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BILL DEWEY BIOGRAPHY Bill Dewey is a singer/songwriter/musician born in the Midwest USA. He grew up working on the family farm raising corn, soybeans, hay, and Hereford cattle. However, music seemed to always be a constant in Bill's life. Dewey was especially influenced by Johnny Cash from the start. As a child, Dewey wore out several toy guitars pretending to be a singer like Cash. At the age of nine, Bill became a member of Drum and Bugle Corps of America, playing bugle. Then he graduated to cornet/trumpet, and played in several forms of school band until graduating high school. Halfway through high school however, Bill embraced the instrument he always loved the most- the guitar. He once took some lessons in second grade, but the teacher stopped offering lessons to the class before Dewey could get a good grasp on technique. Then in high school, he again took a few lessons, 'got a grasp', and it stuck. Now it was in his blood. 'For years I had been developing my voice by singing along with my Johnny Cash and Statler Brothers records, at the same time, I was learning strumming technique by 'scratching' on an old beginner's guitar in time with the records, not knowing any chords. My parents noticed this and presented me with a brand new guitar for Christmas one year, in hopes I'd take lessons again. I loved it, but I still wasn't serious about it to the extent of playing outside my own room. So I had wondered if they had wasted their money. Finally one day I decided to learn to play this thing. So I took a few lessons and learned a few chords. Even then I wasn't serious about entertaining anyone but myself really, but I loved to pick and sing.' Despite his lack of seriousness at the time, Bill was destined to pick and sing for many. Dewey met a person at a nursing facility, [his grandmother was a resident there], that person's name was Shirley Suby. The two became friends right away. 'She was stricken with polio while still a child, and confined to a wheel chair thirty years before we met. Shirley is the person who convinced me I should sing for people. We listened to tons of records together, but when she found out I could play and sing, she didn't stop talking about it until I brought my guitar. So that's where it all started. Pretty soon I was entertaining a whole room full of residents every Sunday before church. Shirley and I remained great friends. She was a wonderful person, and a great inspiration.' About this time, friends of Dewey's who had a local band invited him to guest perform at a few of their gigs. At that point, his professional career in music had begun. A year or so later he formed his own band- 'Bill Dewey and the Blazin' Broncos'. They played nearly every weekend in the regional area performing at clubs, fairs, private functions, and parades. They played as much as they could, anywhere they could. Dewey was also writing his own songs and recording demos of his material locally. He picked up more and more musical influences through out this time period. Singers and musicians like- Willie Nelson and Dwight Yoakam, to Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. Other notables include- Carl Perkins, Don Rich, Pete Anderson, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. He grew to love all types of music, from big band to hard rockers. In the field of hard driving rock and roll, KISS is the definite favorite among others. Incidentally, while all this was going on, to make a living other than being a local professional musician, Bill hired out to farmers and also worked in the grocery business. Next, the opportunity came to make his first record. A 45rpm disc consisting of two original songs: 'Well Enough Alone, and 'Just Pleasin' You'. The record was cut at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. The same starting point as many of his heroes including Johnny Cash. The 45 was sold regionally, and got some airplay. By this time Bill had changed band members a couple of times, and changed the band's name to the 'Dynammics'. They
