Billy Butler

by Ron Wynn and Richard LiebersonA tasty soul-jazz and blues guitarist, Billy Butler adroitly mixed a Charlie Christian approach with 50s R&B grooves and backbeats. He coaxed a warm, fat tone from his hollow-bodied electric guitar, and provided deceptively simple solos and fills that became staples of the R&B guitar vocabularly. Bill Doggetts Honky Tonk, featuring Butler, is perhaps the prototype R&B guitar instrumental. Ram-Bunk-Shush and Big Boy are other highlights of his tenure with Doggett. He began playing with the doo-wop/R&B group the Harlemaires in the late 40s, then led combos until 1952, when he joined Doc Bagbys trio. Butler co-wrote Honky Tonk while playing with Doggett from 1954 to 1961. He also recorded with King Curtis, Dinah Washington, Panama Francis, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Smith and David Fathead Newman in the 60s. Butler worked in Broadway pit bands beginning in the late 60s, but found time for recording sessions with Houston Person and Norris Turney in the late 60s and 70s. He led his own band and recorded for Prestige in the late 60s and early 70s. Butler also recorded with Al Casey and Jackie Williams. He toured Europe frequently in the 70s and 80s, doing sessions there and in America.