Billy Squier
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William Haislip Squier (, born May 12, 1950) is an American rock musician and singer who had a string of
arena rock Arena rock (also known as AOR, melodic rock, stadium rock, anthem rock, pomp rock, corporate rock and dad rock; ; ) is a style of rock music that originated in the mid-1970s. As hard rock bands and those playing a softer yet strident kind of po ...
and crossover hits in the early 1980s. His best-known songs include "
The Stroke "The Stroke" is a song written and recorded by American rock artist Billy Squier. It was released in 1981 as the debut single from his 3× Platinum album '' Don't Say No''. This was Squier's first single to chart, reaching No. 17 on the US ''Bi ...
", " Lonely Is the Night", "
My Kinda Lover "My Kinda Lover" is a rock song written and performed by American hard rock singer and guitarist Billy Squier. It was the third and final single released from his Triple Platinum 1981 album '' Don't Say No'', following " In the Dark". It peaked a ...
", " In the Dark", " Rock Me Tonite", "
Everybody Wants You "Everybody Wants You" is a hit song written and performed by American rock singer and guitarist Billy Squier. It appeared as the opening track of his multi-Platinum 1982 album '' Emotions in Motion'', and was released as the second single (follo ...
", "
Emotions in Motion ''Emotions in Motion'' is the third studio album by American rock musician Billy Squier. It was released on July 23, 1982, and was Squier's second consecutive Top Five disc on the '' Billboard'' album chart. It contains the hit song "Everybody ...
", "
Love Is the Hero "Love Is the Hero" is a song performed by American Rock singer and guitarist Billy Squier, with Freddie Mercury from Queen on backing vocals. It appears as the second track on his fifth studio album ''Enough Is Enough'' from 1986. After an incr ...
", " Don't Say You Love Me" and " The Big Beat". Squier's best-selling album, 1981's ''Don't Say No'', is considered a landmark release within the arena rock genre, bridging the gap between
power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...
and
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
. Described as a personification of early 1980s rock music, Squier's most successful period ranges from 1981 to 1984, during which he had five Top 10 Mainstream Rock hits (two of which were number ones), two Top 20 singles, and three consecutive platinum-selling albums, along with cyclic MTV rotation and radio airplay. Even after falling out from mainstream favor and chart success, which some say is because of the 1984 video for "Rock Me Tonite", Squier has maintained his presence on rock radio and his music used in many films and video games. Squier stepped out of the music business after the 1993 release of '' Tell the Truth'', but he has occasionally continued performing smaller tours and one-off performances. His 1980 song "The Big Beat" contains one of the most-sampled drum breaks, used by artists such as
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,
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
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, and
Dizzee Rascal Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a British MC and rapper. A pioneer of grime music, his work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline, British hip hop, and R&B. Dizze ...
. "The Stroke" has also had a fair amount of sampling, most notably in
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
's 2013 hit " Berzerk".


Career


Early life and first bands (1950–1974)

Squier was born in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He is a 1968 graduate of Wellesley High School. While growing up, he began playing piano and guitar, but did not become serious with music until discovering
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers are an English blues rock band led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall. While never producing a hit of their own, the band has been influential as an incubator for British rock and blues ...
(with Eric Clapton). When Squier was nine, his grandfather taught him piano for two years. He became interested in guitar after getting one from his older brother (or, as another story goes, he bought a guitar from his neighbor for 90 dollars). Squier formed his first band, the Reltneys, when he was 14. Squier's first public performances were in 1968 at a
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
nightclub in Kenmore Square named
the Psychedelic Supermarket The Psychedelic Supermarket was an underground music venue in Boston, Massachusetts, that was open in the 1960s, and became one of the core establishments of the city's psychedelic rock scene. It stood at 590 Commonwealth Avenue inside a parking g ...
, which is where he saw
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
and the band
Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
. This encouraged him to take music more seriously, and he formed the band Magic Terry & the Universe with a school friend. In the early 1970s, Squier tried out with various short-lived bands, beginning with the Kicks alongside future
New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succe ...
drummer
Jerry Nolan Gerard "Jerry" Nolan (May 7, 1946 – January 14, 1992) was an American rock drummer, best known for his work with the New York Dolls and The Heartbreakers. Career A native of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Nolan joined the New York Dolls in the au ...
. Squier also briefly attended
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
in 1971. Squier wanted to become a teacher, but instead went back to New York to play with the pop band the Sidewinders.


Piper and solo career (1975–1980)

In the mid-1970s, Squier encountered his first real experience with the music industry after striking a record deal with his new band Piper, which went on to release two studio records, ''Piper'' and ''Can't Wait.'' The band was praised by critics: reviewing the self-titled album, ''
Circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
'' magazine touted it as "the greatest debut album ever produced by a US rock band". Piper was managed by the same management company as
Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
and opened for them during their 1977 tour, including two nights of a sold-out run at New York's
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
. Squier served as both main songwriter and frontman of the group. Despite receiving considerable success at the local rock scene, Piper broke up. Squier signed a solo deal with
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
in 1979 and started working on his solo debut ''
The Tale of the Tape ''The Tale of the Tape'' is the debut studio album by American rock musician Billy Squier. It was his first solo album, following two albums with the band Piper. Despite not being a huge success, the disc spent three months on '' Billboard''s al ...
'', which was released in spring 1980. The album provided him with strong momentum, spending three months on ''
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 ...
's'' album chart, though peaking only at #169. Squier's first singles "You Should Be High Love" and " The Big Beat" missed the charts but got moderate radio play nationally. Along with Bobby Chouinard, his backing band consisted of Alan St. Jon on keyboards, Cary Sharaf on lead guitar, and
Mark Clarke Mark Clarke (born 25 July 1950 in Liverpool) is an English musician, bass player and singer, best known for his work with Colosseum and Mountain, as well as brief stints with Uriah Heep and Rainbow. Career After seeing the Beatles and many ...
(who previously had short jobs in Uriah Heep and
Rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
) on bass.


Commercial success: ''Don't Say No'' and ''Emotions in Motion'' (1981–1983)

Following a small but fairly successful summer tour with
Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
in 1980, Squier got in contact with
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
guitarist
Brian May Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Fredd ...
and asked him to produce his next album. Due to scheduling conflicts, May declined, but he recommended
Reinhold Mack Reinhold Mack (also known as Mack, born 25 August 1949) is a German Record producer, record producer and Sound engineer, engineer. Mack is best known for his collaborations with Electric Light Orchestra, Queen (band), Queen, and Sparks (band), S ...
, who had produced Queen's most recent album '' The Game.'' Squier and Mack joined forces to produce '' Don't Say No'', which earned rave reviews and spawned three hit singles. The first, "
The Stroke "The Stroke" is a song written and recorded by American rock artist Billy Squier. It was released in 1981 as the debut single from his 3× Platinum album '' Don't Say No''. This was Squier's first single to chart, reaching No. 17 on the US ''Bi ...
," became his breakthrough hit, hitting Top 20 in the US and reaching the top five in Australia, as well as charting high in Canada and in Britain, where the song remains his only chart entry. " In the Dark" and "
My Kinda Lover "My Kinda Lover" is a rock song written and performed by American hard rock singer and guitarist Billy Squier. It was the third and final single released from his Triple Platinum 1981 album '' Don't Say No'', following " In the Dark". It peaked a ...
" were successful follow-ups. The album also includes " Lonely Is the Night", which became a radio favorite and one of his signature songs, despite not being released as a single (however, in Britain, it was the B-side for "In the Dark"). Squier was also popular on the new MTV cable channel, where his straightforward performance-based videos received heavy rotation. ''Don't Say No'' peaked at #5 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and lasted well over two years on the chart, eventually selling over 4 million copies in the US alone, making it Squier's most commercially successful album. Squier was known for being a perfectionist and short-tempered at producers sometimes. He ended his partnership with Mack after disagreements between the two escalated because of artistic differences. Despite the problems, Squier's third album ''
Emotions In Motion ''Emotions in Motion'' is the third studio album by American rock musician Billy Squier. It was released on July 23, 1982, and was Squier's second consecutive Top Five disc on the '' Billboard'' album chart. It contains the hit song "Everybody ...
'' was released in 1982 and became very successful, although in the long run, it didn't catch its predecessor in sales. Nevertheless, the album hit #5 in both US and Canada, sold approximately 3 million copies, and spawned the successful radio and video hits "
Emotions in Motion ''Emotions in Motion'' is the third studio album by American rock musician Billy Squier. It was released on July 23, 1982, and was Squier's second consecutive Top Five disc on the '' Billboard'' album chart. It contains the hit song "Everybody ...
" and "
Everybody Wants You "Everybody Wants You" is a hit song written and performed by American rock singer and guitarist Billy Squier. It appeared as the opening track of his multi-Platinum 1982 album '' Emotions in Motion'', and was released as the second single (follo ...
". The latter is notable for being Squier's first #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart and holding the place for six weeks straight, more than any other number one in 1982. During the tour for ''Emotions in Motion'', Squier and his band served as openers for the North American leg of Queen's 1982
Hot Space Tour The Hot Space Tour was the ninth headlining concert tour by the British rock band Queen in support of their 1982 album ''Hot Space''. The tour started on the 9th of April in Gothenburg, Sweden and ended, after sixty-nine concerts, in Tokorozaw ...
and later, he finally became a headliner act for the first time. British newcomer
Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), a ...
supported him and he helped the band break through in the US, in conjunction with the release of their breakthrough album ''
Pyromania Pyromania is an impulse control disorder in which individuals repeatedly fail to resist impulses to deliberately start fires, to relieve some tension or for instant gratification. The term ''pyromania'' comes from the Greek word (''pyr'', 'fi ...
''.


Career pinnacle: ''Signs of Life'' (1984)

Squier began writing songs for his fourth album '' Signs of Life'' in late 1983 after finishing his first headlining arena tour. He planned to have
Robert John "Mutt" Lange Robert John "Mutt" Lange (born 11 November 1948) is a South African record producer and songwriter, mainly known for his work in rock music as well as his previous marriage to Canadian singer Shania Twain, for whom he wrote and produced several ...
as producer. However, Lange was already reserved by
The Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes (keyboards), ...
and suffered a breakdown afterward. Squier brought in
Jim Steinman James Richard Steinman (November 1, 1947 – April 19, 2021) was an American composer, lyricist and record producer. He also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer. His work included songs in the adult contemporary, rock, dance, pop, mus ...
, whom he admired for
Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...
's ''
Bat Out of Hell ''Bat Out of Hell'' is the 1977 debut album by American rock singer Meat Loaf and composer Jim Steinman. It is one of the best-selling albums in history. The album was developed from a musical, ''Neverland'', a futuristic rock version of ''P ...
'', which he described as "the most passionate and exciting rock record of our time". Steinman showed enthusiasm for the project and he got along well with Squier and his band, despite his role in the studio being significantly smaller than usual. The resulting album was a departure from Squier's typical guitar-heavy hard rock into a more keyboard-oriented style, with hints of Steinman's Wagnerian producing approach. When ''Signs of Life'' arrived in late July 1984, Squier was at the peak of his career. Fueled by the songs " Rock Me Tonite" and "All Night Long", the album brought his third consecutive platinum certification. The music video for "Rock Me Tonite", which featured Squier dancing in a bedroom wearing a pink tank top, proved a controversial choice by director
Kenny Ortega Kenneth John Ortega (born April 18, 1950) is an American filmmaker, touring manager, and choreographer. He is known for directing the films '' Newsies'', '' Hocus Pocus'', ''The Cheetah Girls 2'', ''High School Musical'', ''Michael Jackson's Th ...
. The 2011 book '' I Want My MTV'' promoted it as the worst video of all time.
Martha Quinn Martha Conrad Quinn (born May 11, 1959) is an American actress and Radio personality, radio and television personality, best known as one of the original video jockeys on MTV (along with Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter (VJ), Alan Hunter ...
, an MTV VJ when "Rock Me Tonite" was released, commented, "I don’t remember that video being poorly received at the time." Whether it was the video or the shift in music style or other factors, Squier stopped selling out shows. He fired both of his managers and insulted Ortega for misleading and deceiving him. Ortega has denied Squier's accusations.


Brief resurgence and feud with Capitol (1985–1993)

Apart from a few live appearances and a new song, "Shake Down" for the soundtrack of the film ''
St. Elmo's Fire St. Elmo's fire — also called Witchfire or Witch's Fire — is a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a corona discharge from a rod-like object such as a mast, spire, chimney, or animal hornHeidorn, K., Weather Element ...
'', Squier stayed out of the spotlight for the majority of 1985, taking some time off and preparing his next album with British producer Peter Collins, who was known for his work with
Nik Kershaw Nicholas David Kershaw (born 1 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. Kershaw came to prominence in 1984 as a solo artist. He released eight singles that entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart during the ...
,
Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz ...
, and
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. 1986 saw the release of his fifth album '' Enough Is Enough'', which was carefully crafted, but still a commercial flop. The album spawned a minor hit, "
Love Is the Hero "Love Is the Hero" is a song performed by American Rock singer and guitarist Billy Squier, with Freddie Mercury from Queen on backing vocals. It appears as the second track on his fifth studio album ''Enough Is Enough'' from 1986. After an incr ...
", with
Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the ...
on backing vocals. Mercury also co-wrote and arranged the song "Lady With a Tenor Sax", which also appears on the album. ''Enough Is Enough'' sold an estimated 300,000 copies. "Love Is the Hero" has usually been singled out for praise. Squier did not embark on a tour in support of the album. Squier spent the next three years working on his sixth full-length album, '' Hear & Now'', which was released in 1989. The album peaked at #64, but sold only 300,000, the same as ''Enough Is Enough''. " Don't Say You Love Me" was a modestly successful comeback single and his last Hot 100 hit, which peaked at #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went to #4 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 ...
'' Mainstream Rock chart. Squier's seventh album, '' Creatures of Habit'', was released in 1991. Both critical and audience reception were mixed; many criticized the album for lacking innovation and being uninspired, mainly on the songwriting side. Some also found the album's polished sound somewhat outdated, since at the time of the album's release, alternative rock and especially grunge began ruling the rock scene. Peaking only at #117 in US, the album became his lowest charting since '' Tale of the Tape''. However, it contain the radio hits, "She Goes Down" and "Facts of Life". The former is Squier's last Top 5 on the Mainstream Rock charts and his highest charting radio single of the 1990s. ''Creatures of Habit'' was supported with a tour. In 1993, Squier released his final album with
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
, '' Tell the Truth,'' with different sets of musicians performing the various tracks. Despite Squier himself comparing it favorably to '' Don't Say No,'' Capitol did little to nothing to promote it, which ended up becoming his first album not to chart at all and selling 37,000 US copies, per Nielsen Soundscan. After the album's release, Squier walked away from the label and music business as a whole.


Later career (1994–present)

In 1994, Squier's original screenplay ''Run To Daylight'' was short-listed at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
. The film itself was never produced. In 1995, Capitol released ''16 Strokes: The Best of Billy Squier''. On February 17, 1998, during the initial run of '' Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God,'' a
monodrama A monodrama is a theatrical or operatic piece played by a single actor or singer, usually portraying one character. In opera In opera, a monodrama was originally a melodrama with one role such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau's ''Pygmalion'', which wa ...
about the life of Freddie Mercury, Squier debuted a song that he wrote in memory of his friend, titled "I Have Watched You Fly", on stage before a performance of the play. He introduced the song by saying, "I was privileged to know Freddie as a friend. I'm honored to share the stage with him in the afterlife." That same year Squier released independently his last studio album to date, a stripped-down acoustic blues effort entitled '' Happy Blue.'' The album was both stylistically and also sonically a great departure from his typical hard rock sound, with the only musician playing on the album being Squier himself accompanied by acoustic guitar with no overdubs. For this album, Squier reworked his hit song "The Stroke" into an old-fashioned blues number, "Stroke Me Blues". The year 2001 marked the 20th anniversary of ''Don't Say No.'' In the same year, Squier embarked on a concert tour that was his first large one since the 1991 tour for ''Creatures of Habit.'' In 2004, "Everybody Wants You" was remixed with the group Fischerspooner's song "Emerge" and included on the ''
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy ''Queer Eye'' is an American reality television series that premiered on the cable television network Bravo in July 2003. Originally ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'', the title was later shortened to broaden the overall scope. The series was cre ...
'' soundtrack. In 2006, Squier joined
Richard Marx Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963) is an American adult contemporary music, adult contemporary and pop rock singer-songwriter. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Marx's Richard Marx (album), self-titled debut album went tri ...
,
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,
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, and
Sheila E Sheila Cecilia Escovedo (born December 12, 1957) better known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American percussionist and singer. She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist and singer for The George Duke Band. After leaving t ...
touring with
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band is a live rock music, rock Supergroup (music), supergroup founded in 1989 with shifting personnel, led by former The Beatles, Beatles drummer and vocalist Ringo Starr. History and description Since 1989, Starr h ...
. A documentary of the tour, including a full-length concert performance, was subsequently made available on DVD. In 2007, Squier appeared at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with
Ronnie Spector Veronica Yvette Greenfield (; August 10, 1943 – January 12, 2022) was an American singer who co-founded and fronted the girl group The Ronettes. She is sometimes referred to as the original "bad girl of rock and roll". Ronnie formed the ...
,
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,
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,
Dr. Hook Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (shortened to Dr. Hook in 1975) is an American rock band, formed in Union City, New Jersey. The band had commercial success in the 1970s with hit singles "Sylvia's Mother", " The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'" (both 1972) ...
, and
Tom Cochrane Thomas William Cochrane ( ; born May 14, 1953) is a Canadian musician best known as the frontman for the rock band Red Rider and for his work as a solo singer-songwriter. Cochrane has won eight Juno Awards. He is a member of the Canadian Music ...
. In 2008, Squier joined
Colin Hay Colin James Hay (born 29 June 1953) is a Scottish-Australian musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and the sole continuous member of the band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist. Hay's music ha ...
, Edgar Winter,
Gary Wright Gary Malcolm Wright (born April 26, 1943) is an American musician and composer best known for his 1976 hit songs " Dream Weaver" and " Love Is Alive", and for his role in helping establish the synthesizer as a leading instrument in rock and po ...
, Hamish Stuart, and
Gregg Bissonette Gregg Bissonette (born June 9, 1959) is an American jazz and rock drummer and vocalist. He is the brother of bassist Matt Bissonette, with whom he frequently collaborates. He has played on albums by dozens of recording artists, including David ...
touring with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. In 2009, Squier launched a nationwide summer/fall tour with a band that included drummer Nir Z, guitarist Marc Copely, long-time bassist Mark Clarke, and keyboard player Alan St. Jon. Squier played a special acoustic show at B.B. King's in New York on November 30, 2005. Highlights of the show were acoustic versions of "Everybody Wants You," "Nobody Knows," "Learn How to Live," "Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You," and most of the Happy Blue project. VH1 Classic and New York hard rock radio icon Eddie Trunk introduced Squier that night as "one of the greatest singer/songwriters in the history of rock." In May 2010, Squier was part of the Boston Legends Tribute to
James Cotton James Henry Cotton (July 1, 1935 – March 16, 2017) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many fellow blues artists and with his own band. He also played drums early in his career. ...
including
Magic Dick Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
(
J. Geils Band ''J. The Jewish News of Northern California'', formerly known as ''Jweekly'', is a weekly print newspaper in Northern California, with its online edition updated daily. It is owned and operated by San Francisco Jewish Community Publications In ...
), the James Montgomery Band,
Jon Butcher Jon Butcher (born May 5, 1955) is an American rock, blues songwriter, guitarist and freelance multimedia producer. Early life Jon A. Toombs, is the elder son of Joan Butts and John A Toombs Sr. In 1967, Jon's stepfather William Butcher move ...
,
Sib Hashian John Thomas "Sib" Hashian (August 17, 1949 – March 22, 2017) was an American musician, best known as a drummer for the rock band Boston. Career Boston Hashian was chosen by Boston founder and band leader Tom Scholz in 1975 to replace origina ...
(
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),
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(
Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...
), the Uptown Horns, and James Cotton. Squier accepted Cotton's invitation in June to join him at the "James Cotton's Blues Summit" at
Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...
in NYC, along with the legendary
Pinetop Perkins Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins (July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011) was an American blues pianist. He played with some of the most influential blues and rock-and-roll performers of his time and received numerous honors, including a Grammy Life ...
,
Hubert Sumlin Hubert Charles Sumlin (November 16, 1931 – December 4, 2011) was a Chicago blues guitarist and singer, best known for his "wrenched, shattering bursts of notes, sudden cliff-hanger silences and daring rhythmic suspensions" as a member of Howlin ...
(
Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Over a four-decade care ...
's band),
Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...
, and many more. In November, Squier appeared at the
Iridium Iridium is a chemical element with the symbol Ir and atomic number 77. A very hard, brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum group, it is considered the second-densest naturally occurring metal (after osmium) with a density of ...
in New York and played a double set that night, "Blues Deluxe," that showcased songs from his blues upbringing and new versions of several of his hits. Shout! Factory released '' Don't Say No: 30th Anniversary Edition'' on July 27, 2010, marking the first time that this album had been remastered in over 20 years. It was released in collaboration with Squier, who provided two live bonus cuts from his personal collection. Also in that same year, all his albums except '' Tell the Truth'' and '' Happy Blue'', became available on digital and streaming. Later on, ''Tell the Truth'' joined in 2014 and '' Happy Blue'' in 2020. In October 2011, Squier performed at the third annual "Right to Rock" Celebration at the Edison Ballroom in New York (including
Steven van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin ...
and
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
) in support of the Little Kids Rock charity and performed "Lonely Is The Night" with a group of Jersey City students. In May 2012, Squier joined the Li'l Band O' Gold for several shows at the New Orleans Jazzfest. During Memorial Day weekend, Squier made a surprise appearance at the John Varvatos store in Easthampton, NY in support of his friend, rock photographer Rob Shanahan and his new book, "Volume One." In June, Squier performed at the "Industrial Hedgefund Awards Dinner" in New York, in another fundraising effort for ' Little Kids Rock.' In September, Squier appeared as a guest during the set of the James Montgomery Band at the Westport Blues Festival. In December, Squier headlined a fund-raising concert for "The American Revolution," a documentary on legendary rock FM station WBCN at the House Of Blues in Boston. In the summer of 2013, Squier performed his 'Electric Man' show at the Patchogue Music Festival on Long Island. In November, he played the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans. The Stooges, a local brass band (not to be confused with
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
's band), joined Squier on "The Stroke." At the same time,
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
released ' Berzerk' which makes use of various samples from "The Stroke." Later, on his 2014 effort, "
Shady XV ''Shady XV'' (stylized as ''SHADYXV'') is a hip hop compilation album performed by various artists of Shady Records. The double disc album was released on November 24, 2014, by Shady Records and Interscope Records. The album was released in honor ...
," he sampled "
My Kinda Lover "My Kinda Lover" is a rock song written and performed by American hard rock singer and guitarist Billy Squier. It was the third and final single released from his Triple Platinum 1981 album '' Don't Say No'', following " In the Dark". It peaked a ...
." In September 2014, Squier took his 'Electric Man' show to the 9th Jack Show in Anaheim, California.


Personal life

In 2002, Squier married Nicole Schoen, a German professional soccer player. They divided their time between a home in
Bridgehampton Bridgehampton is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the South Fork, Suffolk County, New York, South Fork of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 1,7 ...
,
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
and an apartment in
The San Remo The San Remo is a cooperative apartment building at 145 and 146 Central Park West, between 74th and 75th Streets, adjacent to Central Park on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was constructed from 1929 to 1930 and was desi ...
on
Central Park West Eighth Avenue is a major north–south avenue on the west side of Manhattan in New York City, carrying northbound traffic below 59th Street. It is one of the original avenues of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 to run the length of Manhattan, ...
in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Squier had been, as of 2016, an active volunteer for the
Central Park Conservancy The Central Park Conservancy is a private, nonprofit park conservancy that manages Central Park under a contract with the City of New York and NYC Parks. The conservancy employs most maintenance and operations staff in the park. It effectivel ...
for more than 17 years, physically maintaining of the park, as well as promoting the Conservancy in articles and interviews. He also supported the Group for the East End and its native planting programs on eastern Long Island. In 1985, Squier hired a helicopter from the Prince of
Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
and offered $10,000 in cash to two helicopter pilots to land him on the summit of
Mount Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...
. They turned him down, saying that it was too dangerous.Webster, Ed. ''Snow in the Kingdom''. Mountain Imagery, 2000, p.97.


Discography


Studio albums

*''
The Tale of the Tape ''The Tale of the Tape'' is the debut studio album by American rock musician Billy Squier. It was his first solo album, following two albums with the band Piper. Despite not being a huge success, the disc spent three months on '' Billboard''s al ...
'' (1980) *'' Don't Say No'' (1981) *''
Emotions in Motion ''Emotions in Motion'' is the third studio album by American rock musician Billy Squier. It was released on July 23, 1982, and was Squier's second consecutive Top Five disc on the '' Billboard'' album chart. It contains the hit song "Everybody ...
'' (1982) *'' Signs of Life'' (1984) *'' Enough Is Enough'' (1986) *'' Hear & Now'' (1989) *'' Creatures of Habit'' (1991) *'' Tell the Truth'' (1993) *'' Happy Blue'' (1998)


Compilation albums

* ''A Rock and Roll Christmas'' (various artists compilation) (1994) * ''16 Strokes: The Best of Billy Squier'' (1995) * ''Reach for the Sky: The Anthology'' (1996) (PolyGram) * ''Classic Masters'' (2002) * ''Absolute Hits'' (2005) * ''Essential Billy Squier'' (2011) * ''ICON'' (2013)


Live albums

* ''King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Billy Squier'' (1996) * ''Live In The Dark'' (DVD)


Non-album soundtrack contributions

*"Fast Times (The Best Years Of Our Lives)" – from the soundtrack album ''
Fast Times At Ridgemont High ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' is a 1982 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling (in her feature directorial debut), from a screenplay by Cameron Crowe, based on his 1981 book ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story' ...
'' (1982) *"On Your Own" – from the soundtrack album ''
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...
'' (1984) *"Shake Down" – from the soundtrack album ''
St. Elmo's Fire St. Elmo's fire — also called Witchfire or Witch's Fire — is a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a corona discharge from a rod-like object such as a mast, spire, chimney, or animal hornHeidorn, K., Weather Element ...
'' (1985)


References


External links


Official website

Billy Squier
at
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Squier, Billy 1950 births Living people 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American hard rock musicians American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters American rock guitarists American rock singers American rock songwriters Berklee College of Music alumni Capitol Records artists Guitarists from Massachusetts Musicians from Boston People from Wellesley, Massachusetts Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band members Singer-songwriters from Massachusetts Wellesley High School alumni