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Will Oldham
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, February 2006
Background information
Also known as	Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Born	24 December 1970
Label(s)	Drag City
Website	http://www.bonnieprincebilly.com

Will Oldham (born 24 December 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He has recorded music under his birth name, as well as a number of monikers, including Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and most recently as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, sometimes shortened to Bonny Billy.

Oldham was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He briefly attended Brown University, and currently lives in Louisville.

Contents 1 Recording career 1.1 Collaborations 1.2 Tributes 2 Acting 3 Discography 4 Other work 5 Filmography 6 External links 7 Trivia

From 1993 to 1997, Oldham recorded under some form of Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Music, but since the 1999 release of I See a Darkness seems to have settled primarily on Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. He has said that the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy moniker has many references, among them "Bonnie Prince Charlie", an 18th century Jacobite; Billy the Kid, the 19th century American outlaw also known as William Bonney; and the American singer Nat King Cole.

In addition to his own projects, Oldham often plays and records with other musicians, including David Pajo and his brothers Ned and Paul Oldham, but is generally the chief creator of the music. He has also been involved in musical projects and bands such as Box of Chocolates, Amalgamated Sons of Rest, The Anomoanon, The Boxhead Ensemble, Superwolf (with Matt Sweeney), Continental OP (with David Pajo), Current 93 and The Silver Jews (with David Berman).

Harmony Korine's "Harm of Will" from Björk's Vespertine was named about and after him.[1]

Oldham was the subject of a 2004 30 track double-cd tribute album released on Tract Records. Entitled I Am a Cold Rock. I Am Dull Grass., the out-of-print album featured performances by Jolie Holland, Calexico, Iron & Wine, The Impossible Shapes, and Elephant Micah. A smaller 18-track reissue is currently available at http://www.tractrecords.com/oldhamtribute.htm.

In 2005, Jeffrey Lewis released the track "Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror" from his album City and Eastern Songs, in which a man who may or may not be Will Oldham assaults and violently rapes the song's narrator on a subway track.

Oldham has appeared in several films, including John Sayles' Matewan (1987) and the Academy Award-nominated Junebug (2005).

In 2004, he appeared in the 30-minute documentary Tripping with Caveh in which he takes hallucinogenic mushrooms with the director, Caveh Zahedi.

In 2006, he appeared in Old Joy, which was featured at SXSW XX and opened at New York's Film Forum on September 20, 2006; and also The Guatemalan Handshake, which premiered, and won the Special Jury Prize, at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival on January 21, 2006 in Park City, Utah. He also appeared in an episode of the MTV2 television show Wonder Showzen.

He is due to appear in The Land, which is currently being filmed, and The Edge of Town, which is in post-production.

Main article: Will Oldham discography

Collaborations with other artists include:

• Bill Callahan (Smog)
• Alasdair Roberts (Appendix Out)
• Jason Molina (Songs: Ohia / Magnolia Electric Co.)
• Johnny Cash
• PJ Harvey
• Joanna Newsom
• Rian Murphy
• Björk and Matthew Barney
• Glynnis McDaris
• Current 93
• Matt Sweeney
• Sage Francis
• David Boulter and Stuart A Staples (Tindersticks)
• Tweaker
• Silver Jews (Tanglewood Numbers album, he played guitar on certain songs)
• Tortoise
• The Anomoanon
• Nicolai Dunger
• Briana Corrigan
• David Pajo (Papa M)
• Candi Staton
• Herman Dune
• Dawn McCarthy (Faun Fables)
• Harmony Korine (Song: "A King At Night")

• Matewan (1987), directed by John Sayles
• Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure (1989)
• Thousand Pieces of Gold (1991)
• Elysian Fields (1993)
• Radiation (1998)
• Julien Donkey-Boy (1999) (uncredited role), directed by Harmony Korine
• Slitch (2003), directed by Dianne Bellino
• Tripping with Caveh (2004), directed by Caveh Zahedi
• Junebug (2005)
• Old Joy (2005)
• The Guatemalan Handshake (2006)
• The Edge of Town (2006) (post production)
• The Land (2006) (currently filming)

• Will Oldham at allmusic (links to his various other monikers at the bottom of the page)
• Will Oldham at Drag City (record company)
• Will Oldham at the Internet Movie Database
• The Royal Stable - Will Oldham news, photos, tour dates, and other information
• Bonnie Prince Billy official website
• Palace (french) - french fan site with all lyrics and tablature
• the pulpit - fan site with some lyrics and tablature
• The Wanderer - Chico News and Review column about Will Oldham, March 28, 2002
• [2] - Attempt at interview with 3:AM Magazine
• Concert photos by Laurent Orseau
• [3] - Long interview with www.freewilliamsburg.com
• Daytrotter - Bonnie Prince Billy's Daytrotter Session.
• Will Oldham live Review of Will Oldham live on Minneapolis-based music magazine How Was the Show?
• Official Old Joy UK Myspace

Mentioned in the Biffy Clyro song "Saturday Superhouse" where a line is used from Oldham's song "I See a Darkness" and the lyrics say; 'Will Oldham's in the corner moaning "Can't you write your own lines"'

Also the "subject" (sort of) of Jeffrey Lewis's 'Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror' Click Here To See Video