Billy Hill was an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
group founded by singer/songwriter/guitarists
Dennis Robbins
Dennis Anthony Robbins (born August 23, 1949) is an American musician who first made himself known as a guitarist in the band Rockets. After his departure from The Rockets, he began a career in country music, recording three major-label albums an ...
,
Bob DiPiero
Robert John DiPiero (born March 3, 1951) is an American country music songwriter. He has written 15 US number one hits and several Top 20 single for Tim McGraw, The Oak Ridge Boys, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Shenandoah, Neal McCoy, ...
and
John Scott Sherrill
John Scott Sherrill is an American songwriter whose work is primarily in the field of country music. His brother, Donn Sherrill, was a Vanderbilt student. He introduced John Scott to his fraternity brother, Scott Siman who recorded demos of his m ...
, along with Reno Kling (
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
) and Martin Parker (
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
).
Before the group's foundation, Robbins had been a member of The Rockets (later
The Detroit Wheels
The Detroit Wheels were an American rock band, formed in Detroit in 1964. They served as Mitch Ryder's backup band from 1964 to 1967.
The band had a number of top twenty hits in the mid-1960s before lead singer Ryder was enticed away by Bob C ...
),
and Kling played bass for
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music g ...
. Sherrill and Robbins alternated as lead vocalists,
but credited the frontman role to a fictional character named Billy Hill and wrote a biography on the character.
The band recorded one album for
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels.
Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Enya, Michael ...
and charted two singles on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' country charts. Their biggest hit was "Too Much Month at the End of the Money" which reached No. 25 on the Billboard country charts. After disbanding in 1990, Robbins became a solo artist for
Giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
. DiPiero and Sherrill have continued working as songwriters.
In 2003,
Marty Stuart
John Marty Stuart (born September 30, 1958) is an American country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before beginning work as a ...
recorded "Too Much Month at the End of the Money" for his 2003 album ''
Country Music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
''; his version reached No. 54 on the Billboard country charts.
Discography
Albums
*
I Am Just a Rebel
''I Am Just a Rebel'' is the debut studio album by American country music band Billy Hill. Released by Reprise Records in 1989, the album contains the hit song "Too Much Month at the End of the Money". It was the band's only album.
"Rollin' Dice ...
(1989) (Reprise)
Singles
Notes:
*
A "Nickel in My Name" did not chart on Hot Country Songs, but peaked at No. 10 on Hot Country Radio Breakouts.
Guest singles
References
{{Authority control
Country music groups from Tennessee
Musical groups established in 1989
Musical groups disestablished in 1990
Musical quintets
Reprise Records artists
Bands with fictional stage personas