Four decades into an impressively resilient career, Billy Joe Royal’s soul-drenched voice is as pliable as ever. That’s demonstrated on his album Going By Daydreams, in which Royal girds each of the 10 songs with a relaxed confidence.
The assurance was always there in his vocals—even at the start, when he established himself with “Down In The Boondocks,” “I Knew You When” and “Cherry Hill Park.” But that first period of heady fame wasn’t as easy as it appeared—every day was fraught with fear that his good fortune would come to an abrupt halt.
Fear is no longer part of the vocation. Royal is a steady presence on the tour circuit, a trusted veteran of several formats, and he’s still got it as a vocalist.
Born and raised in Valdosta, Georgia, Billy Joe Royal made his public debut at age five in a first-grade performance for the PTA and got his first paycheck—a five-dollar bill—for playing a New Year’s Eve show in Atlanta that also featured Gladys Knight.
He soon became a regular on a local radio show, The Georgia Jubilee, which also featured Ray Stevens, Freddy Weller, Jerry Reed and Joe South. Royal moved on to work in the house band at the Bamboo Ranch in Savannah, a Gilley’s-like venue with room for 2,500 people. The club brought in such national acts as Fats Domino, George Jones, The Isley Brothers and Faron Young. In that environment, Royal formed a longtime friendship with Roy Orbison and earned praise from his idol, Sam Cooke.
These days, Royal is going in style with the Raindrops & Boondocks Tour, matching him with B.J. Thomas. A live concert DVD from the tour—likely to include duet versions of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Get Ready” and “Cry Like A Baby”—is set for release in late-2007.
And now Royal offers "Going By Daydreams", the new album that extends his reputation as a communicative vocalist of well-chosen songs.
Royal looks back at the four-decade road that brought him to this point and says he’s “lucky.” But part of the reason for his luck is that he faced down the original fears that his career would have a short run. He remained loyal to his talents and to his motivations, and now faces every day with a quiet confidence that he’s in the right place.
“I say this with all humility,” he reflects. “The old voice has stood up, you know. I think if I’d ever stopped for four or five years or didn’t sing all the time, it might’ve gone away. It’s like working out with weights. The other thing is this is all I’ve ever done. I had to stick to it, ‘cause I’ve never done anything else.”
Despite the title of the new album, Billy Joe Royal doesn’t have to transport himself through Daydreams to another place. He’s doing what he always wanted to do because he continues to do it well. The songs on Going By Daydreams will allow you to enjoy Billy Joe Royal’s smooth as silk voice while the music and lyrics take you to new dimensions of the musical experience.
ALBUM INFO
Title: Going By Daydreams
Artist: Billy Joe Royal
Label: Raindrops Records, LLC
Street Date: October 15, 2007
Genre: Eclectic with elements of pop, country & R&B
1. Echoes (4:03)
2. Going By Daydreams (2:53)
3. All He Wants To Do (2:46)
4. One Morning, Two People (3:12)
5. Class of ‘65 (3:00)
6. Under the Boardwalk (2:48)
7. Precious Time (2:25)
8. Mystery (3:54)
9. The Drifter (3:35)
10. Where Did The 60’s Go (3:13)
Guitar: Reggie Young, Chips Moman, Casey Moman, J.R. Cobb, Billy Earl McClelland, Rivers Rutherford
Keyboards: Bobby Emmons, Bobby Wood
Bass: Mike Leech, Tommy Cogbill, Casey Moman
Drums: Gene Chrisman, Eddy Anderson
Engineered by Chips Moman & Casey Moman
Produced by Chips Moman and Casey Moman at Chips Moman Studio
Executive Producer: Tom Rodgers
http://www.billyjoeroyal.com
Purchase CD Here: http://www.bjthomas.com
http://www.myspace.com/officialbillyjoeroyal
NOW AVAILABLE AT CDBABY.COM - just click below to purchase Billy Joe Royal's latest CD release "Going By Daydreams"
Media Contact: Serge Entertainment PR
PO Box 2760, Acworth, GA 30102
Email: SergeEnt@aol.com
I was in the grocery store today & heard your song "Down in the Boondocks", it was so nice to be brought back to a time that was slower & it brought back happy memories.
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you are great i saw you and bj thomas in owensboro ky 2 years ago but you been in my life for alot of years probably since down in the boondocks i love you both
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