Billy Price - Pittsburgh R&B / Blues / Soul / Blue-Eyed Soul Man

Billy Price, east coast blue-eyed soul man, has been entertaining audiences for the past three decades. In his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa., he is an institution. Price's popularity isn't hard to explain. As Geoffrey Himes of the Washington Post has written, "Unlike so many blues revivalists, Price is not an imitation of older, better singers--he's the real thing."

Price formed The Billy Price Band in 1990. In addition to performing popular songs from Price's years with Buchanan and the Keystone Rhythm Band, the Billy Price Band features new interpretations of blues, R & B, and soul classics. Members of the Billy Price Band are Steve Delach (guitar), Jason Hollar (bass), Dave Dodd (drums), Jimmy Britton (keyboards), Joe Herndon (trumpet), Eric DeFade (tenor sax) and Rick Matt (baritone and tenor sax).

Billy Price first attracted national attention during his three-year association with guitarist Roy Buchanan. Price is the vocalist on two of Buchanan's LPs, That's What I'm Here For and Livestock. With Buchanan, Price toured the U.S. and Canada, playing such venues as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Newport Jazz Festival, the Roxy and the Troubadour in Los Angeles, and the Spectrum in Philadelphia. Price assembled Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band in 1977. Before their breakup in 1990, the band recorded four critically acclaimed LPs and developed a reputation as one of the most exciting touring bands in the U.S.

In April 1997, Billy Price released The Soul Collection, which featured a duet by Price and his friend and mentor Otis Clay on Clay's "That's How It Is," as well as background vocals by veteran Chicago vocalists Theresa Davis (former member of the Emotions), Robin Robinson, and Dianne Madison.

In Living Blues (September/October 1997), Bill Dahl called The Soul Collection "an inspired stroll through the glorious history of soul music [invested with] uncommon passion and authenticity." In the April 25, 1997 edition of the Washington Post, Mike Joyce called The Soul Collection "an R & B homage full of revealing and compelling performances...Price is a terrifically expressive soul singer," says Joyce, "one who conveys both the pain and the pleasure in these choice songs."

Can I Change My Mind on Green Dolphin Records was produced in Los Angeles by Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams, who has also produced artists such as Z.Z. Hill, Doris Duke, Irma Thomas, Solomon Burke, Patti LaBelle, Lionel Ritchie, and others. Since its release in December 1999, Can I Change My Mind has received critical acclaim from publications throughout the world: A sure-fire winner! (Ray Ellis, Juke Blues) ...will please all fans of modern soul and soul blues (Peter R. Aschoff, Living Blues) ...the most imaginative and entertaining record in Billy Price's 30-year musical career (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Price's expressive abilities define the term "deep soul" (Pittsburgh City Paper).Here is more information about Can I Change My Mind. For articles about Billy Price and more reviews, see our articles and reviews page.

Billy Price released a double CD, Sworn Testimony: The Billy Price Band Live, in July 2002.

In July 2003, the Billy Price Band gave a critically acclaimed performance at the Belgium Rhythm & Blues Festival in Billy Price's first-ever appearance in Europe. A DVD of the concert, entitled Funky...Funky Soul!!! was released in late 2003.

Billy Price's next recording (June 2006) was East End Avenue on Bonedog Records, featuring the Billy Price Band on a set of 13 original new songs, including five songs co-written by Price with Jon Tiven.

In November 2007, Billy toured France with Fred Chapellier (MySpace). Billy sings "A Nickel and a Nail" on Chapellier's CD, A Tribute to Roy Buchanan, and Price, the Billy Price Band, and Chapellier collaborated on Night Work, released in March 2009 on DixieFrog Records and featuring a cameo lead vocal from Otis Clay on Al Green's "Love and Happiness." In Blues Revue (Oct/Nov 2009), Hal Horowitz wrote, "Price is a terrific vocalist who deserves to be a bigger star," and called Night Work "a thrilling collaboration that...should delight lovers of soul or blues." Live on Stage, a CD and DVD of Price's 2009 tour in France with Chapellier and his band, was released in May 2010.

Billy Price, whose real name is Bill Pollak, lives in Pittsburgh and works at the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute as a marketing manager. See Bill Pollak's archived page of soul articles.

For more--much more--information, see this in-depth interview with Billy Price.