Billy Mure facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Billy Mure
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| Born | November 4, 1915 New York City, New York, U.S |
| Died | September 25, 2013 (aged 97) Vero Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1957–2013 |
Sebastian "Billy" Mure (born November 4, 1915 – died September 25, 2013) was an American musician. He was a talented guitarist and songwriter. Billy Mure recorded many albums in the 1950s and 1960s. His music covered different styles. These included surf, Hawaiian, swing, pop, twist, and lounge music.
Billy Mure's Life and Music
Billy Mure was born in New York City. He started playing the violin when he was nine years old. Later, he chose the guitar as his main instrument. During World War II, he played in bands while serving in the military. After the war, he worked at a radio station called WNEW. He stayed there until 1957.
Besides his own recordings, Billy Mure also worked as a session musician. This means he played guitar for other artists' songs. He was also a composer, writing music for others. He wrote a popular instrumental song called "Toy Balloons." In 1959, he released a song called "A String of Trumpets." This song reached number 64 on the Billboard music chart. For seven years, Billy Mure performed with his band, the Top Hats. They played at a place called Squid Lips in Sebastian, Florida.
Billy Mure's Albums
Billy Mure released many albums where he was the main artist. Here are some of them:
- Super-Sonic Guitars in Hi-Fi (1957)
- Fireworks (1957)
- Supersonics In Flight (1959)
- Supersonic Guitars (1959)
- Bandstand Record Hop (1959)
- A String of Trumpets (1960)
- Strictly Cha Cha (1960)
- Around The World In Percussion (1961)
- Tough Strings (Great Guitar Hits) (1961)
- Hawaiian Percussion (1961)
- Blue Hawaii (1963)
- Teen Bossa Nova (1963)
- Hawaiian Moods (1965)
Playing for Other Stars
Billy Mure was a very busy session musician. He played guitar on many famous songs for other artists. Some of these songs became number one hits! Here are a few examples of the artists he played for:
- Paul Anka — "Diana" (reached #1)
- Frankie Laine — "Rawhide" (reached #6)
- Perry Como — "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" (reached #1)
- Ames Brothers — "Ragg Mopp" (reached #1)
- Eddie Fisher — "Oh My Papa" (reached #1)
- Marty Robbins — "White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation" (reached #1)
- Bobby Darin — "Splish Splash" (reached #1)
- Rosemary Clooney — "Come on-a My House" (reached #1)
- Connie Francis — "Among My Souvenirs" (reached #7)
- Guy Mitchell — "Heartaches by the Number" (reached #1 on C&W listing)
- Perez Prado — "Patricia" (reached #1)
- Tony Bennett — "Because of You" (reached #1)
- Kay Starr — "Wheel of Fortune" (reached #1)
- Brian Hyland — "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" (reached #1)
- Johnny Mathis — "Chances Are" (reached #1)
- Patti Page — "How Much is that Doggie in the Window?" (reached #1)
- Johnnie Ray — "Cry" (reached #1) (He was sometimes credited as "Sebastian Mure" for this song.)
