Anna Paulson
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Billy Strings has blessed the music industry with his creative lyrical style and string-plucking prowess. He’s breathed new life into the bluegrass genre. The Michigan native comes from humble roots and connects with listeners by incorporating tidbits of his past with his confessional songwriting.
Although he’s fairly new to the music scene, Billy Strings stands proud as a multi-awarded country musician and guitarist. Who is Billy Strings? Find out more about this innately talented singer-songwriter, his career, and his personal life with this complete bio.
Who is Billy Strings?
William Lee Apostol, better known by his stage name Billy Strings, is an American music singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He’s best known for his distinct musical style that brings together bluegrass and jam bands to create a fun, upbeat sound mixed together with raw, honest lyrics.
When Was Billy Strings Born?
Billy Strings’ birthdate – April 13, 1992 – places him in Aries territory. Known for their impulsive, independent, and competitive nature, Billy Strings’ zodiac sign has much to do with the musician’s rise to fame.
Where is Billy Strings From?
Born and raised in Lansing, Michigan, the “Wargasm” singer spent the majority of his life moving around the state.
Where Does Billy Strings Live?
In 2015, Billy Strings permanently relocated to Nashville, Tennessee. Despite his flourishing music career, there’s no evidence to suggest that Apostol has acquired any properties in celebrity hotspots like LA.
Billy String’s Ethnicity
During interviews, the singer-songwriter often refers to himself as a “hillbilly” with the humblest, lowliest roots. With both of his parents being Michigan natives, Billy Strings is a true, blue American with no known foreign lineage.
How Tall is Billy Strings?
There’s a lot of inconsistency across the web regarding Billy Strings’ height. While some sources say that the improvisational musician stands at just an inch shy of 6 feet, more accurate estimates place him at roughly 5 feet, 8 inches.
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How Much Does Billy Strings Weigh?
Similar to his height, there is a bit of debate regarding Billy Strings’ weight. The general consensus is that the musician weighs between 150 lbs and 170 lbs.
How Did Billy Strings Become Famous?
Having always had a penchant for guitar playing since he was a small boy, Billy Strings would always gravitate towards opportunities that let him explore this beloved talent.
After graduating high school, he moved to Traverse City in north Michigan, where he dove headfirst into the energetic music, arts, and culture scene that thrived in the area. There, he found himself regularly playing in public for small audiences.
By 2014, the “Red Daisy” singer dropped his first self-released album entitled Fiddle Tune X. Consisting of 17 tracks, some of the songs on the album include well-known traditional songs as well as covers of songs by artists like Bill Monroe, Jimmie Rodgers, and Ralph Stanley and featured Strings’ soulful, country twang.
One evening in Traverse, the budding musician played at the Hayloft nightclub for open mic night. There, local pickers found the young talent to seem particularly promising, and he captured the attention of Don Julin, who would subsequently become his picking partner and mentor.
Together, the duo recorded 13 songs, including fiddle tune classics like “Soldier’s Joy” and “Red Haired Boy.” These were compiled into the self-released album Rock of Ages, that also had some originals like “Dust in a Baggie” written by Strings himself.
In 2016, the rising star moved to Nashville and continued playing music for modest audiences. His talent was embraced by the local community and he soon released Tinfoil & Turmoil in 2017.
The album shot the musician to the third spot on the Billboard bluegrass charts and was dubbed one of the best albums of 2017 by publications like HuffPost. The sudden popularity increased a demand for Billy Strings, and the star was booked for over 200 shows the following year.
Following the success of his album, Strings officially signed a record deal with Rounder Records. In 2018, he released his first record studio album, Home, which outperformed his previous release, topping the Billboard bluegrass charts.
As his name made rounds throughout the bluegrass scene, Billy Strings soon found himself with the opportunity of a lifetime – an invitation to play at the Grand Ole Opry. In 2019, he performed his song “Dust in a Baggie” to an eager audience that openly received his warm, soulful voice and incredible guitar-plucking talent.
With an excess of time during the pandemic, Billy Strings found himself exploring his lyrical prowess and weaving more intricate, confessional stories with greater depth. New material in his 2020 album Renewal showed a darker, more complex side of Strings and finally earned him his first Grammy nomination.
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Billy Strings’ Parents
The “Meet Me at the Creek” singer was born to parents Billy and Debra Apostol. When he was just two years old, his father died due to a heroin overdose.
His mother remarried, and her second husband, Terry Barber, stepped in and embraced the role of father. In interviews, Billy Strings openly talks about his relationship with his stepdad and recognizes him as one of the biggest influences on his music taste and talent.
Growing up, Barber would often play his favorite music for Billy, developing the artist’s present-day musical taste from a young age. Some of the music the two shared included songs from Elvis Presley, Grandpa Jones, Jim & Jessy, Bill Monroe, Jerry Martin, and Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs.
Terry Barber himself was a country and bluegrass fanatic, equally skilled in guitar playing as his stepson. He showcases this talent in a full-length album he and Billy Strings collaborated to create – Me/And/Dad.
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Billy Strings’ Siblings
Although it’s not entirely clear how many siblings Billy Strings has, online reports confirm at least two half-brothers, Patrick Lee Apostol and Aaron Apostol, with whom Billy Strings shares a biological father.
Interestingly, Billy Strings’ brother, Patrick, was convicted of the murder of the guitarist of the psychedelic-funk band Autonomix.
Billy Strings’ Tattoos
Billy Strings has a fair amount of tattoos, including a large chest piece featuring an eagle with spread wings, a dragon across his lower abdomen, and a decorative skull right in the middle of his torso.
Other tattoos that decorate the musician’s body include a scorpion on his right arm, a lion head on his upper right arm, and on his back, a massive piece featuring a woman riding a zebra-like horse.
Career
It was in 2017 when Billy Strings’ career really started to pick up. Playing lots of small, local shows and growing a grassroots fan base, Billy Strings earned the patronage and support of a handful of dedicated fans from both Michigan and Nashville.
Today, the artist’s unique way of storytelling, which incorporates heartfelt, personal anecdotes in his lyrics, has made him a prominent figure in contemporary bluegrass music.
His distinct sound – which combines bluegrass, Americana, rock-and-roll, progressive rock, folk music, and jam band – has captured the interest of an ever-changing audience.
As of writing, he has been nominated for 22 awards across various stages, of which he has won nine, including a Grammy award, six awards from the International Bluegrass Music Awards, and two from the Americana Music Awards.
How Did Billy Strings Get His Name?
The stage name “Billy Strings” was given by the artist’s Aunt Mondi – a loud and vibrant woman with whom he was fairly close. The aunt gave the name “Billy” as a nickname for William, and “Strings” for the young musician’s ability to skillfully play instruments as early as the age of 4.
Does Billy Strings Use Drugs?
Billy Strings grew up in a household that gradually arguably became a drug den. Exposed to narcotics at a fairly young age, the musician watched his mother and stepfather struggle with methamphetamine addiction.
At the age of 13, the bluegrass picker left home and found himself in bad company, ultimately pushing him to try a wide assortment of hard drugs himself. Eventually, his parents both quit their poison of choice, and Billy turned away from hard drugs as well.
Currently, Billy Strings refers to himself as “California sober.” While he no longer indulges in illicit, hard substances, he openly talks about his use of marijuana and LSD.
Where Did Billy Strings Learn to Play Guitar?
Strings credits his stepfather for much of his musical taste and talent. At the age of two, Billy Strings had a rudimentary idea of guitar playing. By the age of four, he was able to play chords.
Growing up, Barber would often play music for Strings, including tunes from Ralph Stanley, Bill Monroe, and Doc Watson. As he became older, though, Billy was able to develop his own musical taste, often listening to songs from Def Leppard, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Black Sabbath.
Aside from the guitar, Billy Strings is also skilled at playing both the mandolin and the banjo, which he often incorporates into his original songs.
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