Billy Strings

Born on October 3, 1992 in Lansing, Michigan, William Lee Apostol, known professionally as Billy Strings, is an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. Apostol got his stage name, Billy Strings, from his aunt, who saw his ability on multiple traditional bluegrass instruments. In 2012, Don Julin asked Strings to join him on a paying gig. The partnership lasted for four years. In 2017, Rolling Stone named Strings one of the Top 10 New Country Artists to Know. In March 2018, Rolling Stone released Strings' debut music video for his song "Dealing Despair." In January 2019, Rolling Stone wrote an article titled "Why Guitarist Billy Strings Is the Bluegrass Star You Don't Want to Miss." He was signed to Rounder Records in June 2019. On September 26, 2019, Billy Strings was voted the International Bluegrass Music Association Guitar Player of the Year in Raleigh, North Carolina. At the 2022 International Bluegrass Music Awards, Billy Strings was nominated for six awards, winning Entertainer of the Year for the second consecutive year, while "Red Daisy" won Song of the Year.