Billy Strings (born William Lee Apostol, October 3, 1992) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bluegrass musician.[1] He has released four studio albums, with his album Home winning the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2021.
Early life
Billy Strings was born William Lee Apostol on October 3, 1992, in Lansing, Michigan. His father died of a heroin overdose when he was two, and his mother remarried Terry Barber, an accomplished amateur bluegrass musician, whom Strings regards as his father. The family later moved to Morehead, Kentucky, and then to Muir, Michigan. While he was still a preteen, his parents became addicted to methamphetamine. He left the family home at the age of 13 and went through a period of hard drug usage. His family eventually achieved sobriety; Billy stopped using hard drugs and drinking alcohol, becoming "California sober" and consuming only cannabis and similar "light drugs" (i.e., psychedelics).[2][3]
Apostol got his stage name, Billy Strings, from his aunt, who saw his ability on multiple traditional bluegrass instruments.[8]
Career
Beginnings, Turmoil and Tinfoil (2012–2019)
Strings at Bristol Rhythm and Roots Festival, 2017
In 2012, Don Julin, a mandolin player from Traverse City, Michigan, and author of Mandolin for Dummies, asked Strings to join him on a paying gig. The partnership lasted for the next four years.
Rolling Stone named Strings one of the Top Ten New Country Artists to Know in 2017.[1] On February 12, 2018, Rolling Stone published an article titled "Bluegrass Prodigy Billy Strings Plots 2018 Spring Tour", saying: "Billy Strings doesn't have any trouble living up to his name. [He is] one of the latest breakneck guitar pickers to emerge in the bluegrass world."[9] The International Bluegrass Music Association awarded him with the Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award in 2016.[10]Bluegrass Situation named him a scene tastemaker in 2016.[10] Lisa Snedeker of HuffPost proclaimed Turmoil & Tinfoil as one of the best albums of 2017, writing: "In September it charted at No. 3 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts. 'Nuff said."[11] In March 2018, Rolling Stone released Strings' debut music video for his song "Dealing Despair" from his album Turmoil & Tinfoil.[12] He planned to play over 200 shows in 2018.[13]
In February 2017, Strings was named one of the six new rising stars of bluegrass by Acoustic Guitar.[24] He also collaborated with Molly Tuttle on the songs "Sittin' on Top of the World" and "Billy in the Lowground".
In January 2019, Rolling Stone wrote an article titled "Why Guitarist Billy Strings Is the Bluegrass Star You Don't Want to Miss."[27] He was signed to Rounder Records in June 2019.[28] Strings released his album Home (produced and engineered by Glenn Brown) under the label on September 27, 2019.[29] It became his most successful release yet, reaching No. 1 on the Heatseekers Albums and Bluegrass Albums charts, as well as debuting at No. 11 on the Emerging Artists Chart.[30] On September 26, 2019, Billy Strings was voted the International Bluegrass Music Association Guitar Player of the Year in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Billy Strings' touring band was expanded from a quartet to a five piece when frequent guest fiddler Alex Hargreaves was asked to become a permanent member during a show in Baltimore on July 3, 2022.[34] The band consists of Billy Failing (banjo), Royal Masat (bass), Jarrod Walker (mandolin) and Alex Hargreaves (fiddle).
At the 2022 International Bluegrass Music Awards, Strings was nominated for six awards, winning Entertainer of the Year for the second consecutive year, while "Red Daisy" won Song of the Year.[35]
On October 3, 2022, Strings announced the album Me/And/Dad, a project with his father Terry Barber.[36] While Barber is not his biological father, Strings said about Barber, "Terry raised me and taught me how to wipe my ass, tie my shoes, and play guitar. That's my fucking dad."[36]
The album, released in November 2022, is a collection of traditional, country and bluegrass music from George Jones, Doc Watson, Hank Thompson, A.P. Carter and others. The same day the album was announced, "Long Journey Home" / "Life to Go" was released as a two-song single. Barber takes the lead vocal on the Jones-written song "Life to Go".[36]
Personal life
Strings began dating yoga instructor Ally Dale in 2014 after meeting at the Ore Dock Brewing Co. in Marquette, Michigan.[37] Dale also worked as his tour manager during the beginnings of his career.[38] They married on September 9, 2023, in a private ceremony, after nine years of dating, at the Hoxeyville Music Festival venue in Wellston, Michigan.[39] Musicians Trey Anastasio, Les Claypool, and Bob Weir performed at the ceremony.[40]
On June 22, 2024, they announced they were expecting their first child together.[41] Their son was born on September 29, 2024.[42][43][44]
^Certain award groups do not simply award one winner. They acknowledge several different recipients, have runners-up, and have third place. Since this is a specific recognition and is different from losing an award, runner-up mentions are considered wins in this award tally. For simplification and to avoid errors, each award in this list has been presumed to have had a prior nomination.
