Billy
My time with Billy Jones
@billyjonesbilly will forever be special to me.
In 2012 my band Murals was self releasing our EP On a Passing Cloud, a wandering effort of several years, and looking to book our first tour. My cousin
@dirtmcgirtte was living in NYC at the time and, according to Billy, wrote the most beautiful letter recommending that he book us at Pianos in Manhattan where Billy was currently talent buyer. According to Billy, the letter was so nice that he decided to give the Murals “Sonicbids” press kit a listen, something he said he rarely ever did. Over the course of a day working at Pianos with the eight track EP playing on loop, something in that shabby collection of GarageBand recorded tunes apparently clicked, and after a few days we were in talks with Billy to become our manager. He booked us 5 or 6 shows in and around NYC within the next month.
Arriving in the city I realized I knew nothing whatsoever about this person, and in my mind, I pictured some greasy crate digging slimeguy, pupils permanently dilated, with a penchant for niche booger stuck corners of psychedelic garbage. It was as much as I imagined we deserved. When we pulled the van up to the meeting place, standing on the curb I saw only pale kneecaps. I opened the sliding door to find a 6’6” ginger prince, linen clad, sock-less in leather loafers. He was pretty. (No offense to any slimeguys out there.)
Over the next few years Billy came and stayed with us in Louisville, shot an unsolicited music video, funded our second record, and had Murals playing with the likes of Mac DeMarco, Foxygen, Mild High Club, The Lemon Twigs, R. Stevie Moore, Whitney, and more. It was the dream.
For someone like him to validate what we had dreamed for years of our young lives meant everything. As a band, as individuals, he was very good to us, and while I feel like we never really did right by him, I think we enjoyed our time together. He was true patron of the arts and good friend. I’ll miss him.
Thank you Billy, I love you.