sgt. billy
| Bill O'Brien, Rex and Mike Bavaro backstage for the 'Boomtown Show' for Radio Classics Live! 5/2/09 |
| BIG FAN, Joanne Brown, meets Bill backstage after the show! |
| Here's Walter meeting the gang! Walter told Rex he was the sheriff on the very last show that Pablo was on! Walter is a big advocate to bring back local children's programming! |
Jan Connolly meets Sgt. Billy and Rex at the big show reunion of 2006. |
| Closing out the reunion Show, singing the Boomtown song, Bill plays and sings with Rex, joined by Sam Donato, Jillian Trailer and Producer Mike Bavaro. |
| A little joking around on stage: |
| The Media was there for this very special night! |
| wmjobrien.com COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIES has offices in Sandwich, MA and in Naples, Florida. William J. O'Brien, AEP,CLU Chartered Financial Consultant Comprehensive Strategies |
SGT. Billy, was a character played by Bill O'Brien. Bill was a guitar player and he worked for Lou Ciarfella, who was a member of the Junior Redmen in Wakefield, MA and played Chief Black Eagle on the Boomtown show. Lou mentioned to Bill that Rex needed a handler for Goldrush and Bill took the job. Eventually,with all his musical talents, he found himself on the show. Bill played folk music most of his young career. He was " a character with a banjo", (as he put it to me), In High School, Bill played in a group called "The 'Wildwood 3" with Chick Woodman and Steve Potter. They played in bars and coffee houses. They found themselves competing in 'The Battle of the Bands'. Bill graduated school in 1963 and followed his older brother into the Army. He was off to Korea in 1964. In the Army, Bill was part of a folk group that played at Service Centers. He later, found himself in a traveling Army show that entertained the troops. Bill traveled to Hawaii and even got to see the whole Orient! Bill was a member of the U.S. Cavalry and rose to the rank of Sergeant,-just like his character on the Boomtown show. Bill was also a member of The Honor Guard at his Fort. Back in the U.S., Bill met Dick Kilbride, (who played Pablo on the show). Dick provided Bill with a manager to get him jobs at night time 'happy hrs.' He made a couple of recordings to MGM Records. He had become a pretty busy guy. He was attending Berkley College of Music, made a living doing his music gigs, the Boomtown T.V. show and traveled all over the country. He went with Rex Trailer doing Boomtown road shows at places like Indian Ranch and also went on the Crimson Travel Tours to " beautiful sunny California ". If this wasn't enough, he was also a flight instructor! When the Boomtown show ended it's run, "it was time to find a real job" he said. |
| Rex, Dusty Pipes and Bill backstage at the 2009 MCMAA show. |
| Bill O'Brien cracking everybody up with a joke about his Cavalry Uniform fit at the Massachusetts Country Music Association Awards Show with Rex this past September. Bill looked great and the man can really play a mean banjo! They both were a big hit at the show! |
| This page is still under construction. (Oct 14,2009) |
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