Will Oldham
Encyclopedia
Will Oldham better known by the stage name
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American
singer-songwriter
and actor
. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music. After releasing material under his own name, he adopted the "Bonnie 'Prince' Billy" moniker for the majority of his output since 1998.
, folk
, roots
, country
, punk, and indie rock
. He has been called an "Appalachia
n post-punk
solipsist", with a voice that has been described as "a fragile sort-of warble frittering around haunted melodies in the American folk or country tradition."
Will Oldham first performed and recorded under various permutations of the Palace name, including Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Palace Music, and simply Palace. Regarding the name changes during this period (1993–1997), Oldham said:
Beginning in 1998, Oldham has primarily used the moniker Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, which draws inspiration from several sources:
Oldham has explained that "the primary purpose of the pseudonym is to allow both the audience and the performer to have a relationship with the performer that is valid and unbreakable."
(1993), Viva Last Blues
(1995), and I See a Darkness
(1999), have appeared on greatest albums lists.
He is mentioned in the lyrics of the Biffy Clyro
song "Saturday Superhouse
" and is the main character in the song "Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror" by New York anti-folk
artist Jeffrey Lewis
.
Johnny Cash
recorded a version of "I See a Darkness" on his American Recordings disc, American III: Solitary Man
(2000). Oldham provided backing vocals.
Steve Adey
also covered "I See a Darkness" on his 2006 LP All Things Real
.
Mark Kozelek
recorded a version of Oldham's "New Partner" on his 2008 disc, The Finally LP
.
Katatonia
covered "Oh How I Enjoy the Light" on their 2001 EP Tonight's Music
.
In 2009 Mark Lanegan
and Soulsavers
recorded a cover version of "You Will Miss Me When I Burn". The release is a split single, backed with the Lanegan penned "Sunrise" featuring vocals by Oldham.
's film about an Appalachian mining community, Matewan
(1987). Oldham moved to Hollywood to pursue acting in the late 1980s, and landed roles in a couple of films. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the film industry and quit in 1989. He has since had several minor roles in independent films, such as Julien Donkey-Boy
(1999), Junebug
(2005), and The Guatemalan Handshake
(2006). Oldham took a lead role in Old Joy
, which was featured at SXSW XX and opened at New York's Film Forum
on September 20, 2006. Will Oldham also played the role of a preacher in the "Horse Apples" special of WonderShowzen in series 2 of the show. In 2009, he has been the narrator of "Madam and Little Boy", a documentary film about atomic weapons directed by Swedish artist Magnus Bärtås. In 2010, Oldham had a small part in Jackass 3D
as a gorilla trainer. Oldham revealed that he had to write a theme song in the style of a Saturday morning cartoon show for filmmaker Lance Bangs
' life to get the role.
's 1991 album Spiderland
. The photo depicts members of the band treading water in the lake of an abandoned quarry.
Oldham also featured as guest aesthetic designer for the North American literary magazine Zoetrope All Story (vol 11, no 1) in 2007. In a note contained in the issue, he jokes that it would be "really magnificent to imagine this issue as a cocktail party at which all of the contributors, word and image, are present. add a bowl of keys and some mushroom cookies and i am there. [sic]"
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music. After releasing material under his own name, he adopted the "Bonnie 'Prince' Billy" moniker for the majority of his output since 1998.
Music
Oldham is known for his "do-it-yourself punk aesthetic and blunt honesty," and his music has been likened to AmericanaAmericana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
, folk
American folk music
American folk music is a musical term that encompasses numerous genres, many of which are known as traditional music or roots music. Roots music is a broad category of music including bluegrass, country music, gospel, old time music, jug bands, Appalachian folk, blues, Cajun and Native American...
, roots
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, punk, and indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
. He has been called an "Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
n post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
solipsist", with a voice that has been described as "a fragile sort-of warble frittering around haunted melodies in the American folk or country tradition."
Will Oldham first performed and recorded under various permutations of the Palace name, including Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Palace Music, and simply Palace. Regarding the name changes during this period (1993–1997), Oldham said:
Beginning in 1998, Oldham has primarily used the moniker Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, which draws inspiration from several sources:
Oldham has explained that "the primary purpose of the pseudonym is to allow both the audience and the performer to have a relationship with the performer that is valid and unbreakable."
Studio albums
- There Is No-One What Will Take Care of YouThere Is No-One What Will Take Care of YouThere Is No-One What Will Take Care of You is the first album by the Palace Brothers. It was released in 1993 on Drag City. It is Will Oldham's debut album, and also features several members of Louisville rock band Slint....
– Palace Brothers (1993) - Days in the WakeDays in the WakeDays in the Wake is the name of an album by Palace Brothers, featuring Will Oldham on guitar and vocals. The album was released in 1994 on Drag City...
– Palace Brothers (1994) - Viva Last BluesViva Last BluesViva Last Blues is an album by Palace Music, featuring Will Oldham on vocals and guitar. The album was recorded by Steve Albini and was released in 1995 on Drag City...
– Palace Music (1995) - Arise ThereforeArise ThereforeArise Therefore is the fourth studio album of Will Oldham. The album's packaging does not include the artist's name. It has been considered both a Palace release and a Will Oldham release. The album features David Grubbs, Ned Oldham, and a Mayatone drum machine credited as "Maya Tone"...
– Palace Music (1996) - JoyaJoya (album)Joya is the fifth album by Will Oldham, but the first album billed to his name, rather than the Palace or Bonnie 'Prince' Billy monikers. It was released in 1997 on Drag City...
– Will Oldham (1997) - I See a DarknessI See a DarknessI See a Darkness is an album by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. It is Will Oldham's sixth album, and the first on which he used his Bonnie 'Prince' Billy moniker. The album was released in 1999 on Palace Records. The album also features Bob Arellano, Colin Gagon, Paul Oldham, and Peter Townsend.Johnny Cash...
– Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (1999) - Ease Down the RoadEase Down the RoadEase Down the Road is the name of an album by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. It also features Todd Brashear, Matt Everett, Mike Fellows, Paul Greenlaw, Catherine Irwin, Harmony Korine, Ned Oldham, David Pajo, Bryan Rich, Matt Sweeney, and Jon Theodore....
– Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2001) - Master and EveryoneMaster and EveryoneMaster and Everyone is an album by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. The album also features Tony Crow, John Kelton, Paul Oldham, Marty Slayton, Matt Swanson, Gary Lee Tussing, and William Tyler, and was produced by Lambchop's Mark Nevers.-Track listing:...
– Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2003) - Sings Greatest Palace MusicSings Greatest Palace MusicBonnie 'Prince' Billy Sings Greatest Palace Music is an album by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. It features new recordings of songs from his Palace music era , recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with a large group of country session musicians. The lo-fi nature of the songs' original recordings was abandoned...
– Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2004) - SuperwolfSuperwolfSuperwolf is the name of an album by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Matt Sweeney. It was released in 2005 on Drag City. Peter Townsend plays drums...
– Matt SweeneyMatt SweeneyMatt Sweeney is a guitarist, vocalist, and producer who has worked with various musicians and groups.-Biography:Sweeney's high school band Skunk released two albums on Twin/Tone records...
& Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2005) - The Brave and the BoldThe Brave and the Bold (album)The Brave and the Bold by Tortoise and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy was released in 2006 on Overcoat Recordings. It is an album of cover songs. The album's name is the same as the DC Comics series in which different superheroes were teamed up for each issue....
– TortoiseTortoise (band)Tortoise is an American post-rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1990.-Music:Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in...
& Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2006) - The Letting GoThe Letting GoThe Letting Go is a 2006 album by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. It was recorded in Reykjavík, Iceland and produced by Valgeir Sigurðsson, who is known for his work with the Icelandic artist Björk. This album's arrangement was done by Nico Muhly...
– Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2006) - Lie Down in the LightLie Down in the LightLie Down in the Light is a 2008 studio album by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy', and his first full-length album of original songs since 2006's The Letting Go.-Track listing:All songs written by Will Oldham except where noted.# "Easy Does It" - 3:53...
– Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2008) - Beware - Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2009)
- The Wonder Show of the WorldThe Wonder Show of the WorldThe Wonder Show of the World is a studio album by singer-songwriter Will Oldham, released in 2010, on Drag City. The album is Oldham's eighth under the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy.-Track listing:# "Troublesome Houses" - 4:24...
- Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and the Cairo Gang (2010) - Wolfroy Goes to TownWolfroy Goes to TownWolfroy Goes to Town is a studio album by singer-songwriter Will Oldham, released on Drag City. Will's backing band included Emmett Kelly and Angel Olsen, among others.-Reception:Critical response to Wolfroy Goes to Town was generally positive...
- Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (2011)
Response
Some of his albums, such as There Is No-One What Will Take Care of YouThere Is No-One What Will Take Care of You
There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You is the first album by the Palace Brothers. It was released in 1993 on Drag City. It is Will Oldham's debut album, and also features several members of Louisville rock band Slint....
(1993), Viva Last Blues
Viva Last Blues
Viva Last Blues is an album by Palace Music, featuring Will Oldham on vocals and guitar. The album was recorded by Steve Albini and was released in 1995 on Drag City...
(1995), and I See a Darkness
I See a Darkness
I See a Darkness is an album by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. It is Will Oldham's sixth album, and the first on which he used his Bonnie 'Prince' Billy moniker. The album was released in 1999 on Palace Records. The album also features Bob Arellano, Colin Gagon, Paul Oldham, and Peter Townsend.Johnny Cash...
(1999), have appeared on greatest albums lists.
He is mentioned in the lyrics of the Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band from Kilmarnock, comprising Simon Neil , James Johnston and Ben Johnston...
song "Saturday Superhouse
Saturday Superhouse
"Saturday Superhouse" is a song by Biffy Clyro and the first physical single from their fourth album, Puzzle. It was released on 5 March 2007...
" and is the main character in the song "Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror" by New York anti-folk
Anti-folk
Anti-folk is a music genre that takes the earnestness of politically charged 1960s folk music and subverts it. The defining characteristics of this anti-folk are difficult to identify, as they vary from one artist to the next...
artist Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis is an American singer/songwriter and comic book artist.-Early life:Lewis attended State University of New York at Purchase and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Literature...
.
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
recorded a version of "I See a Darkness" on his American Recordings disc, American III: Solitary Man
American III: Solitary Man
American III: Solitary Man is the third album in the American series by Johnny Cash released in 2000. The album was notable for being Cash's highest charting solo studio LP since his 1976 One Piece at a Time , an album that reached No. 2 Country based on the title cut...
(2000). Oldham provided backing vocals.
Steve Adey
Steve Adey
Steve Adey is a musician and singer-songwriter. His music is characterised by slow tempos, minimalist arrangements, underpinned by a rich baritone vocal and chordal piano playing...
also covered "I See a Darkness" on his 2006 LP All Things Real
All Things Real
All Things Real is the debut album by English singer-songwriter Steve Adey. The album was released on March 6, 2006, through Grand Harmonium Records...
.
Mark Kozelek
Mark Kozelek
Mark Kozelek is an American singer/songwriter Producer and frontman of Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters.-History:...
recorded a version of Oldham's "New Partner" on his 2008 disc, The Finally LP
The Finally LP
The Finally LP is a compilation album by Mark Kozelek. The CD was released on December 9, 2008 via Caldo Verde Records. According to the Caldo Verde website:...
.
Katatonia
Katatonia
Katatonia is a Swedish metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström .-1991-1993:The early Katatonia releases, such as the EP Jhva Elohim Meth.....
covered "Oh How I Enjoy the Light" on their 2001 EP Tonight's Music
Tonight's Music
-Note:# "Tonight's Music" is from Last Fair Deal Gone Down.# "O' How I Enjoy The Light" is cover version of Will Oldham.-Katatonia:* Jonas Renkse – Singing* Anders Nyström – guitars, keyboards,* Fredrik Norrman – guitars* Mattias Norrman – Bass guitar...
.
In 2009 Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
and Soulsavers
Soulsavers
Soulsavers are an English production and remix team composed of Rich Machin and Ian Glover. The Soulsavers' downtempo electronica sound incorporates influences of rock, gospel, soul, and country...
recorded a cover version of "You Will Miss Me When I Burn". The release is a split single, backed with the Lanegan penned "Sunrise" featuring vocals by Oldham.
Film
Will Oldham began his acting career at the age of 17, when he portrayed a teen preacher in John SaylesJohn Sayles
John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...
's film about an Appalachian mining community, Matewan
Matewan
Matewan is an American drama film written and directed by John Sayles, illustrating the events of a coal mine-workers' strike and attempt to unionize in 1920 in Matewan, a small town in the hills of West Virginia....
(1987). Oldham moved to Hollywood to pursue acting in the late 1980s, and landed roles in a couple of films. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the film industry and quit in 1989. He has since had several minor roles in independent films, such as Julien Donkey-Boy
Julien Donkey-Boy
Julien Donkey-Boy is a 1999 independent drama film written and directed by Harmony Korine. The screenplay concentrates on the schizophrenic Julien, played by Scottish actor Ewen Bremner, and his dysfunctional family. The film also stars Chloe Sevigny as Julien's sister, Pearl, and Werner Herzog as...
(1999), Junebug
Junebug (film)
Junebug is a 2005 American comedy-drama film directed by Phil Morrison. It was released on August 3, 2005 and stars Amy Adams, Alessandro Nivola, Embeth Davidtz, and Benjamin McKenzie...
(2005), and The Guatemalan Handshake
The Guatemalan Handshake
The Guatemalan Handshake is a 2006 comedy-drama film, written and directed by Todd Rohal. It is Rohal's feature film debut. The film premiered at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize.-Story:...
(2006). Oldham took a lead role in Old Joy
Old Joy (film)
Old Joy is a 2006 road movie directed by Kelly Reichardt and based on a short story by Jonathan Raymond. The original soundtrack for the film was by Yo La Tengo and is included on the compilation soundtrack album They Shoot, We Score.-Synopsis:...
, which was featured at SXSW XX and opened at New York's Film Forum
Film Forum
Film Forum is a nonprofit movie theater located at 209 West Houston Street in New York City. It began in 1970 as an alternative screening space for independent films, with 50 folding chairs, one projector and a US$19,000 annual budget. Karen Cooper became director in 1972 and under her leadership,...
on September 20, 2006. Will Oldham also played the role of a preacher in the "Horse Apples" special of WonderShowzen in series 2 of the show. In 2009, he has been the narrator of "Madam and Little Boy", a documentary film about atomic weapons directed by Swedish artist Magnus Bärtås. In 2010, Oldham had a small part in Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D is a 2010 American 3D comedy film and the fourth film in the Jackass series. It was released on October 15, 2010 by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films to American theaters and marked the 10th anniversary of the franchise, which started in 2000...
as a gorilla trainer. Oldham revealed that he had to write a theme song in the style of a Saturday morning cartoon show for filmmaker Lance Bangs
Lance Bangs
Lance Bangs is an American filmmaker, documentarian, and music video director who has created videos for Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Green Day, the Arcade Fire, the Shins, The Thermals, Belle & Sebastian, Menomena, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, R.E.M., Mike Watt, Death Cab for Cutie, The Black Keys, Kanye West, and...
' life to get the role.
Filmography
- MatewanMatewanMatewan is an American drama film written and directed by John Sayles, illustrating the events of a coal mine-workers' strike and attempt to unionize in 1920 in Matewan, a small town in the hills of West Virginia....
(1987), directed by John SaylesJohn SaylesJohn Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"... - Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClureJessica McClureJessica McClure Morales became famous at the age of 18 months after falling into a well in the backyard of 3309 Tanner Dr. Midland, Texas, on October 14, 1987. Between that day and October 16, rescuers worked for 58 hours to free "Baby Jessica" from the eight-inch-wide well casing below the ground...
(1989) (TV movie) - Thousand Pieces of Gold (1991)
- Elysian Fields (1993)
- Radiation (1998)
- Julien Donkey-BoyJulien Donkey-BoyJulien Donkey-Boy is a 1999 independent drama film written and directed by Harmony Korine. The screenplay concentrates on the schizophrenic Julien, played by Scottish actor Ewen Bremner, and his dysfunctional family. The film also stars Chloe Sevigny as Julien's sister, Pearl, and Werner Herzog as...
(1999) (uncredited role), directed by Harmony KorineHarmony KorineThe story is told from the perspective of a young man suffering from untreated schizophrenia, played by Ewen Bremner, as he tries to understand his deteriorating world. Julien's abusive father is played by Werner Herzog... - Slitch (2003), directed by Dianne Bellino
- Tripping with CavehTripping with CavehTripping with Caveh is a 30-minute documentary in which independent filmmaker Caveh Zahedi takes hallucinogenic mushrooms with singer-songwriter Will Oldham. The film was originally intended as the first installment of a would-be television series, but no other episodes have been shot to...
(2004), directed by Caveh ZahediCaveh ZahediCaveh Zahedi is an American film director and actor of Iranian descent.-Early years:Zahedi was born in Washington, D.C. to Iranian immigrant parents. He studied philosophy at Yale University... - JunebugJunebug (film)Junebug is a 2005 American comedy-drama film directed by Phil Morrison. It was released on August 3, 2005 and stars Amy Adams, Alessandro Nivola, Embeth Davidtz, and Benjamin McKenzie...
(2005) - The Guatemalan HandshakeThe Guatemalan HandshakeThe Guatemalan Handshake is a 2006 comedy-drama film, written and directed by Todd Rohal. It is Rohal's feature film debut. The film premiered at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize.-Story:...
(2006) - Old JoyOld Joy (film)Old Joy is a 2006 road movie directed by Kelly Reichardt and based on a short story by Jonathan Raymond. The original soundtrack for the film was by Yo La Tengo and is included on the compilation soundtrack album They Shoot, We Score.-Synopsis:...
(2006) - Trapped in the ClosetTrapped in the Closet"Trapped in the Closet" is a series of songs by American contemporary R&B singer R. Kelly. The song set consists of 22 chapters, which were released from 2005 to 2007. The first five chapters of the set are included on his seventh studio album TP.3 Reloaded, with the first chapter being released as...
- Chapter 15 (2007) - Wendy and LucyWendy and LucyWendy and Lucy is a 2008 American drama film directed by Kelly Reichardt. Reichardt and Jon Raymond adapted the screenplay from his short story "Train Choir". The film stars Michelle Williams and Will Patton...
(2008) - Madam and Little Boy (2009)
- Jackass 3DJackass 3DJackass 3D is a 2010 American 3D comedy film and the fourth film in the Jackass series. It was released on October 15, 2010 by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films to American theaters and marked the 10th anniversary of the franchise, which started in 2000...
(2010) - Pioneer (2011)
Photography
Will Oldham shot the black-and-white cover photograph of SlintSlint
Slint was an American rock band consisting of Brian McMahan , David Pajo , Britt Walford , Todd Brashear and Ethan Buckler...
's 1991 album Spiderland
Spiderland
Spiderland is the second studio album by the American post-rock band Slint, released on March 27, 1991 on Touch and Go. Featuring dramatically alternating dynamics and vocals ranging from spoken word to shouting, the album contains narrative lyrics that emphasize alienation...
. The photo depicts members of the band treading water in the lake of an abandoned quarry.
Oldham also featured as guest aesthetic designer for the North American literary magazine Zoetrope All Story (vol 11, no 1) in 2007. In a note contained in the issue, he jokes that it would be "really magnificent to imagine this issue as a cocktail party at which all of the contributors, word and image, are present. add a bowl of keys and some mushroom cookies and i am there. [sic]"
External links
- Bonnie 'Prince' Billy official website
- Will Oldham at Drag City (record label)
- Bonnie 'Prince' Billy at Domino Records (record label)
- The Royal Stable - Fan site with news, photos, tour dates, etc.
- The Pulpit - Fan site with some lyrics and tablature
- Daytrotter session
- Freewilliamsburg.com interview
- Bonnie 'Prince' Billy as Guest DJ at NPR Music
- The Pretender - Profile of Will Oldham in The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
- www.music-illuminati.com - Interview