Billy Strings
Billy Strings is a Michigan-raised singer, songwriter and guitarist who brings bluegrass picking, personal songs and long improvisations to records and stages.
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Latest
Billy’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
- So Much for Goodbyes2026 · Singer, songwriter and co-producer
Reprise - Highway Prayers2024 · Singer, guitarist and co-producer
Reprise - RounderMe/And/Dad2022 · With Terry Barber
- Renewal2021 · Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
Rounder - Home2019 · Singer and guitarist
Rounder - Dust in a Baggie2012 · House-party performance
YouTube
Overview
- Name
- William Apostol, known as Billy Strings
- Roots
- Raised in Muir, Michigan; moved to Nashville in 2016
- Makes
- Bluegrass songs, guitar improvisations and live recordings
- Breakout
- A 2012 house-party performance of “Dust in a Baggie” spread online
- Latest studio album
- So Much for Goodbyes (2026)
- Grammy wins
- Three Best Bluegrass Album wins: Home, Live Vol. 1 and Highway Prayers
Mini bio
How it started.
William Apostol grew up in Muir, Michigan, playing bluegrass with his stepfather, Terry Barber. Guitar was part of his childhood by age four. As a teenager he also played in metal bands, before returning to acoustic music and teaming up with mandolinist Don Julin.
The song that traveled.
An early house-party performance of “Dust in a Baggie” spread online. In 2016 he moved to Nashville and built a band around his songs and open-ended improvisations.
Records with room to roam.
Turmoil & Tinfoil arrived in 2017, followed by Home in 2019 and Renewal in 2021. In 2022, Me/And/Dad brought him back to songs he learned with Terry Barber. Highway Prayers followed in 2024, co-produced with Jon Brion.
Where he is now.
Home, Live Vol. 1 and Highway Prayers each won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. His 2026 album, So Much for Goodbyes, was co-produced with T Bone Burnett and honors his late mother, whose artwork appears on the cover.
Creditschronological, newest first
- 2026So Much for GoodbyesSinger, songwriter and co-producer with T Bone Burnett
- 2025Apple Music Nashville SessionsVocals and guitar
- 2025Live at the LegionGuitar, vocals and co-producer with Bryan Sutton
- 2024Highway PrayersVocals, guitar and co-producer with Jon Brion
- 2022Me/And/DadPerformer with Terry Barber; co-producer with Gary Paczosa
- 2021RenewalVocals, guitar, mandolin, piano, synth and guitjo
- 2019HomeSinger and guitarist
- 2017Turmoil & TinfoilRecording artist
Awards
Quotes
I made this record to honor my mother.Billy Strings, official So Much for Goodbyes release announcement
On the album’s dedication to Debra Apostol. https://sacksco.com/pr/billy_strings_063026.html
Trivia
- His Aunt Mondi gave him the nickname Billy Strings. He later adopted it as a stage name in her honor.
- Before Nashville, he played in metal bands called To Once Darkened Skies and A Day of Moments.
- Molly Tuttle was once his roommate in Nashville.
- The “Dust in a Baggie” house-party video was filmed around 3 a.m. on September 16, 2012.
- So Much for Goodbyes uses cover artwork made by his mother, Debra Apostol.
Find Billy
Follow his songs, videos and notes from the road.
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