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It's a long way from the back streets of Belfast to rubbing shoulders
at a Hollywood Premier with actor Bruce Willis.
Billyboy's musical career started in the
summer of 1987 when he was watching Belfast blue's man Jim Daly
with whom Van Morrison started his career. In one of the kinder
twists of fate, Daly strode towards Billyboy when the band took
a break and asked if he played, Billyboy answered, "I own one
but I don't really play it." Daly invited him on stage and
from that moment the 'blue's bug' bit. He formed R&B outfit
Black and Blue Jam within a month of that meeting.
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BBJ were essentially a Nine Below Zero cover band with some Stone's
songs thrown in to break up the set a bit. They played very successfully
for a semi pro band until 1991when NBZ reformed and ruined everything!
When NBZ came to Belfast in 1991, Billyboy knew the promoter and
promptly claimed the support slot. As Paul Jones was to say later
in an interview with Billyboy, 'nice booking'.
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In another twist of fate, that's two now, Mark Feltham (NBZ's original
harmonica player) had just left. When the band strode into the gig
without him, Billyboy was gutted but saw a window of opportunity.
In the sound check he played every NBZ tune that time would allow
and Dennis Greaves (NBZ's front man) spotted the raw talent and
kept in touch.
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In 1992 Billyboy got offered a gig
in the Blue's Experience; BBJ had run its course so off he
went. The band were, Billyboy on harp, a fine blue's guitarist
and blue's shouter Ronnie Greer, a great bass player Jackie
Flavelle of Chris Barber fame and a seventeen year old jazz
genius called Darren Beckett, who later went on to play with
The Buddy Rich Orchestra. This band was 'shit hot' and went
on to do all the blues festivals in Ireland and several television
shows. A highlight for Billyboy was at Temple Bar in 1993,
when he was not only voted by the Irish Times blue's correspondent
as 'Best Harp Player' of the festival, but was also invited
on stage by event headliner Sherman Robinson - when you think
the festival included the likes of Paul Lamb, it was a high
accolade indeed.
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In 1995 NBZ rang Billyboy offering him a job in the band.
Without hesitation he left his day job and The Blue's Experience
- with whom he had begged to go professional - and flew to
London.
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Billyboy's first gig with the band was in Athens where he
played with Alvin Lee of Ten Years After and then he was off
to Le Mans 24 car race, where they played to an audience of
25,000 people; not a bad start!
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Billyboy stayed with NBZ for
six years and to list all of the highlights would take too long,
so here are just a few:
Playing the premier of Twelve Monkeys and swapping harp stories
with actor Bruce Willis
Rockpalazt Germany, sharing the bill with David Bowie, Iggy Pop,
The Band, Lynnard Skynnard and The Muddy Water's Blue's Band
A European stadium tour with Italian super star Zuccero
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After leaving NBZ Billyboy formed
The Strutts. The band was Billyboy on vocals and harp, Aaron Loughern
on Bass, Lawrence McKweon on drums (Billyboy's favourite rhythm
section) and Neil Cunningham on guitar. It was here that Billyboy
started writing and performing his own songs. This is now his main
passion - apart from his girlfriend of course.
Billyboy now lives in London again and is recording his first solo
album, and will be performing with his band soon, watch out for
dates coming your way soon.
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Press Release
Hailing from the rough streets of Belfast,
Billy-Boy Miskimmin is regarded among the very top echelon of young
harmonica players in the UK and internationally.
Now Billy-Boy has upped the ante with a
brilliant debut album 'Billy-Boy Comes Clean'. Eleven original songs
to be released on Zed Records and there is something for everybody
on this album. From the funky "God on their Lips Blood on their
Hands", to the soulful "I Don't Yet Know" and the
rocking "De Ja Vu All Over Again"
The Musicians
Billy-Boy (The Yardbirds, NBZ) Vocals, Harmonica
Dennis Greaves (NBZ, The Truth) Guitars, Bass
Brendan O'Neill (NBZ, Rory Gallagher Band) Drums, Percussion
Lou Martin (Rory Gallagher Band) Piano
Being engineered by Kenny Jones and produced
by Billy-Boy makes this album a 'Cracker!'
For bookings and sales online visit www.billyboyharp.com
or email zedrecords@btopenworld.com
Billy-Boy is currently playing and
touring with The Yardbirds.
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