Billy Lawlor



    Leader of the Billy Lawlor Band, keyboardist, vocalist, private instructor & entertainer, Billy has been a mainstay at the Jersey Shore since the late 70's. Billy was introduced to the Shore area by his father, Bill Lawlor, who enjoyed a successful career as an organist/singer/entertainer during the 50's through the 70's........seeing what it was like performing and entertaining while around his dad, Billy got "bit by the bug", and so began Billy's relationship with the Shore music scene.

    As a recording artist, Billy has recorded 4 CD's, 2 of which are live recordings at Jersey Shore locations, showing off the band's party, rock and roll style, while the other 2 are Christmas CD's, studio jazz recordings. One is for Catholic Charities Behavioral Health Care Programs, and the other most recently for Make A Wish Foundation of NJ. The two Christmas CD's are another side of Billy's musical style & taste. They are both jazzier recordings along the style of Vince Guaraldi (composer of all of the Charlie Brown animated TV shows), and Oscar Peterson. The musicians on both  holiday recordings are current or past members of Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Ray Charles, Tower of Power, Gloria Estafan.

    Comparisons to piano players such as Bruce Hornsby ( a classmate of Billy's from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.) and Billy Joel happen often, as Billy is prone to pull out some of their songs while performing.

    Billy is also an accomplished organist, and is currently the choir/music director for Christ United Methodist Church, Lakewood, NJ. For CUMC he leads the 20 member choir weekly for rehearsal and services. Prior to, Billy was the organist/vocalist for Our Lady Star of the Sea RC Church, Long Branch, NJ for 23 years. Billy is always requested at various other churches for sub work when available.
   
    Billy studied privately with Emory Hack, Perth Amboy, NJ for 8 years, and then went on to attend Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA. in the early 70's. He studied with Dean Earl all through college. Dean was Count Basie's sub, and also an arranger/pianist for Billie Holiday. While in Berklee, Billy was privileged to play with the likes of drummer Steve Smith, who went on to a successful career with the band "Journey". Steve so performed with Billy on his audition tape recording for New England Conservatory of Music.   As an accompanist, Billy has performed at  The Julliard School and The Manhattan School of Music, both in New York, The Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY, The Boston Conservatory & Berklee College of Music, Boston MA, and Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ, along with numerous, varied locations for male and female vocalists, in either the classical, jazz or popular style.

Married to his wife Linda, Billy enjoys living at the Jersey Shore year round, venturing  to locations up and down the Eastern seaboard. From Rhode Island to New York, down to Washington, DC.........concerts in minor league baseball stadiums......private events at the Plaza Hotel, or the New York Marathon in NYC, Billy will travel with his band, an ambassador with Jersey roots, providing the best in music and entertainment that Jersey has to offer.