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“The 60's & 70's were the most important era's of rock music” 
Today, Billy Sullivan is our guest. Billy has devoted many years to playing the guitar!
He has played with such legendary guys, as Gary Lewis, Mark Lindsay, Mitch Ryder, Dickey Betts, Peter Frampton, Mark Farner, Ian Hunter, Eric Carmen, Sam Moore, Lou Christie, Lesley Gore, Billy J Kramer, Peter Noone, Joey Molland, Tommy Roe, Bryan Hyland, Jimmy Zero and others (Forgive us for those we have not mentioned. We love you!).
Billy started to play on the professional scene when he was 13 years old and became a very good guitar player and not only plays guitar but other instruments as well.. We are very glad, that Billy has agreed to have a talk with us.
Powerpop.Ru: Hi, Billy! How a life as a whole? Besides your solo performances with whom and where have you been involved last summer?
Billy Sullivan: I've been touring with 60's pop icons Gary Lewis & the Playboys. Life's been good!
Powerpop.Ru: Let's acquaint our readers with Billy... Who is Billy Sullivan? Which five qualities do you like in yourself and what, probably, would you want to develop, improve?
Billy: I consider myself a valuable sideman musician arranger/ producer. In my opinion, that's what I do best. There's always room for improvement!!!
Powerpop.Ru: You are a good guitar player, drummer and keyboard player and you also have the good vocal. What is your favorite musical instrument, which gives you the maximal pleasure, or you like all instruments in an equal measure?
Billy: First and foremost, I'm a guitar player. I love playing guitar but I also love to play drums and bass guitar. My keyboard skills have a lot to be desired. I need some work there.
Powerpop.Ru: You played long years with many outstanding and talented musicians. With whom of these artists you had full harmony in dialogue and a creative life? With whom of them there was an absolute mutual understanding?
Billy: I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Club Wow. Jimmy Zero and Frank Secich were very inspirational to me. I was very young in that band. Paul Pope is another artist that I have a history with and close with. Absolute understanding would be with Eric Carmen. I swear, we almost think alike musically speaking!!!! I'll always cherish my working relationship with the Raspberries. Gary Lewis is another artist that I have a long wonderful history with.
Powerpop.Ru: In my opinion, 1975 - 1977 are the brightest and the great musical period when have been made the great albums of such groups as Wings, Foteigner, Queen, Pink Floyd, UFO, Thin Lizzy, Sweet, Supertrump, Van Halen, Kansas, Boston, Grand Funk, CheapTrick. These groups have created very important "chapter" in development of a rock music.
After that the time of Disco style has come and many musicians have ceased to be popular and consequently were lost. Before this period the rock music constantly developed, many people wanted to listen to rock-music. And then people were divided(shared) on those who listened to music and on those who danced under music. So occurs today.How you think, what was the brightest period in development of a rock music? Perhaps, when all of us were 14-17 years old? (someone was at this age in 60-s', someone in 90-s'...)
Billy: The 60's music, mainly the "British Invasion" was the starting point for me as a young boy. I became a musician in 1975 when i was in my early teens so most of those groups you mentioned were an inspiration as well. The Eagles, Wings, Cheap Trick, Badfinger, Raspberries, Thin Lizzy. In my opinion, the 60's & 70's were the most important era's of rock music.
Powerpop.Ru: Today, there are lot of the talented musical youth and among of them is a lot who try to surprise and at whom it well turns out. Many critics think that their creativity is not new, all the best was already created in the beginning of 70-s'. However it seems to me, that young musicians have the new spirit and interesting sound. Even if they take something from music of 60-s', it's not the same, it's another music... Is Billy Sullivan the friend of youth?
Billy: Well, todays younger rock bands play with a lot of energy and they're angry and all that but,,,,, the problem I have with these bands is that I don't hear a great song. It seems that the standard format for production and arrangement is play the verses quiet and dark and then,,,, BLAST OUT THE CHORUSES!!!!!! There's always exceptions,, I like "Jet".
Powerpop.Ru: Who of the musicians of the old generation had the most influence on you and on your music when you were young? Which groups or musicians have the influence on you today?.. In fact almost all musicians are music fans even if they do not admit it their colleagues are influenced on them and on their creativity.
Billy: The Beatles. Today it would be Matthew Sweet, Dave Edmunds, Marshall Crenshaw, Brian Wilson, Brian Setzer.
Powerpop.Ru: I saw your photo with a guitar LINE6. Do you like novelties? Do you like experiments with guitar's synthesizers or are you conservative? For example, Rick Nielsen has a biggest collection of guitars. What do you think, how many guitars the musicians should have for full happiness?
Billy: Not to sound too much like a Line 6 endorsement,,,,,, I think that Line 6 is the most innovative company to come around for guitarist. The Variax is not a novelty!!! It's very much a real guitar!!! It's a great studio tool. It's the wave of the future for guitarist!!! I still own Les Pauls, Fender Telecaster, Rickenbacker 12 string. When it comes to creativity, I try to keep an opened mind.
Powerpop.Ru: What your opinion, do modern americans think of soul... Do they read the clever literature, the great classic books?..
Billy: Americans love soul music. I love soul music.
Powerpop.Ru: On site Myspace.com I constantly meet beautiful girls of different ages. And all of them from state of Ohio. Is this casual concurrence?.. Do the most beautiful girls live in Ohio actually?
Billy: There's beautiful women everywhere but I'm partial to the beautiful women of Ohio,,, especially one,,, my wife!!!!
Powerpop.Ru: Thanks Billy for a wonderful evening on our "space bridge" "US-RU". Send our regards to all the girls from state of Ohio and to their great talented guys. Allow the God will grant everything that we wish.
Transfer personal greetings to Mark Farner, Peter Frampton, Eric Carmen! I am very familiar with creativity of these talented guys. To all the kind people of America from the kind people of Russia ardent greetings! Believe, we love you!
Powerpop.Ru
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