Rubinowitz's rockabilly song "Hot Rod Man."

Starting Turkey Mountain Records

In 2002, Billy Hancock and his brother, Dale Hancock, started their own record label. It was called Turkey Mountain Records. They created the label to find and promote talented artists. These were artists who might have been overlooked by other record companies. Their "Archival Series" re-released music from older artists. These works had not been available for a long time. Artists on Turkey Mountain Records included Danny Gatton, The British Walkers, Bobbie Howard, Charlie Feathers, The Fallen Angels, and Billy Hancock himself.

Awards and Recognition

Billy Hancock received many awards for his musical work. In 2005, the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) gave him a Special Recognition Award. This was for his more than 40 years as a singer, musician, songwriter, and label owner. In 2006, WAMA gave him two "Wammie" awards. These were for "Roots Rock Vocalist" and "Roots Rock Recording" for 2005. In 2012, WAMA gave him another special award as part of "The Fallen Angels."

In 2010, Billy Hancock was inducted into the Southern Legends Hall of Fame. He was already a member of three other international music halls of fame. On November 4, 2012, he was also inducted into The Northern Virginia Blues Society, Blues Hall of Fame.

Billy Hancock also hosted a TV show called American Music. On the show, he interviewed and featured songwriters. He was also a music historian. He was a member of The Fallen Angels, an art rock group from the 1960s that reunited.

Billy Hancock's Albums (Discography)

• 1975 - American Music
• 1981 - Rockabilly Fever
• 1981 - Shakin' That Rockabilly Fever
• 1983 - Hey! Little Rock and Roller
• 1985 - Wanted: True Rock 'n' Roll
• 1988 - Vintage Masters
• 1997 - American Music
• 2000 - Live at Colonial Beach
• 2000 - Shakin' That Rockabilly Fever
• 2002 - On the Jazz
• 2003 - Wanted: True Rock 'n' Roll
• 2005 - Billy Hancock & the Tennessee Rockets Live!
• 2005 - Passions
• 2006 - Birth of a Billy: Anthology
• 2008 - Out of the Darkness
• 2010 - Rockabilly Fans Only “The Lost Tapes”
• 2011 - Anthology Volume Two