LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Billy Gilman
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Only 11 years old when he notched his first hit single, Billy Gilman was the youngest performer ever to reach the Billboard country charts, breaking a record held by Brenda Lee since 1957. Gilman was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, on May 24, 1988, and grew up in nearby Hope Valley. He was singing before he started school, and developed rapidly enough to start performing publicly at age seven. He was booked as an opening act at several county fairs, including one with headliner Jo Dee Messina. Gilman caught his big break when Asleep at the Wheel leader Ray Benson heard him sing and was impressed by the precocious power behind his vocals. Benson had Gilman make a demo tape, which wound up landing the young singer a deal with Epic.
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The good news is Billy Gilman is a winning survivor! Back from vocal exile to the business of making music, he introduces his groundbreaking new project, 'Everything and More,' his debut project under the Image Entertainment imprint. Soon to be 17 (born May 24, 1988), the dynamic teenager has lost nothing but time and the new album showcases a voice that has undergone a welcomed mature change. Billy Gilman makes a clear comeback with all of the charisma, youthful energy and pizzazz that made him a child star phenomenon worldwide.
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Billy Gilman had a wonderful start to his career but was derailed for a little bit when nature kicked in and changed his voice. Now 18, the 6 year country music veteran is back with an entertaining CD that showcases a strong voice that rivals Gary LeVox and Vince Gill in terms of power and depth.
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Billy Gilman has a fantastic voice that is underappreciated by many people. He disappeared from the face of music until 2006 because his vocal cords were severly damaged but they healed over a period of about 7 years.
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When Billy Gilman arrived on the country music landscape 6 years ago, he was an innocent, cute 11-year-old boy singing songs that were appropriate for his age. His One Voice" CD and single did quite well and over the course of a year or so, Billy released two more CDs, a timeless holiday album and Dare To Dream. But after that quick flurry of releases, Billy took two years to release his third album, Music Through Heartsongs: Songs Based On The Poems of Mattie J.T. Sepanek. It was evident by this time that Billy's voice was changing. After two more years of complete vocal rest (on doctor's orders), Billy released the awkward Everything And More when he was 15.
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When Billy Gilman released his debut single, "One Voice," in 2000, the 11-year-old singer became an instant media sensation. He sold millions of records, won many awards and, most importantly, thanks to noted CNN talk show host Larry King, met a young poet named Mattie Stepanek. Three years later, Gilman and Stepanek, who has himself sold more than 1.5 million copies of his books, have joined together to create an album based upon Mattie's poems for Billy's new release: "Heartsongs" (Epic Records Nashville). The much talked about collaborative effort will be in stores April 15th.
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Billy Gilman