BILLY SWAN

Billy Swan is mostly known for his #1 hit on the Billboard Top 40 "I Can Help" as well as landing a GRAMMY for Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge for a song he penned when he was 16 years old "Lover Please", but his musical and movie pedigree is much larger.

Billy left his hometown of Cape Girardeau, MO to work with former Elvis bassest, Bill Black and to work at Graceland.  Most people have heard about Kris Kristofferson's early days in Nashville when he swept floors and moved microphones around the Columbia Recording Studios. But Billy has the dubious distinction of holding that job first, and he gave it to his friend Kris when he left.  Kris and Billy were later band mates each making their own mark in music.

Swan's songs have been covered by many artists including Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty and many others.  Swan's artistic talents have also branched into motion pictures and the stage.  As an actor/singer, Swan appears in David Lynch's "Wild At Heart" and in "Songwriter" with Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson.  Behind the camera he worked with T. Bone Burnett and performed the role of the singing minstrel, with critical acclaim, in a stage production of Shakespeare's "As You Like It" starring Stockard Channing and Bruce Davidson.

Billy Swan, Kris Kristofferson and Lyle Lovett (Photo Pam by Kay Williams)