Billy Ward

Billy started piano lessons at age six and continued to study to be a classical concert pianist throughout his teenage years. From a musical family – his great, great grandfather was a member of John Phillip Sousa’s band in the early 1900’s – Billy played his first professional job at age 16 with his Uncle Dan Vece (who played professionally until the age of 100). He continued to study music at The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University and the Berklee College of Music.

Boston, Massachusetts became Billy’s home in the late 80’s where performed almost every night, playing everything from Dixieland to Rock & Roll, R&B and Punk in many of Boston’s bars and concert venues. Some of his bands included Billy and the Boys, The Incredible Dixieland Band, The Tall Boys, Blue Moon, B.O.M.B., The Undertakers, and The Ozone Rangers. The Undertakers Band is still going strong with their first music video appearing in 2013.

In the early 90’s Billy got back to his roots and started rocking again on the grand piano at Jake Ivory’s in Boston and West Bridgewater, MA. After leaving Boston in 1995 he performed at Howl at the Moon in San Antonio, Texas and Miami, Florida. Billy also has performed in Kelowna, Canada, at The Navy Club in Seoul, Korea, in Sasebo, Japan, Mexico, and in most major cities in the United States. In the fall of 2003 Billy moved to Arizona to help open The Big Bang Tempe, where he was an Owner, The Entertainment Director and a featured performer. Billy left The Big Bang in 2011 to pursue his goal of focusing on his own music, producing, and other creative interests. He still performs in the greater Phoenix area regularly, at such venues as Casino Arizona at Talking Stick, Toby Keith’s *I Love This Bar and Grill*, and other local restaurants and clubs. Billy’s album of Christmas piano music can be found on iTunes as well as Spotify, Amazon.com, rdio, and iHeartradio, among others.

Because of his years of experience in almost every style of music, Billy rocks in a way that few people can – incorporating elements of Bach to Big Band to whatever is on the radio now, while sprinkling in generous amounts of unbridled humor in his energetic, spontaneous performances.