Having spent decades in the music business supporting other bands and artists, Billy Brandt has now found his own musical voice and steps into the spotlight as a singer-songwriter for the first time in his amazing career.
Influenced by the likes of Gram Parsons to the Grateful Dead, Billy Brandt has molded his sound by creating his own unique guitar picking that creates a haunting melody which stays with the listener long after the song is over.
Billy’s road to success reads like a captivating novel that is still being written. His musical journey has taken him to every corner of the country in a very diverse variety of roles – everything from solo acoustic artist, to rock-and-roll tour merchandiser, to manager, and headlining performer at major outdoor music festivals.
Billy's love for music was created the minute he was born – almost as if he was born with guitar in hand. Early in his career, Billy sang harmonies with friends and skipped school just to write songs. During college in Arizona, he took his guitar everywhere, even writing songs on the 10,000 foot Mt. Lemon, and started the first local country music band in Tucson in 1974. After several years of performing and songwriting in Arizona, Billy moved to New York City, taking a job selling merchandise at rock concerts, which lead to a two year job touring the country with the rock band .38 Special as the bands official merchandiser. During those years on the road, Billy wrote songs in the truck with his business partner and would sing songs at the hotel after the show with the band’s backing singers.
After moving back to Michigan in the late 1980’s, Billy moved into artist development and started his own label, Drum Dancer Records, in 1993 as a management label and cultivated several bands to the point of major label interest. Drum Dancer soon grew to become a full record production label, and soon after he met a singer-songwriter named Jill Jack and signed her to his label. Billy helped launch Jill’s career by releasing her first four CD’s, managing and playing guitar in her band, and co-writing several songs with Jill. Billy continues to perform frequently with Jill both as a duo and with the full band.
In 2002, Billy started his latest music endeavor called Grievous Angel, an all-star caliber band of Detroit’s top musicians that blends the best elements of roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, and country. Grievous Angel took the area by storm and quickly became a staple on the Detroit music scene, winning two Detroit Music Awards for Outstanding Folk/Acoustic group in 2004 and 2005.
Billy Brandt is the winner of the 2006 Detroit Music Award for Acoustic/Folk Instrumentalist. He has been recognized with 11 more DMA nominations for Songwriter, Guitarist, and Vocalist in both the Acoustic/Folk and Country categories, as well as almost two dozen additional DMA nominations as a member of Grievous Angel and the Jill Jack Band.
Performance Highlights:
- DTE Energy Music Theatre – Detroit
(opening for Pat Benetar, Kim Richie, Billy Nann, Clay Walker)
- Blissfest Music Festival – Michigan
- Riverfest Music Festival – Michigan
- WCSX-fm Riverfront Concert Series
- Trinity House Theatre – Livonia, MI
- Fox 2 News TV – Detroit
- WCSX-fm – Detroit
- Live performances on Pam Rossi’s ‘Over Easy’ show
Awards & Nominations:
- 2006 Detroit Music Awards – Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Instrumentalist (Guitar)
- 11 Detroit Music Award Nominations for Songwriter, Vocalist, and Instrumentalist in both the Acoustic/Folk and Country music categories
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