Billy Crain – Bio

billyCrainI’ve played in front of 1,100,000 people in Washington, D.C. on the fourth of July and performed for no one in a club called the Losers on Christmas Eve.

I was taught guitar by the best, my brother, Tommy Crain. I got to see Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Albert King, and Jimmy Page perform when I was a teenager. I’ve shared the stage with the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Halen, ZZ Top, The Cars, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Allman Brothers Band, The Charlie Daniels Band, and all the heroes of old.

I’ve played a show using Duane Allman’s Les Paul, recorded a record using Steve Gaines Stratocaster, and am the proud owner of my brother’s beloved Gold Top Les Paul. I’ve stayed up all night flipping quarters with Gregg Allman, jammed with Dicky Betts on “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” in the wee hours of the night in a hotel room in Philadelphia, and almost had the bottom half of my left ear bitten off by Allen Collins. Oh yeah, I drank whiskey with Jimmy Page too.

I’ve shared the stage with a Blues Brother named Dan Ackroyd, travelled in Econoline Vans, Silver Eagles, and puddle jumper planes and toured the world many times over. I’ve recorded with little known acts at the time like Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks. I’ve received royalty checks for as little as 15 cents and as big as $80,000. I’ve been an Outlaw, a Bellamy Brother, a Music Row songwriter and producer and session guitar player, won songwriter awards, received multi-platinum sales awards and ended up shoveling horse manure to pay my child support.

I am a sinner but have been saved by the Grace of God, been a foster parent, a humanitarian to Haiti, and buried my brother, my parents, been sued, helped my wife survive cancer, adopted 2 children and had to retire indefinitely from the road, all in a 2 year period.

I still love to play guitar, write songs, and make records, I love Jesus and my wife and 4 children and that’s about all you need to know about me…….