Billy Squier

Billy Squier ( born May 12, 1950 in Wellesley (Massachusetts ) as William Haislip Squier ) is an American rock musician. Three of his published albums were able to place in the 1980s in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 album charts, in addition, he published several hit singles. Musically, he is assigned to the stadium rock.

Career

Squier began playing in childhood, guitar and piano. Under the influence of the music of the late 1960s, including Eric Clapton, he decided to begin a career as a musician. He first played in various bands from the area around Boston. He had with Magic Terry & The Universe, in which at the time also played Klaus Flouride His first firm commitment. He attended the Berklee College of Music and hovered steadily between Boston and New York City. This was followed by another short memberships in various bands, most recently at the Sidewinders. With them Squier recorded several albums, which were produced by Lenny Kaye. After the split of the band he founded and Piper was their singer and guitarist. The band released an album in 1976 and 1977 respectively via A & M Records, but disbanded due to lack of success in the late 1970s.

Squier decided to start a solo career, and was taken by Capitol Records. In 1980 his solo debut, "The Tale of the Tape". On the recordings had known musicians such as the guitarist Bruce Kulick ( Kiss later ) and drummer Bobby Chouinard (later Gary Moore) with. The album was only moderately successful, but contained with " You Should Be High Love" a radio hit. The commercial breakthrough came with the Squier 's 1981 album "Do not Say No", which was produced by Reinhold Mack and peaked at # 6 on the Billboard 200. The singles " The Stroke " and "In the Dark" could be placed among the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. The 1982 album "Emotions in Motion" like his predecessor placed in the top 10 of the U.S. album charts, the album cover was from Andy Warhol. Stylistically, Squier turned the album over the R'n'B to. Also the following album " Signs of Life ", produced by Jim Steinman was commercially successful. To the song "1984" steered Brian May of Queen, a guitar solo on.

The 1984 released album " Enough is Enough " did not meet the expectations of the record company in commercial terms. Likewise, the next album " Hear and Now " was a flop despite compositional aid by Desmond Child. After not let repeated with the next albums, the successes of the early 1980s, Capitol Records released in 1995, a best -of album titled " 16 Strokes" and extended the record deal not with Squier.

The so far last studio album was released in 1998 under the title "Happy Blue" with the independent label J- Bird Records. In the 2000s, several compilations and live albums released. Squier was a live musician on the 2005 and the 2008 tours of Ringo Starr, 2009, he undertook a solo tour of the United States.

Discography

• Piper (1976, A & M Records )
• Can not Wait (1977, A & M Records )

• The Tale of the Tape (1980, Capitol Records)
• Do not Say No (1981, Capitol Records)
• Emotions in Motion (1982, Capitol Records)
• Signs of Life (1984, Capitol Records)
• Enough is Enough (1986, Capitol Records)
• Hear and Now (1989, Capitol Records)
• Creatures of Habit (1991, Capitol Records)
• Tell the Truth (1993, Capitol Records)
• Happy Blue (1998, J- Bird Records )
• Do not Say No - 30th Anniversary Edition (2010, Shout Factory )