Joseph Will Oldham (born January 15, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace (Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music). After briefly publishing music under his own name, in 1998 he adopted Bonnie "Prince" Billy as the name for most of his work.

Early life and education

Oldham was born on January 15, 1970, in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. His mother, Joanne Lei Will Tafel Oldham, was a teacher and artist. His father, Joseph Collins Oldham, was an attorney and photographer. Oldham graduated from the J. Graham Brown School in 1988. He attended

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

sporadically while pursuing a career as an actor, and living between

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, and

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-most populous city in Indiana and ...

. He began making music during this time, initially as a project for his professor

Jeff Todd Titon Jeff Todd Titon (born 1943) is a professor emeritus of music at Brown University. He holds a B.A. (1965) from Amherst College, an M.A. (in English, 1970) and a Ph.D. (in American Studies, 1971) from the University of Minnesota. He taught American l ...

, an ethnomusicologist at Brown University.

Career

Oldham is known for his "

do-it-yourself "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi- ...

punk aesthetic and blunt honesty", and his music has been likened to Americana,

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

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country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

, and

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

. He has been called an "

Appalachia Appalachia ( ) is a geographic region located in the Appalachian Mountains#Regions, central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains in the east of North America. In the north, its boundaries stretch from the western Catskill Mountai ...

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

solipsist", with a voice that has been described as "a fragile sort-of warble frittering around haunted melodies in the American folk or country tradition." Oldham first performed and recorded under various permutations of the Palace name, including Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Palace Music, and simply Palace. Regarding the name changes during this period (1993–1997), Oldham said: Will stated in a 1995 interview with

KCRW KCRW (89.9 FM broadcasting, FM) is an NPR member station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, where the station is licensed. KCRW airs original news and music programming in addition to programming ...

that the name Palace Flophouse was inspired by reading

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck ( ; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social percep ...

's '' Cannery Row''. Beginning in 1998, Oldham has primarily used the moniker Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, which draws inspiration from several sources: He has explained that "the primary purpose of the pseudonym is to allow both the audience and the performer to have a relationship with the performer that is valid and unbreakable."

Critical reception

Some of his albums, such as '' There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You'' (1993), '' Viva Last Blues'' (1995), and '' I See a Darkness'' (1999), have appeared on greatest albums lists.

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

recorded a version of "I See a Darkness" on his American Recordings disc '' American III: Solitary Man'' (2000). Oldham provided backing vocals. Spanish singer

Rosalía Rosalia Vila Tobella (born 25 September 1992), known mononymously as Rosalía (, ), is a Spanish Pop music, pop and flamenco singer. She has been described as an "atypical pop star" due to her genre-bending musical styles. After being enthral ...

also recorded a version of "I See a Darkness" for her debut album '' Los Ángeles''.

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (29 December 1946 – 30 January 2025) was an English singer and actress who achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her UK top 10 single " As Tears Go By". She became one of the leading female art ...

included Oldham's "A King at Night" on her 2003 ''Kissin Time'' tour. Steve Adey also covered "I See a Darkness" on his 2006 LP '' All Things Real''. Mark Kozelek recorded a version of Oldham's "New Partner" on his 2008 disc, '' The Finally LP''.

Katatonia Katatonia is a Swedish Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström. The band started as a studio-only project for the duo, as an outlet for their love of death metal. Increasing popularity ...

covered "Oh How I Enjoy the Light" on their 2001 EP '' Tonight's Music'', and their song "Don't Tell a Soul" is about and contains an interpolation of the Palace Brothers song "You Will Miss Me When I Burn". In 2009

Mark Lanegan Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer and songwriter. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the Stone Age ...

and Soulsavers recorded a cover version of "You Will Miss Me When I Burn". The release is a split single, backed with the Lanegan-penned "Sunrise" featuring vocals by Oldham. In 2011, Deer Tick's cover of Oldham's song "Death to Everyone" appeared in an episode of '' Hell On Wheels''. Cadaverous Condition covered "Black" on their ''To the Night Sky'' album (2006).

Acting

Film and television

Oldham's first film acting role was as the teen preacher in

John Sayles John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He is known for writing and directing the films '' The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), '' Matewan'' (1987), ...

's film '' Matewan'' (1987), a dramatization of the life of Appalachian mining community in the 1920s and the Battle of Matewan. Following this, he moved to Hollywood to pursue a career as an actor. He played the role of Chip McClure (father of Baby Jessica) in '' Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure'' (1989), and the role of Miles in the film '' Thousand Pieces of Gold'' (1991). Oldham also played minor roles in '' Julien Donkey-Boy'' (1999), '' Junebug'' (2005), and '' The Guatemalan Handshake'' (2006). In 2004, Oldham appeared as himself in the short documentary film ''Tripping With Caveh'', wherein he took

psilocybin mushrooms Psilocybin mushrooms, or psilocybin-containing mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms or as shrooms, are a type of hallucinogenic mushroom and a polyphyletic informal group of fungi that contain the prodrug psilocybin, which turns into t ...

with autobiographical filmmaker Caveh Zahedi.''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' article:
A Filmmaker Bared His Soul. It Ruined His Life
"Tripping With Caveh
on Caveh Zahedi's

Vimeo Vimeo ( ) is an American Online video platform, video hosting, sharing, and services provider founded in 2004 and headquartered in New York City. Vimeo focuses on the delivery of high-definition video across a range of devices and operates on a ...

page. The project was intended as the pilot episode of a reality/documentary series, with the concept being that Zahedi would take

psychedelics Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...

in the company of a different celebrity in each episode. The project was never picked up by a television network, but the short with Oldham finally saw official release in the 2015 retrospective box set ''Digging My Own Grave: The Films of Caveh Zahedi''. Oldham played a lead role as Kurt in

Kelly Reichardt Kelly Reichardt (; born March 3, 1964) is an American film director and screenwriter. She is known for her minimalism, minimalist films closely associated with slow cinema, many of which deal with working class, working-class characters in small ...

's film ''

Old Joy ''Old Joy'' is a 2006 American road movie written and directed by Kelly Reichardt and based on a short story by Jonathan Raymond. The original soundtrack for the film is by Yo La Tengo and included on the compilation soundtrack album ''They Shoot ...

'' (2006), and had a brief role in the director's next film '' Wendy and Lucy'' (2008). Oldham played Pastor Pigmeat in the "Horse Apples" episode of the second season of the

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

children's show parody '' Wonder Showzen'' and appeared in an episode of Chatman and Lee's subsequent television show, '' Xavier: Renegade Angel'' as a Reverend. In 2007, he starred alongside

Zach Galifianakis Zachary Knight Galifianakis (; born October 1, 1969) is an American actor, comedian and writer. The accolades he has received include two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Critics' Choice Movie Award. Galifianakis ...

in a music video for

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

's " Can't Tell Me Nothing". Also in 2010, Oldham appeared in ''

Jackass 3D ''Jackass 3D'' (known as ''Jackass 3'' on home media) is a 2010 American 3-D film, 3D reality film, reality comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine. It is the third installment in the Jackass (franchise)#Films, ''Jackass'' film series, and the sequ ...

'' as a gorilla trainer. As part of an agreement to play that role, he wrote a theme song, in the style of a Saturday-morning cartoon show, for filmmaker Lance Bangs. In 2011, Oldham played a father telling a bedtime story to his son in David Lowery's short film ''Pioneer''. In 2017, he appeared as "Prognosticator" in the feature film '' A Ghost Story'', also directed by David Lowery.

Voice work

In 2009, Oldham narrated ''Madam and Little Boy'', a documentary film about atomic weapons, directed by Swedish artist Magnus Bärtås. In 2010, Oldham narrated '' Music Makes a City'', a documentary about the formation of the Louisville Orchestra, directed by Owsley Brown III and Jerome Hiler. Oldham provided voice work and inspiration for the character "Will" in the video game '' Kentucky Route Zero'', released in 2013.

Personal life

Oldham married the textile artist Elsa Hansen in 2016. They had a child together in 2018.

Discography

Studio albums

* '' There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You'' – Palace Brothers (1993) * '' Days in the Wake'' – Palace Brothers (1994) * '' Viva Last Blues'' – Palace Music (1995) * '' Arise Therefore'' – Palace Music (1996) * '' Joya'' – Will Oldham (1997) * '' I See a Darkness'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (1999) * ''

Ease Down the Road ''Ease Down the Road'' is the seventh studio album by American musician Will Oldham, and the second under his moniker Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. It was released on Palace Records on March 19, 2001. Domino Recording Company also released a UK limit ...

'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2001) * '' Master and Everyone'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2003) * '' Sings Greatest Palace Music'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2004) (reworkings of earlier songs) * '' Superwolf'' – Matt Sweeney & Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2005) * ''

The Brave and the Bold ''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by a reprint miniseries in 1988, two original miniseries in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing anthology ...

'' –

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& Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2006) (covers album) * '' The Letting Go'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2006) * '' Lie Down in the Light'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2008) * '' Beware'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2009) * '' The Wonder Show of the World'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy and the Cairo Gang (2010) * '' Wolfroy Goes to Town'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2011) * ''

Bonnie "Prince" Billy Joseph Will Oldham (born January 15, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace (Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Son ...

'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2013) (EP) * ''Singer's Grave – A Sea of Tongues'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2014) (reworkings of songs from ''Wolfroy Goes to Town'') * ''Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties'' – Bitchin Bajas and Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2016) * ''Best Troubador'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2017) (covers of

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in country music, he was a central pioneer of the Bakersfield ...

songs) * ''Wolf of the Cosmos'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2017) (cover of '' Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos'' by Susanna) * ''Songs of Love and Horror'' – Will Oldham (2018) (reworkings of earlier songs) * '' I Made a Place'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2019) * ''Superwolves'' – Matt Sweeney & Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2021) * '' Blind Date Party'' – Bill Callahan & Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2021) * '' Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You'' – Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2023) * '' The Purple Bird'' - Bonnie "Prince" Billy (2025)

Filmography

Film

Television

References

Kelefa Sanneh Kelefa T. Sanneh (born 1976) is an American journalist and music critic. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote for ''The New York Times'', covering the rock and roll, hip-hop, and pop music scenes. Since 2008 he has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorker ...

in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'', 2009
Interview with Oldham
at Music Illuminati, 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Oldham, Will 1970 births American alternative country singers American country guitarists American country singer-songwriters American folk guitarists American male singer-songwriters American male guitarists American folk singers Brown University alumni Drag City (record label) artists Domino Recording Company artists Gothic country musicians Living people Singers from Louisville, Kentucky Country musicians from Kentucky Singer-songwriters from Kentucky Folk musicians from Kentucky J. Graham Brown School alumni Guitarists from Kentucky Silver Jews members Boxhead Ensemble members 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male singers Western Vinyl artists Record Collection artists