when did it all start for billy

the story behind billy


Take a killer singing voice, enough energy to light up a city and plenty of old-fashioned charm, put 'em all together, and the result is Billy Crawford. On his self-titled V2 Records debut, this 16 year-old dynamo delivers an electrifying set of funky uptempo romps and passionate ballads with the natural flair of a born entertainer. From the snappy "Urgently In Love" and the lush "Our Night" to the sizzling grooves of "Mary Lopez" and the spooky "Tragedy," Crawford displays the kind of soulful urgency that can't be faked or taught. It has to come from the heart.
He may be a new face for American audiences, but Billy Crawford's been performing nearly his whole life. Born in the Philippines to an American father and a Filipino mother, he was discovered dancing on a table at age two in a bowling alley frequented by his mother, and promptly enlisted for a TV commercial. Success followed quickly. Inspired by the singing and dancing of Michael Jackson, Crawford subsequently became a regular cast member of the weekly variety show "That's Entertainment," enjoying an eight-year run. Meanwhile, he continued to develop his skills by making commercials and appearing in ten movies, winning a local Academy Award for best child actor.

At age 12, Crawford and family relocated to his father's home state of Texas, settling in Midland. For the first six months he contented himself with being a regular kid, but it wasn't long before the urge to perform again became impossible to ignore. Entering a Dallas talent show, he won first prize with a rendition of Michael Jackson's "I'll Be There," subsequently teaming up with manager Vickie Frankmano, who introduced him to producers Eve Nelson and Bernadette O'Reilly.

Moving with his family to New York, Crawford shifted into high gear. In addition to writing songs with Nelson and O' Reilly -- they would end up with 60 original tunes before cutting his album -- he began working in commercials and expanding his resume in other ways. At the 1995 MTV Music Awards, he appeared with a troupe of dancers backing Michael Jackson; on the Children's Choice Awards, which featured appearances by Brandy, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah and basketball star John Starks, he opened the show by singing the program's theme.

What's next for this sparkling young talent? While Billy Crawford's debut album is jam-packed with catchy, well-crafted tunes that seem destined to bring him chart success, fame and fortune aren't his top priority. Currently naming such old masters as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Al Green among his favorites, Crawford sings for the sheer joy of it all.

"I love performing for people," he says simply. I don't do it for the money. I do it for fun -- and I'm having fun."

Anybody who hears Billy Crawford won't doubt that for a second.

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official french v2 site