Billy Hill was an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
group founded by singer/songwriter/guitarists
Dennis Robbins,
Bob DiPiero
Robert John DiPiero (born March 3, 1951) is an American country music songwriter. He has written 15 US number one hits and several Top 20 singles for Tim McGraw, The Oak Ridge Boys, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Shenandoah, Neal McCoy, ...
and
John Scott Sherrill
John Scott Sherrill is an American songwriter whose work is primarily in the field of country music. His brother, Donn Sherrill, was a student at Vanderbilt, where he introduced John Scott to his fraternity brother, Scott Siman, who recorded demos ...
, along with Reno Kling (
bass guitar
The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
) and Martin Parker (
drums
The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
).
Before the group's foundation, Robbins had been a member of
The Rockets,
and Kling played bass for
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American country, rock, and folk singer-songwriter. He began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982.
Earle's breakthrough album was his 1986 debut album '' ...
. Sherrill and Robbins alternated as lead vocalists,
but credited the frontman role to a fictional character named Billy Hill and wrote a biography on the character.
The band recorded one album for
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels.
Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Green Day, En ...
and charted two singles on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' country charts. Their biggest hit was "Too Much Month at the End of the Money" which reached No. 25 on the Billboard country charts. After disbanding in 1990, Robbins became a solo artist for
Giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...
. DiPiero and Sherrill have continued working as songwriters.
In 2003,
Marty Stuart
John Marty Stuart (born September 30, 1958) is an American country music, country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before be ...
recorded "Too Much Month at the End of the Money" for his 2003 album ''
Country Music
Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
''; his version reached No. 54 on the Billboard country charts.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Notes:
*
A "Nickel in My Name" did not chart on Hot Country Songs, but peaked at No. 10 on Hot Country Radio Breakouts.
Guest singles
References
{{Authority control
Country music groups from Tennessee
Musical groups established in 1989
Musical groups disestablished in 1990
American musical quintets
Reprise Records artists
Bands with fictional stage personas