The True Life of Billy the Kid (1881) cover (1945 reprint)

Hundreds of songs, books, motion pictures, radio and television programs, and plays have been inspired by the story of the outlaw

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at th ...

. Depictions of him in popular culture have fluctuated between a cold-blooded murderer without a heart and a sentimental hero fighting for justice. The Texas historian, J. Frank Dobie, wrote many years ago in ''A Vaquero of the Brush Country'' (1929): "...Billy the Kid will always be interesting, will always appeal to the popular imagination". While a plethora of writers and filmmakers have depicted Billy the Kid as the personification of either heroic youth or juvenile punk, a few have attempted to portray a more complex character. In any case, the dramatic aspects of his short life and violent death still appeal to popular taste, and he remains an icon of

teenage rebellion Teenage rebellion is a part of social development in adolescents in order for them to develop an identity independent from their parents or family and a capacity for independent decision-making. They may experiment with different roles, behaviors ...

and nonconformity. The mythologizing of his story continues with new works in various media.

Comics

*''Billy the Kid Adventure Magazine'' (1950–1955) *''

'' (1957–1983) *''

'' (1962) *'' L'Escorte'' (1966) *'' Billy the Kid's Old Timey Oddities'' (2005) *'' The True Death of Billy the Kid'' (2018)

Literature

* ''El asesino desinteresado Bill Harrigan'' (1935), a short story by

Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known b ...

, part of the series ''

A Universal History of Infamy ''A Universal History of Infamy'', or ''A Universal History of Iniquity'' (original Spanish title: ''Historia universal de la infamia''), is a collection of short stories by Jorge Luis Borges, first published in 1935, and revised by the author in ...

''. * ''

Billy The Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at th ...

'' (1958), a serial poem by

Jack Spicer Jack Spicer (January 30, 1925 – August 17, 1965) was an American poet often identified with the San Francisco Renaissance. In 2009, ''My Vocabulary Did This to Me: The Collected Poetry of Jack Spicer'' won the American Book Award for poetry. ...

* '' El bandido adolescente'' (1965), by Ramón J. Sender. * '' The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-handed Poems'', by

Michael Ondaatje Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor, and filmmaker. He is the recipient of multiple literary awards such as the Governor General's Award, the Giller P ...

, 1970 biography in the form of experimental poetry * ''

The Illegal Rebirth of Billy the Kid ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1991) is a science fiction novel by

Rebecca Ore Rebecca Ore is the pseudonym of science fiction writer Rebecca B. Brown. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1948. In 1968 she moved to New York City and attended Columbia University. Rebecca Ore is known for the ''Becoming Alien'' series and ...

* ''

Anything for Billy Anything may refer to: Albums * ''Anything'' (The Cranberry Saw Us demo), by the band later named the Cranberries, 1990 * ''Anything'' (The Damned album) or the title song (see below), 1986 * ''Anything'' (Kinnie Starr album) or the title son ...

'' (1988) is a fictionalized account of Billy's last year by

Larry McMurtry Larry Jeff McMurtry (June 3, 1936March 25, 2021) was an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work was predominantly set in either the Old West or contemporary Texas.

* ''

The Kid The Kid or The Kids may refer to: Fictional characters * The kid (''Blood Meridian''), a character in Cormac McCarthy's 1985 novel ''Blood Meridian'' * The Kid (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film series * The Kid (''The Stand'' ...

'' (2016), a novel of Billy the Kid's life by Ron Hansen * ''

Whatever Happened to Billy the Kid Whatever may refer to: Music Albums * ''Whatever'' (Adore Delano album), 2017 * ''Whatever'' (Aimee Mann album), 1993 * ''Whatever'' (Danny Thompson album), 1987 * ''Whatever'' (The Friends of Distinction album), 1970 * ''Whatever'' (Gre ...

'', by Helen Airy, Sunstone Press; 1st Edition (2005), . In it Billy the Kid escapes from Pat Garrett's and lives out his life as John Miller.

Film

* ''

'', a 1911 silent film directed by

Laurence Trimble Laurence Norwood Trimble (February 15, 1885 – February 8, 1954) was an American silent film director, writer and actor. Trimble began his film career directing Jean, the Vitagraph Dog, the first canine to have a leading role in motion pictu ...

and starring

Tefft Johnson William Tefft Johnson, Jr. (September 23, 1883 – October 15, 1956), better known as Tefft Johnson, was an American stage and film actor, and film director and screenwriter. He appeared in 131 films between 1909 and 1926. Biography Johnson was ...

* ''

The Adventures of Billy ''The Adventures of Billy'' is a 1911 silent short dramatic film directed by D. W. Griffith. It is one of many Griffith shorts preserved by the paper print and is available for viewing today. Cast * Edna Foster - Billy *Donald Crisp - First Tramp ...

'', another 1911 silent film directed by D. W. Griffith, Starring:

Edna Foster Edna Foster was a child star at Biograph who was active during Hollywood's silent era. She often played boys' roles and was known for her character named Billy; Biograph even promoted her as Billy Foster. She was born in Boston to Conrad Foster ...

Note that both 1911 films portrayed Billy as a girl impersonating a boy. * ''

'', 1930

widescreen Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than t ...

film directed by

King Vidor King Wallis Vidor (; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

and starring

Johnny Mack Brown John Brown (September 1, 1904 – November 14, 1974) was an American college football player and film actor billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career. He acted and starred mainly in Western films. Early life Born and raise ...

as Billy and

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' ( ...

as Pat Garrett * '' Billy the Kid Returns'', 1938:

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

plays a dual role, Billy the Kid and his dead-ringer lookalike who shows up after the Kid has been shot by Pat Garrett. * ''

'', 1941 remake of the 1930 film, starring Robert Taylor and

Brian Donlevy Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor, noted for playing dangerous tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best-known films are '' Beau Geste'' (19 ...

* Bob Steele and

Buster Crabbe Clarence Linden Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), known professionally as Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimmi ...

portrayed Billy the Kid in a series of 42 western films from 1940 through 1947, released by

Poverty Row Poverty Row is a slang term used to refer to Hollywood films produced from the 1920s to the 1950s by small (and mostly short-lived) B movie studios. Although many of them were based on (or near) today's Gower Street in Hollywood, the term did ...

studio

Producers Distributing Corporation Producers Distributing Corporation was a short-lived Hollywood film distribution company, organized in 1924 and dissolved in March 1927. In its brief heyday, film director Cecil B. DeMille was its primary shareholder and major talent. Corporat ...

. Some of the titles include ''Blazing Frontier'', ''The Renegade'', ''Cattle Stampede'', and ''Western Cyclone'' (1943). In a 1952 film,

Allan "Rocky" Lane Allan "Rocky" Lane (born Harry Leonard Albershardt; September 22, 1909 – October 27, 1973) was an American studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows ...

goes after Billy the Kid's lost treasure. * ''

The Outlaw ''The Outlaw'' is a 1943 American Western film, directed by Howard Hughes and starring Jack Buetel, Jane Russell, Thomas Mitchell, and Walter Huston. Hughes also produced the film, while Howard Hawks served as an uncredited co-director. Th ...

'',

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

' 1943 motion picture starring

Jack Buetel Jack Buetel (September 5, 1915 – June 27, 1989) was an American film and television actor. Life Born John Alexander Beutel in Dallas, Texas, he moved to Los Angeles, California in the late 1930s with the intention of establishing a film caree ...

as Billy and featuring

Jane Russell Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011) was an American actress, singer, and model. She was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s. She starred in more than 20 films. Russell moved from th ...

in her breakthrough role as the Kid's fictional love interest * ''

I Shot Billy the Kid ''I Shot Billy the Kid'' is a 1950 American Western (genre), Western film directed by William Berke for Lippert Pictures. Robert L. Lippert had enjoyed tremendous success with ''I Shot Jesse James'' (1948) leading to this follow up with ''I Sho ...

'', a 1950 film directed by

William Berke William A. Berke (born October 3, 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – died February 15, 1958 in Los Angeles, California) was an American film director, producer, actor and screenwriter. He wrote, directed, and/or produced some 200 films over a ...

and starring

Don "Red" Barry Donald Barry de Acosta (January 11, 1912 – July 17, 1980), also known as Red Barry and Milton Poimboeuf, was an American film and television actor. He was nicknamed "Red" after appearing as the first Red Ryder in the highly successful 19 ...

as Billy * ''

The Kid from Texas ''The Kid from Texas'' is a 1950 American Western film that was Audie Murphy's first Technicolor Western and the first feature film on Murphy's Universal-International Pictures contract. It was directed by Kurt Neumann and featured Gale Storm ...

'' (1950) starring

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor and songwriter. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from t ...

as Billy the Kid * ''

The Law vs. Billy the Kid ''The Law vs. Billy the Kid'' is a 1954 American western film directed by William Castle and starring Scott Brady, Betta St. John and Paul Cavanagh. It was produced by Sam Katzman for distribution by Columbia Pictures. Plot Cheated out of a h ...

'' (1954,

Columbia Pictures Corporation Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multi ...

) starring

Scott Brady Scott Brady (born Gerard Kenneth Tierney; September 13, 1924 – April 16, 1985) was an American film and television actor best known for his roles in Western films and as a ubiquitous television presence. He played the title role in the televi ...

as the Kid,

James Griffith James Jeffrey Griffith (February 13, 1916 – September 17, 1993) was an American character actor, musician and screenwriter. Education Griffith attended Santa Monica High School, where he was a classmate with Glenn Ford. Both were active in s ...

as Pat Garrett, Betta St. John as Nita Maxwell, and Alan Hale, Jr. as

Bob Olinger Robert Ameredith B. "Pecos Bob" Olinger (1850 in Delphi, Indiana – April 28, 1881 in Lincoln, New Mexico) was a frontier lawman best known as the last victim of Billy the Kid and as a participant in the Lincoln County War. Early life and care ...

* ''

The Left Handed Gun ''The Left Handed Gun'' is a 1958 American Western film and the film directorial debut of Arthur Penn, starring Paul Newman as Billy the Kid and John Dehner as Pat Garrett. The screenplay was written by Leslie Stevens from a teleplay by Gore V ...

'',

Arthur Penn Arthur Hiller Penn (September 27, 1922 – September 28, 2010) was an American director and producer of film, television and theater. Closely associated with the American New Wave, Penn directed critically acclaimed films throughout the 19 ...

's 1958 motion picture based on a

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his epigrammatic wit, erudition, and patrician manner. Vidal was bisexual, and in his novels and e ...

teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or a ...

, starring Paul Newman as Billy and

John Dehner John Dehner (DAY-ner) (born John Dehner Forkum, also credited Dehner Forkum; November 23, 1915February 4, 1992) was an American stage, radio, film, and television actor. From the late 1930s to the late 1980s, he amassed a long list of performan ...

as Garrett * ''

The Boy from Oklahoma ''The Boy from Oklahoma'' is a 1954 American western film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Will Rogers, Jr., Nancy Olson and Anthony Caruso. It was produced and distributed by the major studio Warner Bros. Plot Cast * Will Rogers, J ...

'' (1954), with

Tyler MacDuff Tyler Glenn Duff Jr. (September 12, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was an American film and television actor. Life and career MacDuff was born in Hollywood, California. He attended Woodrow Wilson Junior High. MacDuff joined the U.S. Navy in 194 ...

in the role of Billy the Kid * '' Billy the Kid Versus Dracula'' (1966), directed by

William Beaudine William Washington Beaudine (January 15, 1892 – March 18, 1970) was an American film actor and director. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films in remarkable numbers and in a wide variety of genres. Life and car ...

, has

Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some ...

, played by

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later ...

, traveling to the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

, where he takes a shine to Billy's fiancée and tries to turn her into a vampire. Chuck Courtney co-stars as Billy. * ''

Chisum ''Chisum'' is a 1970 American Western film directed by Andrew McLaglen, starring John Wayne in the titular role, and adapted for the screen by Andrew J. Fenady from his short story "Chisum and the Lincoln County War." The supporting cast featu ...

'' (1970), set during the Lincoln County War, was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and stars Geoffrey Deuel as Billy and

Glenn Corbett Glenn Corbett (born Glenn Edwin Rothenburg; August 17, 1933 – January 16, 1993)"CORBETT Obituary — Corbett, 59, starred in 'Route 66,' Wayne films." ''San Antonio Express-News'' January 18, 1993. Web. May 29, 2012. Document #0F22314D ...

as Pat Garrett. * ''

Dirty Little Billy ''Dirty Little Billy'' is a 1972 American revisionist western film co-written and directed by Stan Dragoti and starring Michael J. Pollard and Richard Evans. Set in Coffeyville, Kansas, the film was influenced by the darker, more sinister styl ...

'' (1972), set during Billy's early years as a criminal, starred Michael J. Pollard * ''

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' is a 1973 American Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jason ...

'',

Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic '' The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institut ...

's 1973 motion picture with

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are " Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", " Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the ...

as Billy, James Coburn as Pat Garrett, and with a soundtrack by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, who also appears in the movie * '' The New Morning of Billy the Kid'' (1986), a Japanese absurdist comedy directed by Naoto Yamakawa * '' Young Guns'', Christopher Cain's 1988 motion picture starring

Emilio Estevez Emilio Estevez (; born May 12, 1962) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the son of actor Martin Sheen and the older brother of Charlie Sheen. Emilio Estevez started his career as an actor and is known for being a member of the acting Br ...

as Billy and

Patrick Wayne Patrick John Morrison (born July 15, 1939), better known by his stage name Patrick Wayne, is an American actor. He is the second son of movie star John Wayne and his first wife, Josephine Alicia Saenz. He made over 40 films, including eleven w ...

as Pat Garrett * '' Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid'', Gore Vidal's 1989

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

starring

Val Kilmer Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with ''Top Secret!'' (1984) and ''Real Genius'' (1985), as well as the military action film ...

as Billy and

Duncan Regehr Duncan Peter Regehr (born October 5, 1952) is a Canadian writer, multimedia artist, and film and television actor. He was also a figure skater and a classically trained Shakespearean stage actor in his native Canada, before heading to Hollywood ...

as Pat Garrett * ''

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

'', a 1989 film, which included several historical figures traveling through time, including Billy the Kid, who was portrayed by

Dan Shor Daniel Shor (born November 16, 1956) is an American actor, director, writer, and acting teacher with a career spanning over 40 years. His most recognized roles include Enoch Emery in John Huston's ''Wise Blood'' (1979), Ram in ''Tron'' (1982), a ...

. * ''

Young Guns II ''Young Guns II'' is a 1990 American Western film and a sequel to '' Young Guns'' (1988). It stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Christian Slater, and features William Petersen as Pat Garrett. It was written ...

'',

Geoff Murphy Geoffrey Peter Murphy (12 October 1938 – 3 December 2018) was a New Zealand filmmaker, producer, director, and screenwriter best known for his work during the renaissance of New Zealand cinema that began in the second half of the 1970s. His s ...

's 1990 motion picture starring

as Billy and

William Petersen William Louis Petersen (born February 21, 1953) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his role as Gil Grissom in the CBS drama series ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' (2000–2015), for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Aw ...

as Pat Garrett * ''

Purgatory Purgatory (, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations (mostly Catholic), an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. The process of purgatory ...

'',

Uli Edel Ulrich "Uli" Edel (; born 11 April 1947) is a German film and television director, best known for his work on films such as ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' and '' Body of Evidence.'' His '' Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny'' won a Golden Globe for ...

's 1999 made-for-TV movie starring

Donnie Wahlberg Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. (born August 17, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, record producer, and film producer. He is a founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Outside music, he has had roles in the ''Saw' ...

as Deputy Glen/Billy The Kid * '' Requiem for Billy the Kid'', Anne Feinsilber's 2006 motion picture starring

* '' Birth of a Legend'', a 2011 film in two parts based on Frederick Nolan's book ''The Lincoln County War: A Documentary History'' directed by Andrew Wilkinson * ''

'', a 2019 film directed by

Vincent D'Onofrio Vincent Philip D'Onofrio (; born June 30, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his supporting and leading roles in both film and television. He has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. His roles include Private Leonar ...

and starring

Dane DeHaan Dane William DeHaan ( ; born February 6, 1986) is an American actor known for his roles as Andrew Detmer in ''Chronicle'' (2012), Lucien Carr in '' Kill Your Darlings'' (2013), Harry Osborn / Green Goblin in ''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'' (2014), ...

as Billy the Kid. *''

Old Henry ''Old Henry'' is a 2021 American Western film written and directed by Potsy Ponciroli. It stars Tim Blake Nelson as the titular character, a farmer who must protect his son from outlaws, with Scott Haze, Gavin Lewis, Trace Adkins, and Stephen ...

'', a 2021 film directed by Potsy Ponciroli and starring

Tim Blake Nelson Timothy Blake Nelson (born May 11, 1964) is an American actor and playwright. Described as a "modern character actor", his roles include Delmar O'Donnell in '' O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' (2000), Gideon in '' Minority Report'' (2002), Dr. Pend ...

as Henry McCarty. The film posits Billy returned to his birth name after surviving the supposed assassination.

Music

* "Billy the Kid" is a western folk song in the public domain, which was published in

John A. Lomax John Avery Lomax (September 23, 1867 – January 26, 1948) was an American teacher, a pioneering musicologist, and a folklorist who did much for the preservation of American folk music. He was the father of Alan Lomax, John Lomax Jr. and Bess ...

and Alan Lomax's ''American Ballads and Folksongs'' album, and also their ''Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads'' album. Members of the

Western Writers of America Western Writers of America (WWA), founded 1953, promotes literature, both fictional and nonfictional, pertaining to the American West. Although its founders wrote traditional Western fiction, the more than 600 current members also include histori ...

chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. The song's lyrics perpetuate several myths about the Kid, such as his exaggerated kill count of "twenty-one men" and the suggestion that Pat Garrett had known him as a friend. * There have been many recordings of this song, including versions by the

Sons of the Pioneers The Sons of the Pioneers are one of the United States' earliest Western singing groups. Known for their vocal performances, their musicianship, and their songwriting, they produced innovative recordings that have inspired many Western music perf ...

(1937),

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

(1940, recorded by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress #3412 B₂),

Tex Ritter Woodward Maurice Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of American country music, a popular singer and actor from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (son John, grandsons Jason and ...

(1945), and

Marty Robbins Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, and NASCAR racing driver. Robbins was one of the most popular and succ ...

(1959, on his ''

Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs ''Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs'' is the fifth studio album by Marty Robbins, released on the Columbia Records label in September 1959 and peaking at number 6 on the U.S. pop albums chart. It was recorded in a single eight-hour session on Ap ...

'' album). * Woody Guthrie later used the same melody for his song "So Long, it's Been Good to Know You". He also recorded it in 1944 for Moe Asch's Asch/Folkways label (MA67). *

's album ''

'', soundtrack of the 1973 film by

. * "

The Ballad of Billy the Kid "The Ballad of Billy the Kid" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel from the album '' Piano Man''. It was also issued as a single in the UK backed with "If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You)." Artistic license The song is Joel's fict ...

", song sung by Billy Joel on the 1973 '' Piano Man'' album. *

Charlie Daniels Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, pioneering Southern rock. He was best known for his number-one country hit "The De ...

recorded the song "Billy the Kid" on his 1976 album High Lonesome. Chris LeDoux also covered the song on his album Haywire. * Joe Ely recorded the song "Me and Billy the Kid" on his 1987 album ''Lord of the Highway''. * Running Wild recorded the song "Billy the Kid" on their 1991 album ''Blazon Stone''. *

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the la ...

wrote the song "Billy the Kid", released on his 1999 album

Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...

. * Dia Frampton's "Billy the Kid," on the 2011 album

Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

. * Jon Bon Jovi's album, '' Blaze of Glory'', was used as part of the soundtrack for ''Young Guns II''. * Ry Cooder recorded the folk song "Billy the Kid", on the album ''Into The Purple Valley'', with his own melody and instrumental. It was also on ''Ry Cooder Classics Volume II''. * The Heavy Horses recorded Billy the Kid's legend in their song "Anyone Can Tell" on their debut album, ''Murder Ballads & Other Love Songs''. *" Las Cruces Jail", a 2005 song by

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

play co-written by Joseph Santley and Walwin (Walter) Woods. * Aaron Copland's ''Billy the Kid (ballet), Billy the Kid'', music and ballet that premiered in 1938. * Michael McClure's 1965 play ''Michael McClure#The Beard, The Beard'' recounts a fictional meeting between Billy the Kid and

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

. * Ben Morales Frost and

Richard Hough Richard Alexander Hough (; 15 May 1922 – 7 October 1999) was a British author and historian specializing in maritime history. Personal life Hough married the author Charlotte Woodyatt, whom he had met when they were pupils at Frensham Heigh ...

's 2017 musical, ''

'' for the

National Youth Music Theatre The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) is an arts organisation in the United Kingdom providing pre-professional education and musical theatre stage experience for young people. Based in London, it is constituted as a private limited company (orig ...

. *

's 1973 play, ''The Collected Works of Billy the Kid''.

Radio

* The first episode of the '' Gunsmoke'' radio series, broadcast on April 2, 1952 and titled "Billy the Kid", purports to tell of Billy's first murder as a runaway boy and credits Matt Dillon with giving him the "Billy the Kid" moniker. * The

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

radio series '' Crime Classics'' told the story of Billy the Kid in its October 21, 1953 episode (#17) titled "Billy Bonney – Bloodletter". The episode featured

Sam Edwards Sam George Edwards (May 26, 1915 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor. His most famous role on television was as banker Bill Anderson on ''Little House on the Prairie''.D.S.S. Form 1 Military Draft Registration Card completed on October 16, ...

as Billy the Kid and William Conrad as Pat Garrett.

Television

Richard Jaeckel Richard Hanley Jaeckel (October 10, 1926 – June 14, 1997) was an American actor of film and television. Jaeckel became a well-known character actor in his career, which spanned six decades. He received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominatio ...

played The Kid in the 1954 episode "Billy the Kid" of the syndicated television series '' Stories of the Century''. * The

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

series ''The Tall Man (TV series), The Tall Man'' ran from 1960 to 1962, starring Clu Gulager as Billy the Kid and Barry Sullivan (actor), Barry Sullivan as Pat Garrett. * Robert Vaughn starred as Billy the Kid in a 1957 episode ("Billy the Kid") of the series ''Tales of Wells Fargo''. * Robert Blake (actor), Robert Blake starred as Billy the Kid in the 1966 ''Death Valley Days'' episode "The Kid from Hell's Kitchen". Tom Heaton also starred as Billy the Kid in season 16, episode "Lost Sheep in Trinidad". * Robert Walker (actor, born 1940), Robert Walker Jr. starred as Billy the Kid in the 1967 episode "Billy the Kid" of the Irwin Allen science fiction series ''The Time Tunnel''. * Billy the Kid is portrayed as a zombie in the 2002 ''The Simpsons, Simpsons'' episode "Treehouse of Horror XIII" * ''American Experience'' season 24 episode "Billy the Kid", aired on PBS January 9, 2012. * Jor-el Vaasborg starred as Billy the Kid in the 2015 National Geographic TV documentary ''Billy the Kid: New Evidence'', narrated by Kevin Costner. * Derek Chariton starred as Billy the Kid in the 2016 AMC documentary ''The American West'', narrated by Bert Thomas Morris. * ''Billy the Kid (TV series), Billy the Kid'' starring Tom Blyth as the Kid, a television drama series based on the life of Billy the Kid, premiered on April 24, 2022 on Epix. The series is in season 1 and aired 8 episodes.

Video games

*In the mobile game ''Fate/Grand Order'', Billy the Kid is an Archer-class Servant who debuted as an ally in the 5th chapter of the main story. * In ''Call of Juarez: Gunslinger'' Billy the Kid is one of the allies of the main character Silas Greaves and is rescued by him.

References

External links

Billy the Kid : The Bibliography of a Legend, by Jeff Dykes

Billy the Kid, a Bio-Bibliography, by Jon Tuska

Billy the Kid, WorldCat Identities
{{DEFAULTSORT:Works about Billy the Kid American Old West-related lists, Billy the Kid, works about Works about Billy the Kid,