Will Ivy

Will has been honored in 2009 as a member of 3 Balls of Fire for Best Instrumental Album of the Year at the Austin Music Awards! These days perennial popster Will Ivy performs with Tex-Pop quintet FREDDIE STEADY 5. Will picked up the guitar at age 9 and played his first gig at 15. Formally trained in voice and piano, his first original group was a power trio called C.O.D., which Will disbanded in 1975 to move to New York City. There he auditioned and was hired by Piper(using the stage name Alan Nolan), whose lead singer/writer was Billy Squier, then managed by Bill Aucoin who also managed Kiss and later Billy Idol. Piper released two albums for A&M Records and toured with 70s acts such as Kiss, Blue Oyster Cult, ZZ Top, ELO, the Babys, Angel, Starz, and the Runaways. Will left Piper in 1978 and formed the legendary pop punk trio Smart Pills. From there he moved to Los Angeles, gigging with the Smart Pills(using the stage name Git Smart) and signing a publishing deal that led to his song "No Pictures of Dad" being used on an episode of short-lived tv sitcom starring Sarah Jessica Parker "Square Pegs"(as recorded and performed by Josie Cotton). Will's songs have also been recorded by Todd Newman of the Leatherwoods and Tim O'Reagan of the Jayhawks. Returning to Kansas in 1984(Will received his BA in Media Studies in 1989), Will began gigging in the local bars under the name Alan Oliver, still writing songs and playing either with his trio or solo acoustic. He continued until his move to Austin in September 2001. Since then Will has played honkytonk, surf, jazz, soul, funk, hillbilly and blues with various Austin bands.