Discovered at just two years
old. In commercials at three. Acting at four. Household name in his native
country at five. Signed a music management deal at twelve. Finished his debut
album at fifteen.
Don'tcha just hate him?
But wait... come back, this
is a talent too big to ignore. This is Billy
Crawford.
Born in the Philippines to an American father
and Filipino mother, Billy was first discovered dancing on a bowling
alley table at the age of two a performance that led directly to a starring
role in a television commercial. Success followed quickly. Inspired by Michael
Jackson, Crawford subsequently became a regular cast member of the weekly
variety show, That's Entertainment, a show he starred in for eight years.
Billy also found time to appear in ten domestic movies, even winning
a local Academy Award for Best Child Actor.
At the age of twelve,
Crawford and family relocated to the US, settling in Texas. For six
months Billy assimilated into normal life yet it was only a matter
of time before the urge to perform became impossible to ignore. Entering
a Dallas talent show, he won first prize for a rendition of Michael Jackson's
I'll Be There. Once again in the spotlight, his electrifying performance
attracted the attention of producers Eve Nelson and Bernadette
O'Reilly.
Billy has already crammed
a lifetime of experience into a mere fifteen years, a fact duly reflected
in the extraordinary maturity and depth of his songwriting. The debut album
delivers an electrifying set of funky uptempo romps and passionate ballads
combined with a series if complex, experimental and sometimes moody tracks
that reveal more at every listen. From the snappy pop of Urgently In
Love to the sizzling Latino grooves of Mary Lopez and the epic,
gospel tinged Tragedy you will not hear a more accomplished and ambitious
pop record this year. In an age where the likes of Hanson and All Saints
are redefining the face of 90's popular music, Billy Crawford's star
is in the ascendant.