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Information About

Will Oldham




  Img BonniePrinceBilly3 gobeirnejpg
  Img Size <!-- Only for images smaller than 220 pixels -->
  Background solo_singer
  Birth Name William Oldham
  Alias Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
  Origin Louisville , Kentucky , US
  Genre Singer-songwriter , Folk , Country
  Years Active 1993–present
  Label Drag City
  URL wwwbonnieprincebillycom


Will Oldham, a.k.a. '''Bonnie 'Prince' Billy''' (born 24 December 1970 in Louisville, Kentucky ), is an American Singer , Songwriter , and Actor . Prior to adopting his current Moniker , he performed and recorded under various permutations of the '''Palace''' name, including Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music (1993-1997).


MUSIC

Will Oldham is known for his "do-it-yourself punk aesthetic and blunt honesty,"1 and his music has been likened to Americana , Folk , Roots , Country , Punk , and Indie Rock , although Oldham is dissatisfied with each of these labels: "I don’t think it’s roots music, though it’s definitely influenced by Western popular music."2 He has been called an "Appalachian post-punk solipsist" and is notable for "his unique voice--a fragile sort-of warble frittering around haunted melodies in the American folk or country tradition."

Producer Steve Albini commented on Oldham's approach to recording:

Will 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:

Beginning in 1998, Oldham has primarily used the moniker Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, which draws inspiration from several sources:

Oldham has explained that "the primary purpose of the pseudonym is to allow both the audience and the performer to have a relationship with the performed that is valid and unbreakable."3


Discography

See Also: Will Oldham discography





Response

Will Oldham's music has received considerable critical praise, with some of his albums even appearing on greatest albums lists, such as '' There Is No-One What Will Take Care Of You '' (1993),4 '' Viva Last Blues '' (1995),5 and '' I See A Darkness '' (1999).678


Collaborations

Will Oldham has often collaborated with other musicians on various recording projects; for example, The Continental Op with David Pajo , and the Amalgamated Sons Of Rest with Alasdair Roberts and Jason Molina .9 He also regularly works with his brothers Ned and Paul Oldham.

'' Superwolf '' was released in 2005, which was a collaborative album featuring Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (lyrics) and Matt Sweeney (music). The following year, Oldham recorded an cover album with post-rock band Tortoise entitled '' The Brave And The Bold ''.

'' (2000) included a recording of Will Oldham's "I See A Darkness" (from the Album of the same name), for which Oldham provided background vocals.

In 2007, he appeared in the new, alternative video for Kanye West 's song
".


Tributes



Covers



FILM

Will Oldham began his acting career at the age of 17, when he portrayed a teen preacher in John Sayles 's film about an Appalachian mining community, '' Matewan '' ( 1987 ). Oldham moved to Hollywood to pursue acting, and was well received, landing roles in a couple of films. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the film industry and quit in 1989.11 He has since had several minor roles in independent films, such as '' Julien Donkey-Boy '' (1999), '' Junebug '' (2005), and '' The Guatemalan Handshake '' (2006). Oldham took a lead role in '' Old Joy '', which was featured at SXSW XX and opened at New York's Film Forum on September 20, 2006. Will Oldham also played the role of a preacher in the Horse Apples special of Wondershowzen in series 2 of the show.


Filmography



REFERENCES



EXTERNAL LINKS