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Going It Alone
Billy Yates
is too country, and proud of it!
Growing up Country
"I was kind
of like Opie in the Andy Griffth's show. I sort of ran the streets and
knew everybody and everybody knew me." he reminisces "I had the kind of
childhood you don't see a lot of, but at the same time I cherish all those
memories, and I wouldn't trade anything in the world for growing up that
way. It makes you what you are and I'm very proud of my upbringing."
Born in
Doniphan, Missouri, Billy was raised on a small, self-sufficient acreage
just outside of town. He remembers his childhood fondly. "It was a very
basic upbringing. My Dad was a barber, and my mother was a housewife." he
recalls. "We lived on a small farm. We started out with 3 acres that we
lived on. Basically it was a big yard but we had it all fenced in. We had
a barn and a chicken house and room for a few cattle. We were pretty self
contained and there wasn't a lot of need to go to the grocery store."
Throughout
his childhood years, the musical influences were abundant. "I came from a
very musical family." he shares "My Grandpa was an old time fiddle player.
My Dad's mother died when he was seven, and they traveled around and
played music. My parents still sing and play some. It’s all I can remember
for as long as I can remember. My parents are up around seventy, and my
mother still sings like a bird, and my Dad has a smooth wonderful voice,
still play guitar."
As a young
boy Billy's dream was to be a performer, although he was unbearably shy.
"I would sit on this small tractor, driving that thing back in the field
and I would sing at the top of my lungs because no one could hear me over
the tractor. I would dream while walking back in the fields or in the
woods of (performing on stage)."
A
Unexpected Turn in the Road
Graduating
from high school he found discovered country music was indelibly in his
blood. Billy began to make frequent trips to Nashville. "I made one trip
and fell in love with it and had to come back for more. After about five
years of making trips I finally made the move".
Although
he'd moved to Nashville with the aspiration of becoming a performer, it
was an opportunity to develop a songwriting career that got his foot in
the door on Music Row. "I came to Nashville in 1987 to be a singer, and
not to be a songwriter. I had dabbled in songwriting, but I could never
get a handle on it, never was any good at it. I think in order to be a
good songwriter you have to learn the craft, and the more you practice the
craft you develop a gut instinct. Then you get to the point where you can
throw the craft out the window and rely on your heart, your soul and your
gut to tell you, but I had never gotten to that point."
A chance
meeting with legendary producer, Ray Baker after a showcase performance
led Billy down a path he hadn't considered traveling. After exchanging
phone numbers, Ray called Billy up a few days later informing him that he
had secured him a songwriting deal. "I said ‘I don’t write songs’" he
recalls. Baker wouldn't take no for an answer, encouraging Billy to at
least 'Go in and talk to this guy.'
"Well the
guy he was talking about was Bob Beckham who had started Combine Music. I
knew who he was, so I jumped at the chance to meet with him, even though I
had no attention of trying to persuade him to think that I was a
songwriter."
After
performing one of the three songs he'd written, for Beckham while
explaining to him that he didn't claim to be a songwriter, Billy was
offered the opportunity of a lifetime. "He said I’d really like to help
you, I’ll pay you to write. I’ll put you with good writers and I’ll teach
you to write songs and if you really want to learn, if you really want to
apply yourself and do it, I’ll help you." Billy took the chance.
Paired up
with Frank Dycus (George Strait - Unwound, Marina Del Ray, Down and Out )
and with fortune on his side, Billy achieved what most country music
songwriters only dream of during their life time. "Dycus pretty much took
me under his wing and really taught me how to write songs." The
songwriting duo kicked off their association by writing a string of hit
songs: 'Walls Can Fall' (George Jones) and 'Turn For The Worse' (Kenny
Chesney) which was followed shortly by 'I Don't Need Your Rocking Chair'
(George Jones)
"It was a very unusual
beginning as far as songwriting for me and then of course I thought then
that it was so easy!" he laughs "I thought this was what I was meant to
do. It was so easy everybody should be doing this, then I found out that I
just happened on a string of good luck, the good Lord was just looking out
for me I guess."
Making Musical Memories
In the fall
of 1994 another collaborative effort would make yet another memorable
impact on country music, "Choices" (co-written by Mike Curtis). After a
number of passes on the song, George Jones eventually ended up putting the
country classic on his Cold Hard Truth album. It was the 6th time that a
song penned by Billy Yates had been recorded by the country music legend.
Billy
recalls the first time he heard George sing the song.
"We were at the mall shopping and my cell phone rang and it was Nancy
Jones. She said ‘Hold on, George wants to talk to you.' George got on the
phone: ‘I recorded the Choices song, and I want you to hear it.’ They
played it. They were driving around in the Lexus of all things and he’s
holding the phone up to the speaker and I heard it. It was incredible. It
wasn’t even the final mix or anything and it was still incredible.
The song,
of course went on to be one of many signature songs for George Jones, and
thanks to Alan Jackson, ended up being the center of one the CMA Award's
most memorable moments.
Controversy
surrounded the CMA's request that George Jones shorten his live
performance of Choices. Refusing to compromise, George Jones chose to
forfeit singing the nominated 'Song of the Year' entirely and opted to
stay home. Prompted by his admiration for George, Alan Jackson segued
defiantly into 'Choices' half way through his scheduled performance of
"Pop-A-Top", before silently walking off stage.
Billy Yates
was in the audience. "I'd heard a rumor that was going to happen because
obviously he had to rehearse it with his band, so word leaked out just a
little bit. My wife and I were at the show. I remember when it came his
time and out comes Alan and he started doing ‘Pop-A-Top’ and I thought
‘Aww, he’s not going to do it" When Pop-a-top stopped and 'Choices' began,
it was just incredible."
Keeping it Country
 Despite
the phenomenal success of his songwriting career, Billy's ultimate goal
was to be a performer. While contracted with Sony-Nashville he found
himself yearning for more creative freedom and input into his music,
something that he says a big label can't afford to offer a traditional
artist.
"The
unfortunate things about where our business is at, is that it’s hard for a
major label like that with the machinery they have, they spend so much
money making records that they need to sell multi-platinum in order to
survive." he explains "I think happens when you do traditional country, is
that they just don’t see the potential of selling multi-platinum with it.
I can go and make a record for a lot less money than they do. I can keep
it as real and honest as I possibly can keep it, and that’s something they
are afraid to do. It’s got to get played on the radio.
"
The
opportunity to head out on his own and create his own kind of music came
on the heels of an amicable split with Sony-Nashville. "There were a lot
of people that really embraced what I wanted to do. Allen Butler
(President Sony Music Nashville) was supportive of me wanting to do this
and has been helpful, believe it or not. There’s no bad blood between Sony
and myself. We tried to keep it as civil as we possibly could."
Shortly
thereafter, his current single 'Too Country and Proud Of It' began to
catch the attention of radio listeners.
"It’s really taken on a life
of it’s own. I had written the song with Austin Cunningham a while back,
which of course came from their (WSM) slogan. I thought I would play it
for the people at WSM. I thought, since I ripped off their slogan the
least I could do was go play them the song." he laughs "I went and played
it for John Malone, and he just fell over. He said ‘Can we play it?’"
When he was close to a
negotiated split with Sony, Billy gave permission for the song to be
played on the legendary Nashville station. "They played the cut on the
morning show and the phones just lit up. It was Opry members, Opry
listeners, everybody and the response was so great they immediately put it
on heavy rotation there. That’s when it hit me, I realized then I need to
do something with this, go forward and do my own thing and that’s how it
all started."
The catchy song leaves no
doubt as to where Billy places his pride, but he was insistent about
making his statement about it in his own way.
"There is a certain number of
people that are fed up with things, and this is as tongue and cheek as I
could say it. I love Murder on Music Row, and obviously I’m a big advocate
for keeping it country, but the way I wanted to write it was with more fun
and at the same time being direct." he explains "You can always tell
someone what you think, but if you do it with a smile on your face, then
you can get away with it. If you say it and you’re going to get all ugly
about it then the walls go up, and you declare war. It was more about
traditional country music and about the country lifestyle. The point I
wanted to make with the song too is just because you’re country doesn’t
mean you have to live on a farm. I could work in some office somewhere and
have to dress up but I can still love traditional country music."
Feedback on the song has been
largely positive with minimal responses indicating that for some, the song
plays it too safe. It's a criticism Billy doesn't buy into. "I don’t think
I’m playing it safe with that at all, its pretty direct – when I say ‘If
you don’t like it you can shove it’ I don’t know how much more direct you
can get, I just try to do it with a smile on my face."
If I Could Go Back
Billy Yates is his own chief
cook and bottle washer these days, as he handles all levels of MOD Records
(My Own Damn Record Label) himself. A task he finds a little daunting at
times, although rewarding." There’s a lot to keep up with but I wouldn’t
have it any other way right now. If you’re passionate about it, it rubs
off. The passion I have for this project gives me the energy to go and do
everything that needs to be done."
Billy is
poised to release his first independent project -- and as you'd suspect,
it's 100% country.
Scheduled
to be released on December 20th, 'If I Could Go Back' contains 10 'country
to the core' self-penned songs, including 'Too Country And Proud Of It'
Country
music fans will find many new favorites as they listen to the album. Among
them will undoubtedly be infectious shuffle "The Light Of Day" that has
vintage George Jones written all over it. From hurting songs, to love
songs, to uptempo just-for-fun songs, Billy covers the fundamental
landscape of traditional country music with all of the honesty and
creativity he promised.
Particularly visual and prophetic is 'They Don't Make Us Like They Used
To' , also co-penned by Austin Cunningham. "We were just on that little
kick about being fed up." Billy explains. To ensure that the message isn't
lost, he let's Hank Williams say the words.
"I wanted
Hank to say it, I felt it would be more powerful. I feel if I start
preaching from the stage I’ll run people off. I’m more about bringing
people in. I’ve got a sermon to preach when it comes to that but I’m real
careful about it. I want people to accept traditional country music."
Billy
Yates' new project will go a long way to introducing people to first-rate
traditional country music, and at the same will leave no doubt that the
affable singer/songwriter has not only poured his time and energy into the
project, but his heart and soul as well.
The
Future?
What's on
the horizon? As always, Billy has his hopes and dreams. "I want to stir
things up just enough that another label with come calling – to get this
kind of music out to the masses, because the masses need to hear real
traditional country music."
While he
waits for opportunity to come knockin' he continues to take his music to
as many people as he can. New Year's Eve will find him on stage at the
Crystal Palace along with Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam. In May Billy will
take time out from his touring schedule to raise money for his childhood
school, further proof that that Billy Yates' roots run deep.
Visit Billy
at
www.billyyates.com
to order your own copy of If I Could Go Back. |
