Billy Strange

All Music Guide:

Strange was a top L.A. session guitarist in the 1960s, and also worked as an arranger for Nancy Sinatra and Dean Martin (he also wrote a hit for Chubby Checker, "Limbo Rock"). He also released instrumental recordings that gave a folk-country-easy listening treatment to country, folk, and pop tunes. Strange's style, with its dextrous, rich, tone, virtuosic picking, and easy-on-the-ear arrangements, has been aptly dubbed "loungeabilly" -- roots music for those who need to ease into (or want to totally avoid) the real thing. True, it's not Bill Monroe or Bela Fleck, but as a guitarist he had an interesting, distinctive flavor.

Wikipedia:

William Everett "Billy" Strange (September 29, 1930 – February 22, 2012) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor. He was a session musician with the famed Wrecking Crew.

Early life

Billy Strange was born in Long Beach, California on Sept. 29, 1930.

Recordings and songwriting

Strange teamed up with Mac Davis to write several hit songs for Elvis Presley, including "A Little Less Conversation", the theme from Charro!, and "Memories". Strange also composed the musical soundtrack for two of Elvis' films Live a Little, Love a Little and The Trouble with Girls. He also wrote "Limbo Rock" that was recorded by Chubby Checker.

Strange recorded many cover versions of James Bond movie themes for GNP Crescendo Records and provided the instrumental backing and arrangement for Nancy Sinatra's non-soundtrack version of "You Only Live Twice" as well as Nancy and Frank Sinatra's "Somethin' Stupid". He was recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame for his pioneering contribution to the genre. Billy Strange was inducted into the Musicians Hall Of Fame & Museum.

Strange played guitar on numerous Beach Boys hits, including "Sloop John B" and the Pet Sounds album. He also played a guitar for Nancy Sinatra, Jan & Dean, The Ventures, Willie Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Wanda Jackson, Randy Newman, and Nat King Cole, among others. One of his most famous performances is on Nancy Sinatra's version of "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)".

Strange arranged and conducted all of Nancy Sinatra's Reprise albums as well as Nancy Sinatra's and Lee Hazlewood's 1972 RCA Records release, Nancy & Lee Again and their 2003 album, Nancy & Lee 3. He also arranged the 1981 Sinatra and Mel Tillis album, Mel & Nancy. He arranged and conducted for Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Duane Eddy, and Elvis Presley. One of his most famous arrangements was "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" for Nancy Sinatra. Strange also performed the vocals for Steve McQueen in Baby the Rain Must Fall.

"A Lit­tle Less Con­ver­sa­tion (Junkie XL Remix)", which he wrote with Mac Davis, was on the sound­track of both the Dream­Works ani­mated fea­ture films Shark Tale (2004) and Mega­mind (2010).

He sang his own com­po­si­tion, "The Bal­lad of Bunny and Claude", in the Mer­rie Melodies Bunny And Claude (We Rob Car­rot Patches) (1968) and The Great Carrot-Train Rob­bery (1969).

Personal life

Strange was married to singer and actress Joan O'Brien from 1954 to 1955. They had a son, Russell Glen Strange, born October 4, 1955.

He was also married to Betty Jo Conrad from 1960 to 1978. They had a daughter together, Kelly Kimberly Strange, born on November 11, 1964, and a stepson from Betty's previous marriage, Jerry Joseph Mitchell, born October 23, 1954.

While separated from Betty Jo, Strange moved from California to Tennessee to open and run a publishing firm for the Sinatra's and lived with/dated Tricia "LeAnn" King. They had a daughter, Mary "Micah" King (Strange), who was born on December 23, 1976 in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.

He was married to singer Jeanne Black in his final years.

Billy Strange died on February 22, 2012, age 81.

Selected filmography

As actor:

Soundtrack:

Selected discography