Billy Strings
Best known for
Guitar
Billy Strings is one of the defining bluegrass guitarists of his generation, pairing flatpicking technique rooted in Doc Watson and Tony Rice with rock and jam-band sensibilities, and one of the very few artists to take traditional bluegrass instrumentation onto major festival main stages and Top 40 country charts.
- Born William Lee Apostol on October 3, 1992 in Lansing, Michigan; nickname "Billy Strings" was given by his aunt as a child.
- Raised by his stepfather Terry Barber, a working bluegrass musician, who taught him to flatpick on Doc Watson and Bill Monroe records.
- Toured Michigan in 2012–2016 as a duo with mandolinist Don Julin before launching the solo career; named IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year in 2016.
- Released his debut Turmoil & Tinfoil in 2017; signed to Rounder Records in 2019, with subsequent albums Home (2019), Renewal (2021), Me/And/Dad (2022, with Terry Barber), and Highway Prayers (2024).
- Won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album three times: Home (2021), Live Vol. 1 (2025), and Highway Prayers (2026).
- Won the IBMA Entertainer of the Year award in back-to-back years 2021 and 2022, plus IBMA Guitar Player of the Year (2019) and Song of the Year for "Red Daisy" (2022).
- Tours with Billy Failing (banjo), Royal Masat (bass), Jarrod Walker (mandolin), and Alex Hargreaves (fiddle).
- Frequent on-stage collaborator with Phish, Del McCoury, Sam Bush, David Grisman, Tommy Emmanuel, and Bill Kreutzmann's Billy & the Kids.
-
Billy Strings and Don JulinPlayed on recordings with Billy Strings and Don Julin
-
Billy StringsPlayed on recordings with Billy Strings
-
Billy Strings and Bryan SuttonPlayed on recordings with Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton
-
Tony TrischkaPlayed on recordings with Tony Trischka
-
Billy Strings and Del McCouryPlayed on recording with Billy Strings and Del McCoury
-
Bobby Osborne and C.J. LewandowskiPlayed on recording with Bobby Osborne and C.J. Lewandowski
-
Dan TyminskiPlayed on recording with Dan Tyminski
-
Leftover SalmonPlayed on recording with Leftover Salmon
-
Mark LavengoodPlayed on recording with Mark Lavengood