Earlier this year Tattoo Billy released a double disc CD with 42 tracks, of which 20 were Retro tracks from the early nineties signed to Five Roses Publishing. Tattoo Billy are extremely proud of the fact that their producer former guitarist and band leader of the late great Keith Whitley was the guest guitarist on this new CD. The bands first album “American Shakespear” had a track featured in a Home Video called “Kiss Of The Vampire” starring Daniel Godderd Mathias Hues and Martin Kove. One of two founding members ” Ed Begley” released a novel called “Maegos Curse” this summer, which features none other than “Tatto Billy”

Tattoo Billy was founded on the vocals of Hurstel Begley. Hurstel a true country boy was born in a rustic log cabin, in the hills of eastern Kentucky. Hurstel lost his mother six weeks after his birth. The band members like most people all have had there share of tragedy; Bass player Ed Begley had survived the demise of several of his children. All these experiences good or bad come out in the bands style & sound. Hurstel Begley was raised by his aunt Dorothy ”seals” Begley, she taught him his first chords on the guitar & she learned from her brother in law Govan Begley who learned from best friend Jimmy Rodgers. Hurstel as a youth became friends with Randy Hayes, who later played on some tracks on tattoo billys first album & friend of the band. Randy was guitar player of Keith Whitley & played with J D Crowe ect. Ed Begley joined Hurstel & drummer Ron Smith in 1993, they played under several band names. They had 60 songs published between Sammy Lee Marler of five roses publishing & saddle stone in Canada. Then in the 90’s one of the letter men did one of there songs but all proceeds went to homeless shelters in Texas. Ed Begley at the time was a fighter & fought as a amateur out of Winton terrace in Cincinnati, under Arnold Bush & later fought & trained as a pro under Junior welter weight champ Aaron Pryor. in 1999 Gary Little became a permanent feature in the band. The name Tattoo Billy was Hurstel Begley’s idea, Ed was the only member in the band with tattoo’s, the name was picked since no one else had one. The band sent there first track sweet Alice to WLW radio star Gary Burbank. The song was based on his characters & Burbank loved it & other songs who encouraged the group not to give up, he thought they could be big. Then Hurstel was asked to sing at a funeral that turned out to be Dale Grays drummer of little Texas, grandmother he wanted to work with Hurstel & even complimented Hurstel by saying he was one of the best country singers he has heard. In 2007 Ed had a audition in a vampire movie ”Immortally yours” he got the part & passed off there first album to Joe Torntore & Bob Nielsen the director & editor of the movie & James Garret location manager. They loved it & put cutting loose in the movie. The bands sound had already developed into there own sound & got the attention of outstanding records who signed them, but it was short lived- This had nothing to with the band but the label misplaced funds. The band has been written in several news papers even internationally. They got allot of buzz from there low budget music video black hearted lady…people started teasing them calling them country Goths. Ed thought of the idea of video because no one ever has filmed a country music video in that style, we don’t want to do things that’s been done a million times, thats why our new album was called ”Ghosts of outlaws” like Waylon where trying to do things our way, the outlaw way. The band recently had there song aint from the country submitted to Tim McGraw….you can purchase the movie featuring there song ”kiss of the vampire …at Amazon.com