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About Billy Ray Deiz
BILLY RAY DEIZ…ARTIST BIO
Called the "Prince of Pop" Billy Ray has been singing and performing since his teens. Before the Michael Jackson era Billy was a founding member of the Seven Souls, one of L-A's stellar soul bands of the 60's and 70's and the launching pad for Bob Welch who went on to fame with Fleetwood Mac.
We are delighted to be here and thank you all for your support and for the gr
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Our hits are still going strong in Oregon, with several of our songs still in the top 10 for POP, and we stand at #1 for POP in Oregon. We are still #7 for POP in the United States and all this as more and more folks discover our songs and like them! Thank you! We have cut back on our song promotions, so folks are discovering them on their own, and also telling their friends!
Because of Covid, we have been unable to do any studio recording since 2019, and we do have a wonderful music project in the works--an audio book with music, about the life and times of Jesus, as seen through the eyes of one of his earliest disciples--a teen.
I was getting ready to record it with the music when the virus hit full force. Prayers we all survive this and can resume our regular lives. Meantime, as we hunker down, please enjoy our tunes here for free! Or you can purchase many of our MP3s on Apple, Amazon and CD Baby, for only 99 cents each.
Cheers!
Hello Friends:
Many of you have been asking for new material and today I have a treat for you. People of Faith know that celebrations of Holy Week are going on around the world, leading to Easter Sunday. Most of us are hunkered down, isolating ourselves as a worldwide pandemic rages. What better time to introduce a song about faith?
In my last newsletter, I mentioned my musical about the life and times of Jesus. Gimme Cracked Corn, which many of you have already discovered and liked--we keep getting many, many plays of this original song recorded in Nashville---is one of the songs from this original musical. Today, as a special treat, I am introducing another tune from the musical, Keep the Faith.
This is the song that begins Act II, after the horror of the crucifixion when the disciples are bewildered and frightened, and wonder what will happen next. Early on the first Easter morning, an Angel of the Lord appears to the disciples and sings to them as they sleep. He is the first to foretell the magic of that Easter morning, as he sings to them: Keep the Faith. Britt Savage in Nashville added her backing vocals to my vocal, to give it a gospel feel. I hope and trust you will like this song, and that it will remind us how we should always trust in God, and Keep the Faith!
Peace!
Keep the Faith04:06
In these tough times, music is a much needed tonic. So glad so many of you have discovered our songs and are adding them to your playlists. Thank you for being part of our musical journey!
We have had more than 2-million profile views, and more than 1-million, 600,000 song plays here. Glad you are liking Gimme Cracked Corn, our song about the second coming of Jesus....and our rocker, Daddy's Comin' Home with that great guitar solo by George Marinelli of the Bonnie Raitt band, recorded in Nashville.
We have over 3,000 subscribers now and I hope you will catch us on Spotify, SoundCloud and check out my Facebook page. Once this storm is over, we plan to be back in the studio, recording some new tunes!
And our musical about the life and times of Jesus Christ is taking on a life of its own with a commitment to stage it this November! We will keep you posted, and yes, Gimme Cracked Corn is a major song in the production!
Cheers!
Another milestone reached here on link! Over one million, five hundred thousand song plays and our best-ever chart positions this past week with #1 for POP in the US and #2 Globally! Thank you, thank you for your enthusiasm and your support as we continue to move our music into the mainstream!
Our Country song, WORKIN', chosen for the BWH Music Group's Compilation Album, Keepin' it Country....continues to get great fan support and still tops the Country chart in Oregon. And it charts high nationally on the Country chart as well. Also note the high chart position for Acoustic for our acoustic version of the Paul Simon classic, Bridge Over Troubled Water.
If you haven't yet sampled our music, please do so, and tell your friends! If you like it, please purchase from Amazon, or iTunes or CD Baby.
And thank you again for being a part of our musical journey!
Cheers!
A great review in Indie Spoonful, and national airplay on Indie Radio for our song Workin' which continues to chart high in Oregon on link! Here is the review:
By Sylvie Marie:
BWH Music Group’s Keepin' It Country, Vol. One, by Various Artists, contains an eclectic mix of 17 songs by today's best independent Country artists and songwriters. With great storytelling and heart-felt performances at the core of each song, the album spans traditional and contemporary Country music. Off the compilation, Billy Ray Deiz' song "Workin" is a song for our times.
A deep bass, drums and strumming acoustic guitar set the stage for Billy Ray Deiz’ song “Workin’. The social justice song sings the battle cry for working men and women with a strong folk-rock flavor recalling the great protests songs and freedom writers of the 60’s. Billy Ray commences the first verse with “On the road again, my American dream is fadin.' His voice is larger than life, warm and inviting. He sings with great passion and expression giving the song tremendous vibrancy.
Musically the song is highly melodic. The catchy chorus has a great hook that folks can join in and sing along. “Cause I'm workin', morning, noon and night Workin' trying to make it right Workin' for my company Workin' so my kids can eat.” Tasteful guitar leads pick up the melodic lines and soar with emotion.
With lyrics that too many can fully relate to, “Workin" covers today’s troubled balance of power and wealth through the story of an American truck driver who is missing his kids grow up and working overtime just so his family can eat. Billy's lyrics paint a vivid, heart-moving picture that you won't soon forget. Billy is a great story-teller and, at the heart of his song-writing, the small details stop you in your tracks and make you think. “Missy's braces broke, while my engine smoked, north of Fresno. Sally's holdin' on, while I drive this to link.” You can just picture a father driving across country, working as many hours as he can, and wondering how he will pay for his daughter's braces. The song ends with Billy saying, “Dam...missed Christmas again.” The price paid by today's working man/woman is more than material; it is not being able to spend, even one special day a year, with your family.
Please take a moment to watch the stirring video of "Workin."
“Workin’” is a song that is long over-due. Billy Rae Deiz has introduced a song into the American social justice songbook that is timeless, heart-felt, and important. “Workin’” has guts, heart and soul and it’s delivered with passion and purpose.
Albums
Songs
- 04:06
- 04:56
- 03:31
- 03:38
- 04:27
- 03:41
About Billy Ray Deiz
BILLY RAY DEIZ…ARTIST BIO
Called the "Prince of Pop" Billy Ray has been singing and performing since his teens. Before the Michael Jackson era Billy was a founding member of the Seven Souls, one of L-A's stellar soul bands of the 60's and 70's and the launching pad for Bob Welch who went on to fame with Fleetwood Mac.
We are delighted to be here and thank you all for your support and for the great ranking we're getting for our songs and all the plays!
You can also sample our discography on our website here: link.
And also check us out on our YouTube channel here: link
So many of you are discovering our new covers of Angel from Montgomery and Bridge Over Troubled Water which are now available on Amazon Prime Music and iTunes as digital singles. A nice review and q and a from Skope Magazine here:
link
Meanwhile my Nashville-produced original, Workin' has caught the favor of many of you and it is for sale on our Freedom's Call EP on iTunes and Amazon. Please add it to your collection!
We're also starting a service for songwriters and performers: WikiTunes....head over to link and sample our page to promote YOU....for free! You supply one free download for your fans and key links and your story and we'll post it for you!
--More background on my 50 year career in the music business:
--In the summer of 1965 the Soul band that Bill Deiz helped form in his basement, The Harlequins, left Portland for Los Angeles. (Their guitar player, Bob Welch, would later find fame with Fleetwood Mac.)
--Shortly after their arrival, Bob arranged for an audition with songwriters Jay Livingston and Ray Evans while the band performed at a Los Angeles nightclub. (Among their many hits were Silver Bells, Que Sera Sera, and Tammy’s in Love).This led to the band recording demos of several new Livingston and Evans songs at Hollywood’s legendary Goldstar Studio. At this session was music publisher Larry Shayne who also shared an office with Henry Mancini in the Sunset and Vine Tower.
-Shayne immediately signed on as the band’s manager, and came up with a new name for the group: The Seven Souls. Shayne guided the band to a record contract with Loma Records, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, and he signed Gerry Perrenchio as the band’s agent. Perrenchio also represented The Righteous Brothers.
--When Bobby Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers got married later that year his wedding reception was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The Seven Souls were chosen to play at this gala event, which included a who’s who of the music industry as guests, including Dick Clark of American Bandstand fame.
--Because of the Vietnam War drummer Ron Edge and Bill, who sang and played bass with the band, were drafted and forced to leave the band just as the group was about to tour Europe. A song that Deiz co-wrote with sax player Henry Moore, “I Still Love You” has become a Northern Soul classic, very popular in the UK… It was re-released recently by Sony on a compilation album.
--As a BMI songwriter, Deiz has written and published dozens of songs. In 2006, his song Rather Have Sooner was chosen as a finalist in the Chris Austin songwriter’s competition. Deiz performed it live at Merlefest, a popular music festival in North Carolina, where it was awarded #3 in the Nation in its category.
--In 2008 his Nashville-produced song Carolina Blue was chosen as a finalist in the UK Songwriting competition where it received one of the highest scores from the judges in the country/folk category.
--In 2013 Blue Pie Records released Anthology of Blues, Vol. 2 which is now for sale worldwide including on iTunes. The label chose “Daddy’s Comin’ Home” by Deiz as the lead single on this compilation album. The Nashville-recorded tune features George Marinelli of the Bonnie Raitt Band on lead guitar with a vocal by Deiz and backing vocals by Britt Savage.
--Deiz currently is writing and recording a musical, the story of Jesus as told by two teens, a brother and a sister, who become disciples during Jesus’ time on earth. The rock musical features several new songs recorded in Nashville which showcase some of the country’s best musicians.
Troubled by the hate filled rhetoric in today’s political scene and speaking truth to power, Deiz recorded Freedom’s Song--Look Out My Window, to warn of the dangers of this country’s drift towards dictatorship. Its message is clear, fueled by the soul-stirring arrangement featuring Hammond B-3 and Fender guitars and a horn part that makes you move. Our Freedom’s Call EP features some of my best tunes and showcases Freedom’s Song.
Plays Today: 114
Total Plays: 1,711,702
Profile Views: 2,175,363
Billy Ray Deiz has no Merchandise yet.
Our hits are still going strong in Oregon, with several of our songs still in the top 10 for POP, and we stand at #1 for POP in Oregon. We are still #7 for POP in the United States and all this as more and more folks discover our songs and like them! Thank you! We have cut back on our song promotions, so folks are discovering them on their own, and also telling their friends!
Because of Covid, we have been unable to do any studio recording since 2019, and we do have a wonderful music project in the works--an audio book with music, about the life and times of Jesus, as seen through the eyes of one of his earliest disciples--a teen.
I was getting ready to record it with the music when the virus hit full force. Prayers we all survive this and can resume our regular lives. Meantime, as we hunker down, please enjoy our tunes here for free! Or you can purchase many of our MP3s on Apple, Amazon and CD Baby, for only 99 cents each.
Cheers!
Hello Friends:
Many of you have been asking for new material and today I have a treat for you. People of Faith know that celebrations of Holy Week are going on around the world, leading to Easter Sunday. Most of us are hunkered down, isolating ourselves as a worldwide pandemic rages. What better time to introduce a song about faith?
In my last newsletter, I mentioned my musical about the life and times of Jesus. Gimme Cracked Corn, which many of you have already discovered and liked--we keep getting many, many plays of this original song recorded in Nashville---is one of the songs from this original musical. Today, as a special treat, I am introducing another tune from the musical, Keep the Faith.
This is the song that begins Act II, after the horror of the crucifixion when the disciples are bewildered and frightened, and wonder what will happen next. Early on the first Easter morning, an Angel of the Lord appears to the disciples and sings to them as they sleep. He is the first to foretell the magic of that Easter morning, as he sings to them: Keep the Faith. Britt Savage in Nashville added her backing vocals to my vocal, to give it a gospel feel. I hope and trust you will like this song, and that it will remind us how we should always trust in God, and Keep the Faith!
Peace!
Keep the Faith04:06
In these tough times, music is a much needed tonic. So glad so many of you have discovered our songs and are adding them to your playlists. Thank you for being part of our musical journey!
We have had more than 2-million profile views, and more than 1-million, 600,000 song plays here. Glad you are liking Gimme Cracked Corn, our song about the second coming of Jesus....and our rocker, Daddy's Comin' Home with that great guitar solo by George Marinelli of the Bonnie Raitt band, recorded in Nashville.
We have over 3,000 subscribers now and I hope you will catch us on Spotify, SoundCloud and check out my Facebook page. Once this storm is over, we plan to be back in the studio, recording some new tunes!
And our musical about the life and times of Jesus Christ is taking on a life of its own with a commitment to stage it this November! We will keep you posted, and yes, Gimme Cracked Corn is a major song in the production!
Cheers!
Another milestone reached here on link! Over one million, five hundred thousand song plays and our best-ever chart positions this past week with #1 for POP in the US and #2 Globally! Thank you, thank you for your enthusiasm and your support as we continue to move our music into the mainstream!
Our Country song, WORKIN', chosen for the BWH Music Group's Compilation Album, Keepin' it Country....continues to get great fan support and still tops the Country chart in Oregon. And it charts high nationally on the Country chart as well. Also note the high chart position for Acoustic for our acoustic version of the Paul Simon classic, Bridge Over Troubled Water.
If you haven't yet sampled our music, please do so, and tell your friends! If you like it, please purchase from Amazon, or iTunes or CD Baby.
And thank you again for being a part of our musical journey!
Cheers!
A great review in Indie Spoonful, and national airplay on Indie Radio for our song Workin' which continues to chart high in Oregon on link! Here is the review:
By Sylvie Marie:
BWH Music Group’s Keepin' It Country, Vol. One, by Various Artists, contains an eclectic mix of 17 songs by today's best independent Country artists and songwriters. With great storytelling and heart-felt performances at the core of each song, the album spans traditional and contemporary Country music. Off the compilation, Billy Ray Deiz' song "Workin" is a song for our times.
A deep bass, drums and strumming acoustic guitar set the stage for Billy Ray Deiz’ song “Workin’. The social justice song sings the battle cry for working men and women with a strong folk-rock flavor recalling the great protests songs and freedom writers of the 60’s. Billy Ray commences the first verse with “On the road again, my American dream is fadin.' His voice is larger than life, warm and inviting. He sings with great passion and expression giving the song tremendous vibrancy.
Musically the song is highly melodic. The catchy chorus has a great hook that folks can join in and sing along. “Cause I'm workin', morning, noon and night Workin' trying to make it right Workin' for my company Workin' so my kids can eat.” Tasteful guitar leads pick up the melodic lines and soar with emotion.
With lyrics that too many can fully relate to, “Workin" covers today’s troubled balance of power and wealth through the story of an American truck driver who is missing his kids grow up and working overtime just so his family can eat. Billy's lyrics paint a vivid, heart-moving picture that you won't soon forget. Billy is a great story-teller and, at the heart of his song-writing, the small details stop you in your tracks and make you think. “Missy's braces broke, while my engine smoked, north of Fresno. Sally's holdin' on, while I drive this to link.” You can just picture a father driving across country, working as many hours as he can, and wondering how he will pay for his daughter's braces. The song ends with Billy saying, “Dam...missed Christmas again.” The price paid by today's working man/woman is more than material; it is not being able to spend, even one special day a year, with your family.
Please take a moment to watch the stirring video of "Workin."
“Workin’” is a song that is long over-due. Billy Rae Deiz has introduced a song into the American social justice songbook that is timeless, heart-felt, and important. “Workin’” has guts, heart and soul and it’s delivered with passion and purpose.
Billy Ray Deiz has no Events yet.
