NASHVILLE- He says he's "a typical 11-year-old" who loves to rollerblade,
bowl, fish, and play with his younger brother Colin. He also wants a Sony
PlayStation and Nintendo 64 on his tour bus - which is probably just around
the corner for new Epic Records artist Billy Gilman.
"I played it (Billy's Demo CD) for the Dixie Chicks, George Straight, and Tim
McGraw, and they all went wild. Tim said, 'Put a gag on that kid until my
career's over.' He's just one of those kids who come around once in a long
while, nine out of 10 of whom go to Broadway - but he loves country music."
says Asleep At The Wheel's Ray Benson
Sony "didn't go into the year planning on signing an 11-year-old boy," notes Mike
Kraski, Sony Music Nashville's senior VP of sales and marketing, who also
addresses predictable questions about exploitation. "I have two sons and work
hard to make sure they have a normal lifestyle. And there's the issue of parents
using their child as a meal ticket - but in this case that couldn't be further
from the truth. Billy's family was reluctant to let him go in this direction,
but it was his dream. So we're comfortable there. And then we hear him sing and
'Oh, my God.' He's the real deal."
Gilman even credits 8-year-old Colin with being "very supportive." Besides,
"he plays golf just like Tiger Woods," he adds proudly, though his mother
indicates that may be his story's only overstatement.
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