James "Billy" Dankert is an American musician from Austin, Minnesota, United States, best known as the drummer, singer and songwriter for Minnesota-based band the

Gear Daddies The Gear Daddies are a rock band originally from Austin, Minnesota. Randy Broughten (electric and steel guitar), Nick Ciola ( bass), Billy Dankert (drums and vocals), and Martin Zellar (guitar, harmonica and vocals) played their first shows to ...

. Dankert's songs include "Time Heals", "Blues Mary", and "One Voice". After the break-up of the band in 1992, he returned to school to study language and literature. He has released three solo albums: ''Bowling Shoes Blues'' on the Crackpot Records label in 1993; ''The Vanishing Head'' on the Veto Records label in 2001; and ''In Spite'' on the Veto Records label in 2003. A fourth solo album, ''The Past Is Not Complete'', was recorded in 2005 but never released. His fifth solo album, ''Sleep Late'', is scheduled for self-release in April 2016, after a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund its pressing. Dankert now resides in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

, playing reunion gigs with the Gear Daddies. He has drummed for several other acts like Slim Dunlap, Shimmy, and Doug Collins and the Receptionists, and The Reverend Angus Strychn Trio. He is also a successful freelance artist.

References

Year of birth missing (living people) American drummers Songwriters from Minnesota Musicians from Minnesota Living people {{songwriter-stub