Billy Cross

Billy Cross (born in Manhattan, New York on July 15, 1946) is an American guitarist, singer and producer who has lived in Denmark since 1980. He has been part of the Danish bands Delta Cross Band, Cross-Schack-Ostermann and Everybody's Talking.

This article is about American musician and producer in Denmark. For American football player, see Billy Cross (American football).

Billy Cross
Born (1946-07-15) July 15, 1946
Manhattan, New York
GenresRock, Blues
Occupation(s)Record producer, musician, songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
Years active1960–present
Associated actsStu Daye Band, Delta Cross Band, Cross-Schack-Ostermann, Everybody's Talking, Bob Dylan, C.V. Jørgensen
Websitebillycross.comlink is dead

Career

Billy Cross graduated from Columbia College, the undergraduate liberal arts college of Columbia University in 1968.[1][2]

Billy Cross started as a professional musician in the United States in 1960 as a studio musician and helped produce many albums. He played briefly with the 1950s nostalgia act Sha Na Na and played guitar in the Broadway show of Hair. He became the musical director of the National touring company of Hair in 1972. Cross also played in Jim Rado's after Hair show, Rainbow in NYC. He played guitar on Jobriath's two albums and was a member of his live band. He first visited Denmark in 1974, giving concerts in Copenhagen and subsequently returned there often, although he worked with Bob Dylan and Meat Loaf at the time. Billy Cross was a member of Dylan's band from late 1977 to the spring of 1979 and took part in recording the live LP by Dylan, Bob Dylan at Budokan, in 1978, and the studio LP Street-Legal. He was also a member of the New York based trio Topaz that released one LP in USA in 1977. He also played guitar on Robert Gordon/Link Wray's first two albums, "Robert Gordon & Link Wray" and "Fresh Fish Special". He also played on Link's album "Bullshot".

In 1979, Billy Cross recorded the album No Overdubs with the Danish blues/rock band Delta Blues Band of which he became a regular member, with the band name slightly changed to Delta Cross Band to welcome him. With Delta Cross Band, Billy Cross released four more albums: Rave On (1979), Up Front (1981), "Astro Kid" (1982) and Tough Times (1990). The greatest hits CD "Dirty Trax" was released some time later.

In 1980, Billy Cross produced Danish rock singer C.V. Jørgensen's Tidens tern, while also playing guitar and co-writing the music on the recording. He simultaneously remained committed to Delta Cross Band, who had slowed their activities down considerably after 1983, with fewer concerts.

In 1983, he wrote "Take Me Back" for Bonnie Tyler's comeback album Faster Than the Speed of Night.

1986 - "Billy Cross" - Solo Album

Billy Cross also followed a solo career and an album, although he remained better known as a producer and a studio musician. In this capacity, he produced works by Anne Dorte Michelsen, C.V. Jørgensen, Björn Afzelius, Allan Olsen, Henning Stærk, Søs Fenger, Henrik Strube, Jørn Hoel, Pretty Maids, Johnny Madsen, Lars Lilholt and the Danish band Dalton made up of Lilholt, Madsen and Olsen.[3] In recent years, he has been part of the trios Cross-Schack-Ostermann and Everybody's Talking. Everybody's Talking released four CD's: "Everybody's Talking", "Talk of the Town", "Louisiana", "Now We're Talking" between 2003 and 2010. In 2017 they released "We Need to Talk".

In 2004, he released his second solo album Life Is Good, followed by another album So Far So Good, released in 2009. He came back with his album The Dream Hasn't Changed in 2012. In 2015 he released his fifth solo LP, "Goodbye to the 60s".

Billy Cross has written two books, the American cook book "Mit amerikanske køkken" (2001) and a book of memoirs "Så langt så godt – et liv med rock" (2010), both in Danish.[4]

Bibliography
  • Mit amerikanske køkken, cook book (2001)
  • Så langt så godt – et liv med rock, memoirs (2010)

Discography

Albums
Year Song Peak Certification
DK
1986 Billy Cross  –
2004 Life Is Good  –
2009 So Far So Good  –
2009 The Dream Hasn't Changed 15
2015 Goodbye to the Sixties  –
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References
  1. "Billy Cross (2)". Discogs. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  2. Columbia College Today. Columbia University Libraries. New York: Columbia College, Office of Alumni Affairs and Development. 1989. p. 31.CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. DanskMusik: Billy Cross Band Archived June 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (in Danish)
  4. Billy Cross (October 25, 2001). "Mit Amerikanske Køkken". Aschehoug. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
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