Bill Deasy
Encyclopedia
Bill Deasy is a singer-songwriter
, recording artist and author
born and raised in Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
. In the late 1980s Deasy's musical start blossomed at open stages in and around Pittsburgh. Within a few years Deasy and his band, Shiloh, outscored Rusted Root
to win the 1991 Graffiti Rock Challenge, a local Pittsburgh competition. By the mid-90s, with Shiloh defunct, a new group emerged and Deasy became the lead singer-songwriter
of The Gathering Field
, whose regional hit "Lost in America
", from an album by the same name, led to a deal with Atlantic Records
in 1996. After parting ways with Atlantic, The Gathering Field released three more albums: Reliance, the self-titled The Gathering Field and So Close To Home. During that time Deasy also released a semi-acoustic solo album, Spring Lies Waiting. The Gathering Field
eventually disbanded but Deasy continues to record and perform as mostly a solo act.
Good Day No Rain
followed as Deasy's first official release as a solo artist on his own Bound To Be Records label. Four of the songs on the CD were produced by Gregg Wattenberg
and the balance co-produced by Deasy and Dave McNair.
Chasing Down a Spark
is the follow-up to the 2003 release Good Day No Rain. The CD was produced by Kevin Salem and mixed by Joe Blaney. The majority of the new CD was recorded in Woodstock and New York City
and features stellar guitar work from The Clarks
’ Rob James and producer Kevin Salem. Two members of Deasy’s Pittsburgh-based band, Scott Tamulinas and Dave Throckmorton
provide bass and drums, respectively. Rounding out the equation is a host of New York City
session players like Rob Arthur on keyboards, Oli Kraus on cello and David Mansfield
on pedal steel and violin. The CD also features guest appearances by such Pittsburgh notables as Donnie Iris
and The Clarks’ Scott Blasey as well as recording artists Rachael Yamagata
and Maia Sharp
.
The Miles is the first self-produced effort by Bill Deasy and was released in July 2007. The CD was recorded entirely in the artist's hometown of Pittsburgh and features members of the Bill Deasy band and some of Steel Town's finest musicians, as well as a guest appearance by Los Angeles singer-songwriter Renee Stahl.
Drain Tapes, Volume 1 is a 7-song EP containing acoustic demos of songs not previously recorded. The title of the EP was inspired by noises occasionally heard in the background. Songs include “Better Than Never at All,” “Somebody Else’s Town” and “The Light I See.”
In 2003 Bill Deasy wrote "Learning to Fall" with Odie Blackmon, a song that was recorded by Martina McBride
for her album Martina, which sold over one million copies.
In September, 2007 Deasy wrote and performed "Your Home" for Pittsburgh
TV Station, KDKA
.The song is being used for several radio promotions.
In November 2008 Deasy released A Different Kind of Wild, a collection of "heartfelt and earnest" songs that include Deasy playing keyboard for the first time. The collection of ten songs is another "thoughtful and intimate" record on which Deasy penned nine of the ten songs without collaboration.
One year later, Deasy released his sixth full-length solo CD Being Normal. One review of the CD states: "The full-band instrumentation on Being Normal is flavorful without being overbearing."
, Molly Bancroft and Teitur
. However, Deasy collaborates more frequently when he is writing for artists other than himself. Some of these songs have appeared on albums by Martina McBride
, Kim Richey
, The Clarks
, Bijou Phillips
, Howard Jones
, Billy Ray Cyrus
and Michael Stanley
. He has written with songwriters such as Mark Hudson, Darrell Brown
, Richie Supa, Stephen Bishop
, Maia Sharp
, Kim Richey
, Jane Wiedlin
and Jamie Houston.
One collaboration in particular achieved some notoriety. In 2001, during a trip to Nasville, Deasy and Larry Gottlieb
wrote a song called "Good Things are Happening". A demo of the song was submitted to the television show Good Morning America
and was selected to appear as part of a promotional campaign. The 10-week campaign was extended for four years and the song became known as the Good Morning America theme song. In September 2002 a reader of Parade Magazine
who asked "Who's the gorgeous guy who sings the Good Morning America theme song?" had her questioned answered in the Sunday magazine alongside a picture of Deasy as he appeared in the promo. Deasy stated that it was surreal being thought of as a heartthrob.
One rather substantial collaboration began in early 2007 when Deasy joined creative forces with Rick Jacques, formerly a guitarist in the Pittsburgh band Brownie Mary. Jacques had relocated to Los Angeles and had achieved some success with song placements in movies and on television. Within a few months Deasy and Jacques had co-written a handful of songs. Continuing their collaboration, the end result was a “shimmering studio product” titled The Invisible Ocean released in early 2008. The duo chose to release the CD under the name Thomas Jefferson’s Aeroplane which, Deasy says, was sparked by a discussion about the book The Disappearance of the Universe
which stated that Thomas Jefferson had his own version of the bible.
, was published to in August 2006 by Velluminous Press. The novel was the recipient of the 2006 Needle Award. One reviewer said, "There's no shortage of coming-of-age novels, so any addition to the genre best have something unique about it. Bill Deasy's debut, Ransom Seaborn, has an original premise, one amazingly eccentric character and some solid writing to recommend."
Velluminous published Deasy's second novel, Traveling Clothes, in October 2009.
. The salon was located on the second floor, hence the beginning line: "I was baptized by Levi in a second floor sink". He finished composing the bulk of the song on a subway back downtown.
- Deasy tours across the country as a headlining act but has also opened up for artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Rosanne Cash
, Patty Griffin
, John Hiatt
, World Party
, Norah Jones
and the late Warren Zevon
.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, recording artist and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
born and raised in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. In the late 1980s Deasy's musical start blossomed at open stages in and around Pittsburgh. Within a few years Deasy and his band, Shiloh, outscored Rusted Root
Rusted Root
Rusted Root is a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania known for their unique fusion of acoustic, rock, world and other styles of music, with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, Native American, and Indian influences...
to win the 1991 Graffiti Rock Challenge, a local Pittsburgh competition. By the mid-90s, with Shiloh defunct, a new group emerged and Deasy became the lead singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
of The Gathering Field
The Gathering Field
The Gathering Field were an American rock quartet from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who recorded five albums from 1994 until 2001 before going on an "infinite hiatus" in 2002.-Formation:...
, whose regional hit "Lost in America
Lost in America
Lost in America is a 1985 comedy film directed by Albert Brooks that was co-written by Brooks with Monica McGowan Johnson. Brooks stars alongside Julie Hagerty.-Plot:...
", from an album by the same name, led to a deal with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in 1996. After parting ways with Atlantic, The Gathering Field released three more albums: Reliance, the self-titled The Gathering Field and So Close To Home. During that time Deasy also released a semi-acoustic solo album, Spring Lies Waiting. The Gathering Field
The Gathering Field
The Gathering Field were an American rock quartet from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who recorded five albums from 1994 until 2001 before going on an "infinite hiatus" in 2002.-Formation:...
eventually disbanded but Deasy continues to record and perform as mostly a solo act.
Background
Spring Lies Waiting was Deasy's first solo effort, made while The Gathering Field was still together and produced by the band's lead guitarist and producer, Dave Brown.Good Day No Rain
Good Day No Rain
Good Day No Rain is the second solo CD by recording artist Bill Deasy although it is the first "official" release after formally leaving The Gathering Field. Chasing Down a Spark follows his 2003 release Good Day No Rain and his first solo effort, Spring Lies Waiting, which was recorded as a side...
followed as Deasy's first official release as a solo artist on his own Bound To Be Records label. Four of the songs on the CD were produced by Gregg Wattenberg
Gregg Wattenberg
Gregg Wattenberg is a Grammy Award nominated songwriter, music producer, and musician residing in New York City, New York.Wattenberg co-produced Train's hit single "Hey, Soul Sister". He also co-wrote and co-produced Train's #1 Hit Single "If It's Love"...
and the balance co-produced by Deasy and Dave McNair.
Chasing Down a Spark
Chasing Down a Spark
Chasing Down a Spark is the third solo release by recording artist Bill Deasy although it is the second after formally leaving The Gathering Field...
is the follow-up to the 2003 release Good Day No Rain. The CD was produced by Kevin Salem and mixed by Joe Blaney. The majority of the new CD was recorded in Woodstock and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and features stellar guitar work from The Clarks
The Clarks
The Clarks are an American rock band from the Pittsburgh region, originating at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Over the course of twenty years, they have produced a total of 12 studio, live and solo releases, selling near a quarter of a million copies....
’ Rob James and producer Kevin Salem. Two members of Deasy’s Pittsburgh-based band, Scott Tamulinas and Dave Throckmorton
Dave Throckmorton
David "Dave" Throckmorton is an American drummer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, also referred to by the nickname "Throck". He is currently the drummer for the Bill Deasy band and plays with several other local and national recording acts.-References:...
provide bass and drums, respectively. Rounding out the equation is a host of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
session players like Rob Arthur on keyboards, Oli Kraus on cello and David Mansfield
David Mansfield
David Mansfield is an American violinist, mandolin player, guitarist, pedal steel guitar player, and composer....
on pedal steel and violin. The CD also features guest appearances by such Pittsburgh notables as Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris is an American rock musician known for his work with The Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo albums during the 1980s...
and The Clarks’ Scott Blasey as well as recording artists Rachael Yamagata
Rachael Yamagata
Rachael Yamagata is an American singer-songwriter and pianist from Arlington, Virginia. She began her musical career with the band Bumpus before becoming a solo artist and releasing four EP's and three studio albums...
and Maia Sharp
Maia Sharp
Maia Sharp is an American singer and songwriter. In addition to her solo career, she has written songs for and collaborated with several country and pop musicians including Cher, Trisha Yearwood, Bonnie Raitt, Edwin McCain, and Art Garfunkel.-Early life:...
.
The Miles is the first self-produced effort by Bill Deasy and was released in July 2007. The CD was recorded entirely in the artist's hometown of Pittsburgh and features members of the Bill Deasy band and some of Steel Town's finest musicians, as well as a guest appearance by Los Angeles singer-songwriter Renee Stahl.
Drain Tapes, Volume 1 is a 7-song EP containing acoustic demos of songs not previously recorded. The title of the EP was inspired by noises occasionally heard in the background. Songs include “Better Than Never at All,” “Somebody Else’s Town” and “The Light I See.”
In 2003 Bill Deasy wrote "Learning to Fall" with Odie Blackmon, a song that was recorded by Martina McBride
Martina McBride
Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....
for her album Martina, which sold over one million copies.
In September, 2007 Deasy wrote and performed "Your Home" for Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
TV Station, KDKA
KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....
.The song is being used for several radio promotions.
In November 2008 Deasy released A Different Kind of Wild, a collection of "heartfelt and earnest" songs that include Deasy playing keyboard for the first time. The collection of ten songs is another "thoughtful and intimate" record on which Deasy penned nine of the ten songs without collaboration.
One year later, Deasy released his sixth full-length solo CD Being Normal. One review of the CD states: "The full-band instrumentation on Being Normal is flavorful without being overbearing."
Collaborations
Although Deasy pens the majority of his own material by himself, some collaborations do appear on the full-length CDs cited in this discography and the Gathering Field's Reliance album. Among the co-writers represented are Odie Blackmon, Paul BradyPaul Brady
Paul Joseph Brady is an Irish singer-songwriter, whose work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age...
, Molly Bancroft and Teitur
Teitur
Teitur is a male given name. In Old Norse the word means happy. In Modern Faroese, it is archaic but used as a male given name.-People:*Teitur Lassen , a musical artist from Faroe Islands....
. However, Deasy collaborates more frequently when he is writing for artists other than himself. Some of these songs have appeared on albums by Martina McBride
Martina McBride
Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....
, Kim Richey
Kim Richey
Kimberly Kay "Kim" Richey is an American singer/songwriter. Though her work fits into the general country music category, her sound is not easily categorized. Her songs have been hits on both the country and pop charts...
, The Clarks
The Clarks
The Clarks are an American rock band from the Pittsburgh region, originating at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Over the course of twenty years, they have produced a total of 12 studio, live and solo releases, selling near a quarter of a million copies....
, Bijou Phillips
Bijou Phillips
Bijou Lilly Phillips is an American actress, model, and singer. Phillips began her career as a model but soon transitioned herself into acting and singing. When she was 13, she started as a model and became one of the youngest people to grace the cover of Interview Magazine and Italian Vogue....
, Howard Jones
Howard Jones (musician)
Howard Jones is a musician, singer and songwriter. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, "Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter who was a regular chart visitor in the mid 1980s with his brand of synthpop. Jones, who was equally popular in the U.S., appeared at Live...
, Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
and Michael Stanley
Michael Stanley
Michael Stanley is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and disc jockey. Both as a solo artist and with the Michael Stanley Band, his brand of heartland rock was popular in Cleveland and around the American Midwest in the 1970s and 1980s.-Biography:Michael Stanley Gee graduated from Rocky...
. He has written with songwriters such as Mark Hudson, Darrell Brown
Darrell Brown (musician)
Darrell Brown is an American songwriter, arranger and record producer.Brown co-writing and producing songs with Robby Armstrong for upcoming Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz and film titled "Gambit". Filming in London and scripted by the Coen Brothers...
, Richie Supa, Stephen Bishop
Stephen Bishop (musician)
Stephen Bishop is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and guitarist.-History:Bishop was born in San Diego, California, and attended Will C. Crawford High School...
, Maia Sharp
Maia Sharp
Maia Sharp is an American singer and songwriter. In addition to her solo career, she has written songs for and collaborated with several country and pop musicians including Cher, Trisha Yearwood, Bonnie Raitt, Edwin McCain, and Art Garfunkel.-Early life:...
, Kim Richey
Kim Richey
Kimberly Kay "Kim" Richey is an American singer/songwriter. Though her work fits into the general country music category, her sound is not easily categorized. Her songs have been hits on both the country and pop charts...
, Jane Wiedlin
Jane Wiedlin
Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the rhythm guitarist of the all-female New Wave band The Go-Go's.-Early life:...
and Jamie Houston.
One collaboration in particular achieved some notoriety. In 2001, during a trip to Nasville, Deasy and Larry Gottlieb
Larry Gottlieb
Lawrence Bennett "Larry" Gottlieb is an American songwriter. Though he is mainly a country music songwriter, he has also written songs for various other music genres....
wrote a song called "Good Things are Happening". A demo of the song was submitted to the television show Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
and was selected to appear as part of a promotional campaign. The 10-week campaign was extended for four years and the song became known as the Good Morning America theme song. In September 2002 a reader of Parade Magazine
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
who asked "Who's the gorgeous guy who sings the Good Morning America theme song?" had her questioned answered in the Sunday magazine alongside a picture of Deasy as he appeared in the promo. Deasy stated that it was surreal being thought of as a heartthrob.
One rather substantial collaboration began in early 2007 when Deasy joined creative forces with Rick Jacques, formerly a guitarist in the Pittsburgh band Brownie Mary. Jacques had relocated to Los Angeles and had achieved some success with song placements in movies and on television. Within a few months Deasy and Jacques had co-written a handful of songs. Continuing their collaboration, the end result was a “shimmering studio product” titled The Invisible Ocean released in early 2008. The duo chose to release the CD under the name Thomas Jefferson’s Aeroplane which, Deasy says, was sparked by a discussion about the book The Disappearance of the Universe
The Disappearance of the Universe
The Disappearance of the Universe is a book written by Gary Renard and originally published by Fearless Books , and later by Hay House ....
which stated that Thomas Jefferson had his own version of the bible.
Published work
Deasy's debut novel, Ransom SeabornRansom Seaborn
The debut novel by singer-songwriter and recording artist Bill Deasy. The novel was published by Velluminous Press in 2006....
, was published to in August 2006 by Velluminous Press. The novel was the recipient of the 2006 Needle Award. One reviewer said, "There's no shortage of coming-of-age novels, so any addition to the genre best have something unique about it. Bill Deasy's debut, Ransom Seaborn, has an original premise, one amazingly eccentric character and some solid writing to recommend."
Velluminous published Deasy's second novel, Traveling Clothes, in October 2009.
Interesting facts
- The song "Levi" was inspired by getting his hair washed before a haircut in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The salon was located on the second floor, hence the beginning line: "I was baptized by Levi in a second floor sink". He finished composing the bulk of the song on a subway back downtown.
- Deasy tours across the country as a headlining act but has also opened up for artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of the late country music singer Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin....
, Patty Griffin
Patty Griffin
Patty Griffin, born Patricia Jean Griffin, March 16, 1964, is an American Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and musician. She is especially known for her down-home crafting of songs and her connection to musicians including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, and the Dixie Chicks, who have played with...
, John Hiatt
John Hiatt
John Hiatt is an American rock guitarist, pianist, singer, and songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including New Wave, blues and country. Hiatt has been nominated for several Grammy Awards - although he has never won- and has been awarded a variety of other...
, World Party
World Party
World Party is a British pop/alternative rock band, which is essentially the solo project of its sole member, Karl Wallinger. He started the band in 1986 in London after leaving The Waterboys.-Career:...
, Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
and the late Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
.
Discography
| 2009 | Being Normal | Traveling Light Records |
| 2008 | A Different Kind of Wild | Traveling Light Records |
| 2008 | The Invisible Ocean (Thomas Jefferson's Aeroplane) | |
| 2007 | The Miles | Traveling Light Records |
| 2005 | Chasing Down a Spark | Bound to Be Records |
| 2004 | drain tapes volume 1 | Bound to Be Records |
| 2003 | Good Day No Rain | Bound to Be Records |
| 2001 | So Close to Home (The Gathering Field) | Mudpuppy |
| 2000 | Spring Lies Waiting | Onoma Records |
| 1999 | The Gathering Field | Mudpuppy |
| 1999 | Reliance (The Gathering Field) | Onoma Records |
| 1994 | Lost in America (The Gathering Field) | Mudpuppy; re-released 1996 Atlantic Atlantic Records Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz... |