Bill Perry

1957 - 2007

Bill was born in the upstate town of Chester, New York and grew up in a music-filled household. His grandmother played organ in the church, but a young Perry was attracted to his father's Jimmy Smith albums, which featured guitarist Kenny Burrell. Perry began playing guitar at age six and played in his first talent show at 13. By high school, he led bands as vocalist and lead guitarist before graduation. After graduating, he lived in California and Colorado, all the while honing his distinctive guitar playing. He moved back to upstate New York in the 1980s. Perry toured with the Band's Garth Hudson and Levon Helm and all that traveling spurred him on to form his own band, and he did in the early '90s. Perry's style could best be characterized as hard-driving blues for the 1990s. He released his first album for Pointblank, Love Scars in 1996. He followed it up with the more polished Greycourtlightning in 1998. Neither album did much box office and Perry was let go by Pointblank. His next release was 1999's live album, High Octane, recorded at New York nightclub ~Manny's Car Wash. Perry then hooked up with indie blues label Blind Pig and issued Fire It Up in 2001. The album featured Conan O'Brien's bandleader Jimmy Vivino and offers proof of Bill Perry's still vital talent. It was with deep sadness and sorrow that this gifted artist passes away on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 at the age of forty-nine. Bill had been swimming at the home of a friend in Sugar Loaf, NY when his great heart stopped beating. He will be missed.