View source for Billy Sheehan

{{Short description|American bassist (born 1953)}}
{{other people|Billy Sheehan|Billy Sheehan (Gaelic footballer)|Billy Sheehan (rugby union)|William F. Sheehan}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{BLP sources|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Billy Sheehan
| image             = Mr. Big 09 29 2016 -23 (30227656731).jpg
| caption           = Sheehan with [[Mr. Big (American band)|Mr. Big]] in 2016
| birth_name        = William Roland Sheehan
| alias             = 
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1953|3|19}}<ref name="allmusic"/>
| birth_place       = [[Buffalo, New York]], U.S.
| origin            = 
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Hard rock]]|[[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]|[[progressive metal]]|[[instrumental rock]]|[[progressive rock]]}}
| occupation        = Bassist
| years_active      = 1970–present
| instruments       = Bass, vocals
| current_member_of = {{hlist|[[The Winery Dogs]]}}
| past_member_of    = {{hlist|[[Mr. Big (American band)|Mr. Big]]|[[Sons of Apollo]]|Talas|[[UFO (band)|UFO]]|[[David Lee Roth]]|Niacin}}
| website           = {{URL|billysheehan.com}}
}}

'''William Sheehan''' (born March 19, 1953<ref name="allmusic">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-sheehan-mn0000770404/biography|title="Billy Sheehan – Biography & History – AllMusic"|website=[[AllMusic]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328165351/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-sheehan-mn0000770404/biography|archive-date=2018-03-28|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref>) is an American musician known for playing bass guitar with acts such as Talas, [[Steve Vai]], [[David Lee Roth]], [[Mr. Big (American band)|Mr. Big]], Niacin, and [[The Winery Dogs]]. He is also known for his "lead bass" playing style, including the use of [[chording]], two-handed [[tapping]],  "three-finger [[Fingerstyle guitar|picking]]" technique and controlled [[audio feedback|feedback]]. Sheehan has been voted "Best Rock Bass Player" five times in ''[[Guitar Player]]'' readers' polls.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billysheehan.com/bio.html |title=Sheehan's Bio on his Official Site |publisher=Billysheehan.com |access-date=2011-08-09}}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Billy Sheehan MrBig-1992-Paris (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Sheehan in 1992]]
===Early years===
Billy Sheehan's first electric bass was a [[Hagström]] FB,{{refn|group=lw|"...your 00:31 first electric bass was a Hagstrom FB 00:33 true true"<ref name="loudwire">{{cite AV media| people= Graham 'Gruhamed' Hartmann (Interviewer), Billy Sheehan (Interviewee)| date = 14 Oct 2015| title = Billy Sheehan – Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction? – YouTube| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1PoUgZz17g| access-date = 5 July 2018| type = Video| location = YouTube| publisher = [[Loudwire]]| id = See [[#Notes|notes]], group "lw", for auto-generated transcripts and time}}</ref>}} which was soon joined by a [[Fender Precision Bass|Precision bass]]. After acquiring the Precision bass, he removed the frets from the Hagström.{{refn|group="lw"|"...after acquiring your first 00:57 fender precision bass you removed the 00:59 frets from the Hagstrom. I did."<ref name="loudwire"/>}} Over the years, he heavily modified the Precision bass as well, [[Fingerboard#Scalloping|scalloping]] the five highest frets, adding a neck pickup and additional support for the bolt-on neck, which Sheehan considers the instrument's greatest weakness. The neck pickup was added for what Sheehan referred to as "super deep low end" modelled after [[Paul Samwell-Smith]] of the [[The Yardbirds|Yardbirds]] and [[Mel Schacher]] of [[Grand Funk Railroad]]. The [[Gibson EB-0]] type pickup in the neck and the original split-coil Precision bass pickup each have their own separate stereo output jacks on the bass itself, allowing for control of the tone via the bass. The Precision bass has since been retired, but Sheehan still affectionately refers to it as "The Wife".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billysheehan.com/gear/instruments_34.html |title=Gear article |publisher=Billysheehan.com |access-date=2011-08-09}}</ref> Sheehan's signature Yamaha Attitude bass is patterned after this instrument. Sheehan also uses two amps to achieve his signature tone, one with full distortion and high pass filtering to sound more guitar-like, and one super-clean for the low end of the neck pickup.

===Talas===
[[File:Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan (Milan, 2005).jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Sheehan (right) in concert with Steve Vai, 2005]]

Sheehan's first full-time band was Talas, a power trio with Dave Constantino on guitar and Paul Varga on drums. The band played a mixture of cover songs and original material, and all three instrumentalists alternated on lead vocals.

Talas was a popular local band in Buffalo for over a decade, attaining a cult status which spread into the northeast US and into Canada. In 1979, Talas released their eponymous debut album, which generated the regional hit single, "See Saw". It was during this time that Sheehan wrote  "Shy Boy" (later re-recorded with David Lee Roth), and "Addicted to that Rush" (later re-recorded with Mr Big).

In the late 1970s, Sheehan also played in a band called Light Years with drummer Ron Rocco who had earlier played in a band called Black Sheep with Foreigner singer Lou Gramm in Rochester, NY. After Sheehan returned to Talas they opened a show for [[UFO (band)|UFO]] in Buffalo. This led Sheehan to an association with guitarist Michael Schenker and also helped land him the job touring with UFO in 1983.

Talas' first national exposure happened in 1980, when they opened thirty shows for Van Halen. However, success was elusive, and even as their brand of what came to be known as "glam metal" gained popularity over the next few years, Talas remained an unsigned act, partly due to poor management.{{refn|group="lw"|"02:04 [...] I'm sure was a contributing 02:06 factor [...] but [our manager] it wasn't 02:08 horrible"<ref name="loudwire" />}}  They independently released their debut "Talas" LP on Evenfall Records (reissued by Metal Blade), and then "Sink Your Teeth into That" on Relativity Records.

Seeking to take Talas further than just regional success, Sheehan reformed Talas with another drummer (Mark Miller), guitarist ([[Mitch Perry (musician)|Mitch Perry]], also later of [[Heaven (Australian band)|Heaven]]), and a dedicated vocalist, Phil Naro, with whom in the late 1970s Sheehan had previously worked in his side project (the Billy Sheehan Band). Talas would release only one more album, Live Speed on Ice. After Mitch Perry left the band, he was replaced by Johnny Angel, who played guitar with them for their 1985/86 US tour opening for Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force. There was a fourth Talas record, tentatively titled "Lights, Camera, Action" to be issued on Gold Mountain/A&M, but it never got past the demo stage due to Sheehan leaving to join David Lee Roth's solo band. Talas did briefly continue on under Phil Naro sans Sheehan, enlisting [[Jimmy DeGrasso]] on drums, [[Al Pitrelli]] on guitar, [[Bruno Ravel]] on bass and Gary Bivona on keyboards but by this time Talas was dead and Ravel formed [[Danger Danger]]. Sheehan also auditioned for [[Toronto]] based rock band [[Max Webster]], being a long time friend of Max Webster singer/guitarist [[Kim Mitchell]]. 

In the early 1980s, Sheehan became involved with the proto-thrash metal band Thrasher, during this time he shared the stage with future Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz. His involvement with Thrasher did not last long but he did play on the self-titled LP, reissued on CD in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Thrasher-Burning-At-The-Speed-Of-Light/release/4810151|title=Thrasher (5) – Burning At The Speed Of Light|website=Discogs.com|access-date=2019-11-24}}</ref>

===David Lee Roth band===
:''See [[David Lee Roth]].''

===Mr. Big===
:''See [[Mr. Big (American band)]].''

===Niacin===
In 1996, Sheehan formed the jazz fusion band Niacin with drummer [[Dennis Chambers]] and keyboardist [[John Novello]].<ref name="Huey">{{cite web |last1=Huey |first1=Steve |title=Niacin |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/niacin-mn0000865691/biography |website=AllMusic |accessdate=26 October 2018}}</ref> The band's name comes from the timbral foundation of the [[Hammond B3]] organ ([[Vitamin B3 |Vitamin B<sub>3</sub>]] is also known as [[Niacin (nutrient)|niacin]]).

Niacin released their first studio album in 1996. Their music is primarily instrumental, with the exception of their third studio album, ''[[Deep (Niacin album)|Deep]]'' (2000), which features vocals by [[Glenn Hughes (British musician)|Glenn Hughes]] of [[Deep Purple]]. The album also includes guest guitar by [[Steve Lukather]] of [[Toto (band)|Toto]].<ref name="Huey" />

===The Winery Dogs and Sons of Apollo===
[[File:20121021-221248-760 Portnoy-Sheehan-Sherinian-MacAlpine Boerderij Zoetermeer (cropped).jpg|thumb|Sheehan performing with [[Mike Portnoy]], [[Derek Sherinian]], and [[Tony MacAlpine]] at De Boerderij, Netherlands, 2012]]

Sheehan toured with PSMS ([[Mike Portnoy|'''P'''ortnoy]] / '''S'''heehan / [[Tony MacAlpine|'''M'''acAlpine]] / [[Derek Sherinian|'''S'''herinian]]), an instrumental supergroup, in the second half of 2012.<ref name=prokofiev>Prokofiev, Dane (October 6, 2012). {{YouTube|y5MKLu1FYWg|An Interview with Tony MacAlpine (6th October, 2012)"}}. Retrieved 2012-10-19.</ref><ref>[http://www.tonymacalpine.com/news/portnoy-sheehan-macalpine-sherinian-to-tour-europe-and-asia-fall-2012/ "Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine, Sherinian To Tour Europe and Asia, Fall 2012"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412143053/http://www.tonymacalpine.com/news/portnoy-sheehan-macalpine-sherinian-to-tour-europe-and-asia-fall-2012/ |date=April 12, 2020 }}. tonymacalpine.com. 2012-07-27. Retrieved 2012-10-11.</ref><ref name=guitarinternational2013>Cavuoto, Rob (December 2013). [http://guitarinternational.com/2013/11/30/tony-macalpine-interview-new-dvd-release-live-tokyo/ "Tony MacAlpine Interview: New DVD Release Live In Tokyo"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329092338/http://guitarinternational.com/2013/11/30/tony-macalpine-interview-new-dvd-release-live-tokyo/ |date=March 29, 2014 }}. ''Guitar International''. Retrieved 2014-03-01.</ref>

Sheehan, along with Portnoy and [[Richie Kotzen]], recorded the debut album for their new band [[The Winery Dogs]] in August 2012. The [[The Winery Dogs (album)|self-titled album]] was released in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|last=Portnoy|first=Mike|title=MP Studio Diary for Portnoy/Sheehan/Kotzen sessions – Day 1|url=http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.aspx?high&m=2780180&mpage=1#2783837|access-date=April 11, 2013|archive-date=October 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019031708/http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.aspx?high&m=2780180&mpage=1#2783837|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=THE WINERY DOGS: Official Logo, Band Photo Unveiled|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=187862|publisher=BLABBERMOUTH.NET|access-date=April 11, 2013}}</ref> Their second album ''[[Hot Streak (album)|Hot Streak]]'' was released in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/hot-streak-mw0002872692|title=Hot Streak – The Winery Dogs {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=2016-08-04}}</ref>

In August 2017, he joined another band with Portnoy, a progressive metal supergroup named [[Sons of Apollo]] and also featuring keyboardist [[Derek Sherinian]], vocalist [[Jeff Scott Soto]] and guitarist [[Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal]].<ref name="teamrock">{{cite web|last1=Munro|first1=Scott|title=Supergroup Sons Of Apollo announce debut album|url=http://teamrock.com/news/2017-08-01/supergroup-sons-of-apollo-announce-debut-album|website=TeamRock.com|publisher=Future Publishing|access-date=1 August 2017|date=1 August 2017}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Sheehan has been an active member of the [[Church of Scientology]] since 1971, having converted from Catholicism.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalbass.com/archives/oct2001/billy_sheehan.htm |title=~The Complete Package~ |access-date=2008-02-28 |publisher=Global Bass online}}</ref> Sheehan and his wife, Elisabetta, live in Nashville, TN.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/billy-sheehan-why-i-moved-from-los-angeles-to-nashville | title=Billy Sheehan: Why I Moved from Los Angeles to Nashville | date=August 4, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|user=BillyonBass|number=1639056615281418241|title=Yeah, I know it was several days ago, sorry, but I just had to post the surprise I had, courtesy of my sweet wife Elisabetta}} {{user generated source|date=March 2024}}</ref>

==Partial discography==
{{Div col}}
===With Talas ===
*1979: ''Talas''
*1982: ''Sink Your Teeth into That''
*1984: ''Live Speed on Ice''
*1990: ''Talas Years'' (compilation)
*1998: ''If We Only Knew Then What We Know Now – Live in Buffalo''
*2022: ''1985''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-23 |title=Talas announce new album '1985' |url=https://distortedsoundmag.com/talas-announce-new-album-1985/ |access-date=2022-06-23 |website=Distorted Sound Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===With Thrasher===
*1985: ''Burning at the Speed of Light''

===With Daniel Piquê===
*2009: Boo!!
*2012: Chu (websingle)
*2013: Oldboy (websingle)

===With Tony MacAlpine===
*1986: ''[[Edge of Insanity]]''

===With KUNI===
*1986: ''MASQUE''

===With David Lee Roth===
*1986: ''[[Eat 'Em and Smile]]''
*1986: ''[[Eat_'Em_and_Smile#Sonrisa_Salvaje|Sonrisa Salvaje]]'' <small>(Spanish language re-recording of ''Eat 'Em and Smile'')</small>
*1988: ''[[Skyscraper (album)|Skyscraper]]''

===With Greg Howe===
*1988: ''[[Greg Howe (album)|Greg Howe]]''

===With Mr. Big ===
{{main|Mr. Big discography}}
*1989: ''[[Mr. Big (Mr. Big album)|Mr. Big]]''
*1991: ''[[Lean into It]]''
*1993: ''[[Bump Ahead]]''
*1996: ''[[Hey Man]]''
*2000: ''[[Get Over It (album)|Get Over It]]''
*2001: ''[[Actual Size]]''
*2010: ''[[What If... (Mr. Big album)|What If...]]''
*2014: ''[[...The Stories We Could Tell]]''
*2017: ''[[Defying Gravity (Mr. Big album)|Defying Gravity]]''
*2024: ''[[Ten (Mr. Big album)|Ten]]''

===With Niacin===
*1996: ''Niacin''
*1997: ''Live''
*1998: ''High Bias''
*2000: ''[[Deep (Niacin album)|Deep]]''
*2001: ''Time Crunch''
*2003: ''Live! Blood, Sweat & Beers''
*2005: ''Organik''
* 2005: ''Live in Tokyo'' (DVD)
*2013: ''Krush''

===With Explorer's Club===
*1998: ''[[Age of Impact]]''

===Solo===
*2001: ''[[Compression (album)|Compression]]''
*2005: ''[[Cosmic Troubadour]]''
*2006: ''Prime Cuts'' (compilation)
*2009: ''Holy Cow!''

===Terry Bozzio and Billy Sheehan===
*2002: ''Nine Short Films''

===With Richie Kotzen===
*1998: ''[[What Is...]]''
*2003: ''[[Change (Richie Kotzen album)|Change]]''
*2006: ''[[Ai Senshi Z×R]]''

===With The Winery Dogs===
*2013: ''[[The Winery Dogs (album)|The Winery Dogs]]''
*2014: ''Unleashed in the East / Unleashed in Japan'' 
*2015: ''[[Hot Streak (The Winery Dogs album)|Hot Streak]]''
*2017: [[Dog Years (EP)|''Dog Years'' (EP)]] / ''Dog Years: Live in Santiago''
*2023: ''III''

===With [[Michael Kocáb]]===
*2014: ''Aftershocks

===With Sons of Apollo===
*2017: ''[[Psychotic Symphony]]''
*2019: ''Live with the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony''
*2020: ''[[MMXX (album)|MMXX]]''

===With [[Mari Hamada]]===
*2018: ''[[Gracia (album)|Gracia]]''
*2023: ''[[Soar (Mari Hamada album)|Soar]]''

===With MIWA===
*2018: ''Reach Out and Touch Me''
*2020: ''Hell Is Real''

===With Octavision===
*2020: ''Coexist''
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* ''[[Bass Frontiers Magazine]]''
* [[The Handle]], a baritone electric guitar under the signature ''Billytone''
* [[Shred guitar]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group="lw"}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*{{official|billysheehan.com}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20010331054610/http://www.niacinb3.com/ Niacin official website]}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpo-swVjab0 Billy Sheehan interview on Lane Music, 2021]
*[http://guitar.com/articles/billy-sheehan-interview-mr-big-winery-dogs-steve-vai-and-more Billy Sheehan interview on Guitar.com 2014]
*[http://www.hardradio.com/shockwaves/sheehan1.html HardRadio.com interview by Joey Vera with Billy Sheehan, part 1]
*[http://www.hardradio.com/shockwaves/sheehan2.html HardRadio.com interview by Joey Vera with Billy Sheehan, part 2]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110506214448/http://www.bass-musician-magazine.com/General/bass-musician-magazine-detail.asp?year=2009&month=8&article-id=317801407 Interview with Billy Sheehan, 2009]
*[http://www.billysheehancollection.com Extensive CD collection published by or with participation of Billy Sheehan—continuously updated]
* {{discogs artist|Billy Sheehan}}
* {{imdb name|0790693}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Billy Sheehan's bands & collaborations
|list =
{{David Lee Roth}}
{{Mr. Big}}
{{The Winery Dogs}}
{{Explorers Club}}
{{Planet X}}{{Michael Schenker Group|state=autocollapse}}
}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheehan, Billy}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Buffalo, New York]]
[[Category:American rock bass guitarists]]
[[Category:American heavy metal bass guitarists]]
[[Category:American male bass guitarists]]
[[Category:American Scientologists]]
[[Category:Mr. Big (American band) members]]
[[Category:American session musicians]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:Converts to Scientology from Roman Catholicism]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:Explorers Club (band) members]]
[[Category:Michael Schenker Group members]]
[[Category:The Winery Dogs members]]
[[Category:Favored Nations artists]]
[[Category:The David Lee Roth Band members]]