Billy Byrd
William Lewis Byrd (17 February 1920 – 7 August 2001) was an American country lead guitarist (with some jazz leanings) and studio musician who performed with Ernest Tubb, the Oak Ridge Quartet, Tex Ritter, George Hamilton IV, Jimmy Dickens and others. He helped to popularize the role of the electric lead guitarist in country music and, with fellow guitarist Hank Garland, was responsible for input into the design of the Gibson Byrdland guitar, named after parts of the names of both players. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Nashville (capital and largest city of Tennessee, United States), Died August 7, 2001 (Nashville (capital and largest city of Tennessee, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1938 - 1970
Roles Represented in DAHR: electric guitar, guitar, lead guitar
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 216 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-027749 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | I've had a big time today | Dixieliners ; Arthur Smith | Male vocal solo, with string band and vocal ensemble | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-027750 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | The farmer's daughter | Dixieliners ; Arthur Smith | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-027751 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | Gypsy's warning | Dixieliners ; Arthur Smith | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-027752 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | In the pines | Dixieliners ; Arthur Smith | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-027753 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | Why should I wonder? | Dixieliners ; Arthur Smith | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-027754 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | When the roses grow around the cabin door | Dixieliners ; Arthur Smith | Male vocal solo, with string band and vocal ensemble | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-027755 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | I'm lonesome, I guess | Dixieliners ; Arthur Smith | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-027756 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | Hesitating blues | Dixieliners ; Arthur Smith | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-027757 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | Girl of my dreams | Dixieliners ; Arthur Smith | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-027758 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | Give me old-time music | Dixieliners ; Arthur Smith | Male vocal solo, with string band and vocal ensemble | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO40406 | 10-in. | 1/16/1949 | Take an old cold 'tater (and wait) | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO40407 | 10-in. | 1/16/1949 | Pennies for Papa | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO50719 | 10-in. | 1/7/1954 | It's been nice | George Morgan | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO50720 | 10-in. | 1/7/1954 | Walking shoes | George Morgan | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO50721 | 10-in. | 1/7/1954 | I think I'm going to cry | George Morgan | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO50722 | 10-in. | 1/7/1954 | Sweetheart | George Morgan | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO53597 | 10-in. | 6/24/1955 | Lonesome record | George Morgan | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO53598 | 10-in. | 6/24/1955 | Ever so often | George Morgan | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO53599 | 10-in. | 6/24/1955 | Little pioneer | George Morgan | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO53601 | 10-in. | 6/24/1955 | Jesus savior pilot me | George Morgan | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Decca | 82985 | 6/16/1952 | Fortune in memories | Ernest Tubb and his Texas Troubadours | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 166 | 5/1/1949 | I'm biting my fingernails and thinking of you-2 | Earl Cross | instrumentalist, lead guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 167 | 5/1/1949 | Lovesick blues-1 | Eddie Crosby | instrumentalist, lead guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 168 | 5/1/1949 | Sugarfoot boogie | Billy Byrd ; Don Davis ; Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland ; Elbert "Eggy" McEwan ; Jimmy Selph | instrumentalist, lead guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 169 | 5/1/1949 | Have you ever been lonely-2 | Earl Cross | instrumentalist, lead guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Byrd, Billy," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110929.
Byrd, Billy. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110929.
"Byrd, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Byrd, Billy - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no98049897
Wikidata: Billy Byrd - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q11854248
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/56226851
MusicBrainz: Billy Byrd - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/8c063c20-d5fe-4d7b-b953-d5bcbf901150
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