Billy Arr: Welcome to My Country
I was born and raised on good old Country Music in Dixon, Missouri. As I grew older, Dixon started feeling a little like Mayberry to me, so I escaped and joined the U.S Army. I served 11 plus years until I finally realized I was spending a lot more time playing music in Army Clubs than I was soldiering, and that's not a good thing for a career Sergeant.
So, I resigned from the Army and stayed in Germany, playing music for a year before returning to the States. Once back home in Missouri, I put a band together immediately and played the same club for a year and a half, then hit the road with the band, playing Indianapolis, Peoria, Kansas City, St. Louis, Timbuctu, any place that would hire us. I signed on and worked as front man for Cristy Lane in Peoria for about a year before I finally settled in Topeka, Kansas. A bass-playing army buddy and I bought two clubs there. One was a 300 seater with live music six nights a week, the other a Surf and Turf restaurant with piano bar. Early mornings, I shopped for supplies for both clubs, then tended bar most days, then the band and I played 8 til midnight. When we closed the 300 seater, then I would drive across town and play the piano bar until three a.m., close it and get ready for the next day. Nearly killed myself with those hours. We would spend Sundays rehearsing and recording my song demos.
I made my first 3 day trip to Nashville in early 1970, taking only 11 of my 300 plus songs with me. Luckily, I was able to play all 11 of those for Curly Putman, writer of many Hits, including "Divorce" and "Green, Green Grass of Home". Curly had Green Grass Music at the time and Tree Publishing Company was handling his catalog. Curly listened to all eleven, selected nine for his publishing company, called a demo session for the next day and asked me to sing the demos. We cut them in Tree's small 4 trk studio. I recall that I was nervous as a hooker in church that day. Later to become Hit Songwriters, Dave Kirby and Bobby Braddock were 2 of the musicians on the session. Braddock had already had some success as cowriter on DIVORCE with Curly.
After the session, I returned to Topeka and waited. Four weeks later Curly called to say Charlie Walker had recorded one of the songs, "Let's Go Fishin' Boys, the Girls are Biting" as his next "Single". Curly called me the night Charlie first sang it on the Opry, saying "Hey man, Run outside and turn on your car radio". I did, and heard a song of mine "live on air" for the very first time. What a Hoot! When it hit the top 20 on the charts I sold my clubs and moved lock, stock, barrel, 2 kids and wife, to Music City USA. In my mind, this songwriting stuff was gonna be easy. It took me nearly two years to get another song cut. What a huge eyeopener that was for a brash, egotistical young Missouri boy.
It was a little slow for me in Nashville at first, so I put another band together and toured the club circuit, booked by Nashville's Buddy Lee Agency. My band was called Billy Arr and The Arrsonists. While doing this, I recorded for both Rice Records and GRT. A couple of my singles did okay, chartwise. After a year on my own, I signed on as Front man/Keyboard player for Dave Dudley, acting as his Road Manager for a couple of years, then worked the same gig for Billie Jo Spears, Wayne Kemp, Dickie Lee, Del Reeves, and many others. Hell, I changed headliners so often, you'd think I couldn't keep a job back then. Actually, I just had a very low level of boredom, and moved on when I tired of their individual show repertoires.
Fortunately during this period, I got a few more songs recorded by some good folks like Mel Tillis, Faron Young, Loretta Lynn, The Wilburn Bros., The Kendalls, Freddy Hart, Mickey Gilley, Gene Watson, Bobby Lord, Bobby Lewis, Dave Dudley, Billie Jo Spears, Roy Rogers, and Minnie Uthers. Some of those that have sang on my many demo sessions include Martina, Dolly, Linda Davis, Joe Diffie, Barbara Fairchild, etal . . I treasure these songs as much as the released records. I'm also very proud of my songs that have been recorded by foreign Artists in Countries like, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Canada, Brazil, the Asian markets and South Africa.
Today, I live in Nashville with my wife, Wanda Kay. Now, with over 800 songs in my catalog, I still write, and I play some Music Row writer's nights now and again. I love to produce records, publish music, (mostly my own) and play dates both in and out of State. Wanda Kay and I were invited to the International Elvis Tribute Artist Festival in Porthcawl, Wales (England) in both 2006 and 2007. I work with a band out of Nashville called "Roadhouse" and a band out of Missouri called "The Jazzabillies" when I play west of the Mississippi. Wanda Kay's band is called "The ARRangers" Please enjoy my music while you're visiting my Page.
