Billy Mize

about

Billy Mize (William Robert Mize, April 29, 1929 – October 28, 2017) was an American steel guitarist, band leader, vocalist, songwriter, and TV show host. Mize was born in Arkansas City, Kansas, and raised in the San Joaquin Valley of California, an area steeped in country music thanks to relocated Okies. He originally learned to play guitar as a child, but fell in love with the steel guitar he received for his 18th birthday. Mize moved to Bakersfield, California and formed his own band playing local gigs and also working as a disc jockey on KPMC. In 1953, he, Bill Woods and Herb Henson put together a local TV show called The Cousin Herb Trading Post Show on KERO-TV Bakersfield (then channel 10), where he became affectionately known as Billy The Kid. The signal from that show was so strong the show could be seen as far as Fresno, all the way over to the central coast and Los Angeles. The show was wildly popular because it not only featured fledgling acts such as Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Tommy Collins, Jean Shepard, Bonnie Owens, Ferlin Husky, but many national acts such as Hank Williams and Patsy Cline. He stayed with the show for thirteen years. In 1955, Billy Mize began to appear on a local Los Angeles television show hosted by Hank Penny. By 1957 he was working on seven different weekly shows in the LA area, including the Hank Penny Show, Cal Worthington Show, Country Music Time and the legendary Town Hall Party. He recorded for Decca (Solid Sender/It Could happen - 19

top songs

albums

Make It Rain

Columbia Singles

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50 Rockin' Oldies, Vol. 11

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The Other Side of Bakersfield, Vol. 1; 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'

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Moonage Timequake

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Salute to Swing

This Time And Place

The Other Side of Bakersfield, Vol. 2 1950S & 60S Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'

A Salute to Swing

The Early Rise of Billy Mize

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Desperate Rock'n'Roll Vol. 11

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Billy Mize and the Bakersfield Sound (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

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