Musician of the month
This is the first in a new round of Musician of the Month features, which will profile a local singer, duo or group. To be included, you must have played at least once for a paying audience. Call Arts and Entertainment Editor Eric Robinette at (513) 705-2836 or email erobinette @coxohio.com
MILLVILLE— The Millville-based band Tattoo Billy has some tattoos, and one member is named Bill. But when some audience members ask for Billy, they’re usually talking to the wrong guy.
Tattoo Billy started around 1993 when Ed Begley and his dad Hurstel joined forces. After toying with the name Hillbilly Highway, they settled on Tattoo Billy instead. But that led to some confusion.
“Only one of us had tattoos and that was me,” Begley said. “Everybody in the audience assumed I was Billy.”
But he’s not. There is a Bill, but he’s Bill Seidholz, and he plays drums and sings. Other members of the band are Steve Hershner on keyboards, Steve Farmer on guitar, and Rodney and Hurstel Begley on rhythm guitar.
Like many bands, Tattoo Billy resists labels, even if they get “southern rock” or “country rock” thrown their way often.
Seidholz said “It’s between country and southern rock, but with a story behind the songs.”
However, Ed Begley said, “We won’t label ourselves as just one kind of band, We do whatever we write. If it comes out country, it’s country. If it comes out gospel, it’s gospel ... Music-wise we’ve gotten broader every year.”
“We try to be versatile.” Hurstel Begley said. At a recent rehearsal the band veered from one of their own original tunes to “How Soon is Now” by the Smiths.
Most recently the band’s song “Love them Outlaws” was included on a charity album called “Artists for America” compiled by a DJ out of Canada who was a fan of the band, Ed Begley said. The song is available at digital outlets, including iTunes. Proceeds from the album sales go to the late Edward Kennedy’s charity for uninsured Americans.
However, if you’re looking to see Tattoo Billy live, you’ll have to travel. Right now, the band has no shows booked in Southwest Ohio at all. They tend to play out of state; for instance, they are scheduled to play Gatlinburg, Tenn., in June. And that says something about lack of a local scene.
“What’s really hurt bands is that you’ve got all these bands that come in and play for nothing,” Ed Begley said. And in addition to that, if area bars and taverns hire live bands at all, it’s cover bands, because patrons want to hear familiar songs.
“The smoking ban killed us on tours,” Seidholz said.
Whatever the reasons, Tattoo Billy soldiers on.
“We’ll stay together, and hopefully we’ll get the lucky shot to the next level. If we can do stuff with our music to help people, that’s great,” Ed Begley said.
About the Author