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• Will Oldham, more commonly known as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, is a prolific American musician who has released albums under several names since he first began performing in 1993. His music is notoriously difficult to categorize, and draws influences from a broad palette of sounds, from folk to punk. From these influences he writes emotionally revealing songs that are backed by his unique singing voice.

• Fast Facts

  1. Genre: Folk
  2. Full name: William Oldham
  3. Also known as: Bonnie "Prince" Billy
  4. Birth date: December 24, 1970
  5. Years active: 1993 - Present
  6. Record labels: Drag City, Domino
  7. Based in Louisville, Kentucky
  8. Performed as Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and/or Palace Music from 1993 - 1997
  9. Appears in Kanye West's music video "Can't Tell Me Nothing"

• Acting

  Oldham is also an actor, he made his debut in 1987's Matewan—years before he began performing music. He grew disillusioned with the industry and he quit in 1989, but has appeared in a few independent movies since then including Junebug, Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy.

• Quotes

  "[Oldham's singing voice is] a fragile sort-of warble frittering around haunted melodies in the American folk or country tradition." -Journalist Chris Baldwin

  "He doesn't rehearse. ... But he gets absolutely spontaneous moments of greatness you couldn't rehearse." -Producer Steve Albini

• Notable Releases

  • 1993: There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You (Palace Brothers)
  • 1995: Viva Last Blues (Palace Music)
  • 1997: Joya (Will Oldham)
  • 1999 I See a Darkness
  • 2001 Ease Down The Road
  • 2003 Master and Everyone
  • 2004 Sings Greatest Palace Music
  • 2005 Superwolf (with Matt Sweeney)
  • 2006 The Brave and the Bold (with Tortoise)
  • 2006 Letting Go
  • 2007 Ask Forgiveness
  • 2008 Lie Down in the Light

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Neil Young | Johnny Cash | Bob Dylan | Leonard Cohen | Lee Hazlewood | Wilco | Joanna Newsom | Yo La Tengo | Kanye West | Tortoise | Harmony Korine

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