Billy Dean

[Announcer] Coming up on Studio 3 LIVE, it's Billy Dean.

♪ ...mend what needs mendin' ♪
♪ Walk what needs walkin' though it means an extra mile ♪

[Billy] Country music was always — As I was growing up, it was kind of the music for your mom and dad, you know? You had to live life a little bit in order to kind of understand an old Merle Haggard song or a Willie Nelson song.

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(Cheers and applause)

Good evening and welcome to Studio 3 LIVE. I'm your host, Mickey Davis. Tonight we are excited to welcome Billy Dean to the Studio 3 LIVE stage.

A celebrated, award-winning country singer and songwriter, Billy has established himself as a modern-day American troubadour with dozens of top-10 songs, including "Only Here for a Little While" and "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" punctuating an illustrious career lasting over three decades.

Billy has collaborated and shared the stage with other country luminaries including The Judds, Kenny Rogers, Alison Krauss, and others.

We are honored to have such a talented storyteller join us onstage tonight. Please help me welcome Billy Dean.

(Cheers and applause)

[Billy] Thank you. Wow. Wow.

(Down-tempo introduction plays)

♪♪

♪ Well, he pours his heart out each night
♪ At the corner bar down on South Seventh Street
♪ It ain't for the money
♪ And it ain't for the fame
♪ But at least the beer's cold and it's cheap
♪ He had two dollar bills in his jar
♪ Hard livin' written on a pale face
♪ He said, "Boy, you want to be a star
♪ With your name engraved on your guitar case?

♪♪

♪ Son, take my advice
♪ The only two things that matter in this life
♪ Is your family and your time
♪ You'd better hold on to both 'cause we all become ghosts

♪ He said, "You'd better watch your back"
♪ If you make it up to Nashville, Tennessee
♪ I once had a song on the charts
♪ It cost me just about everything

♪ Son, take my advice
♪ The only two things that matter in this life
♪ Is your family and your time
♪ You'd better hold on to both 'cause we all become ghosts

♪♪

♪ You come home off the road
♪ And your kids hardly know who you are
♪ When you walk through the door
♪ While you sell your soul, her heart will grow cold
♪ She'll say, "I can't do this anymore"
♪ Well, I picked up his tab... ...and I helped him load up that old Chevrolet.
♪ And he kind of laughed.
♪ And in a rusted-out voice, I heard him say...

♪ "Son, take my advice
♪ If I were you, I would go straight home tonight
♪ And hug your daughter
♪ And kiss your wife 
♪ And hold on to both 
♪ 'Cause we all become ghosts

♪♪

(Cheers and applause)

[Billy] That's a brand-new song off our new album. A whole collection of brand-new songs.

[Mickey] Billy, thanks so much for being here today.

[Billy] Man, thank you, Mickey, for having me. I love the show.

[Mickey] Tell me a little bit about life these days. What's life like? What are you up to in these days of Billy Dean?

[Billy] Oh, man. Well, first of all, thanks for having me, and thank all you guys for loving the '90s music. You know, '90s country music — not just country, but I think the '90s music in general is making a resurgence. And therefore, it's kind of — You know, I wasn't really retired.

I was still — I was living down in Florida. I still am living in Florida, where I'm from, but I was writing songs, and I was writing stories. I wanted to, you know, stay relevant in that regard. And so I got this idea to maybe even try long-form writing, writing a book. But I had written a bunch of really great songs, and it was bothering me that these things were not out on an album. And I thought, "Well, does anybody even care?" These days, you know, would they really care? Because, you know, I always like to play the old songs. People want to come to my shows to hear those songs, to take them back, you know, to the '90s. So we definitely do that.

But what I've been up to these days is really trying to get better at writing in general, staying healthy as I can, and being a grandpa, man. I'm a grandpa now.

[Mickey] Congratulations.

[Billy] So I'm loving every bit of that.

[Mickey] That's great. You mentioned you're playing some new songs tonight off a new album. Is that correct?

[Billy] That's correct. This album is called "This Old Guitar." And me and that old guitar has been through a lot, you know?

And I feel like some of the best songs or best stories, you know, that I've had, you know, inside me that needed to get out — and the older you get, you know, you don't really need to be singing — I don't need to be singing love songs anymore.

I'm 64 years old now, and I've got a lot of great stories to tell, and so I'm really excited to see how they will be received, because they are different, but they're very much built around just me and the guitar and a good story.

[Billy] Could I do one more new one before we go down to the '90s and play all those classics, man? How about that? Would that work?

(Cheers and applause)

(Down-tempo introduction plays)

Got a close friend.
Childhood friend.
He's like a brother.

He had a son and a daughter.
I had a son and a daughter.

All close within ages of each other.

Then he had his first grandson.
And I had my first granddaughter.

Then he kind of outdid me, and his daughter had twins. We haven't caught up to that yet.

But he called me up, and he says, "Man, I wanted to let you know the twins are doing good. And while Molly's in the hospital, we're gonna get to keep our grandson all week long without Mom and Dad."

You guys know what that's like, right?

So I was so happy for him.

And I said, "Man, I am so happy for you."

And I got to thinking about five or six days going by and then he has to put him in that car and send him back to his mom and dad.

And I thought, "Buddy, you're gonna need a handkerchief on Sunday, you know, when you have to get him back."

And then as soon as I said it, I realized... all of our young lives, you don't see young guys with handkerchiefs.

You see grandpas with handkerchiefs.

So I said, "Man, I hate to hang up on you, but I got a big song idea. I'll call you back later."

(Laughter)

♪♪

♪ He had a handkerchief 
♪ Like most grandpas do
♪ He said, "One of these days you're gonna need one, too
♪ Like when your baby girl puts a wedding dress on
♪ And your last kid moves away from home
♪ Or saying your goodbyes to a loved one that's gone
♪ It was made of plain white linen
♪ And his initials stitched in red
♪ It had dried him many teardrop and the sweat off his forehead
♪ And it sure does come in handy on occasions just like thes
♪ I guess if we live long enough, we're gonna need...
♪ ...a handkerchief.

♪ A handkerchief

♪ He made a tourniquet when I nearly cut off my thumb
♪ And that handkerchief turned red as the pain went numb
♪ And I won't forget that Sabbath day
♪ When grandma cried
♪ And grandpa waved a flag of sweet surrender
♪ Oh, as I was being saved 
♪ It was made of plain white linen 
♪ And his initials stitched in red 
♪ It had dried him many teardrop and the sweat off his forehead 
♪ And it sure does come in handy on occasions just like these
♪ I guess if we live long enough, we're gonna need...
♪ ...a handkerchief

♪♪

♪ Oh, a handkerchief

♪♪

♪ Well, he loved this congregation
♪ I know you loved him, too.
♪ And I want to thank you all for coming 
♪ so I could share these thoughts with you.

♪ You see, I know he's up there with the father
♪ the son, and the Holy Ghost.

♪ A man of a few possessions and the one that I cherish most

♪ It was made of plain white linen
♪ His initials stitched in red
♪ It had dried him many teardrop and the sweat off his forehead
♪ And it sure does come in handy on occasions just like these
♪ I guess if we live long enough
♪ We're all gonna need...
♪ ...a handkerchief

♪♪

♪ Oh, a handkerchief

(Applause)

Thank you. Oh. How are you guys doing back there in the back?

(Cheers and applause)

All good? Thank you. Well, my goodness. If I had a big enough bus, I'd carry you all with me everywhere I went to. I would. Thank you so much.

Thanks for indulging me with those couple of new songs. I don't get to play the new ones out that much, and so it's nice to see and hear how they're received. And I'm very proud of this album, but I'm gonna get into the '90s country music, which is my generation.

And I want to thank you all for helping that make a bit of a comeback. We got '90s country-music fans out there?

(Cheers and applause)

I know, or you wouldn't be here.

(Mid-tempo introduction playing)

Well, let me just start with a couple of my favorites for you.

♪♪

♪ Well, I remember as a child, on a dark and stormy night 
♪ I heard the screen door slam and I was overcome with fright
♪ So afraid that something bad was tryin' to get in 
♪ And then Mama came to comfort me and said
♪ Son, it's only the wind, and nothing more
♪ Not the end of the world that's knockin' at your door
♪ So close your eyes and dream again
♪ Believe me, it's only the wind

♪♪

♪ Well, every time I've had to face a bitter storm of life 
♪ Those words of comfort were my shelter in the night 
♪ But tonight I don't believe that I'm able to pretend
♪ This storm you and I are up against
♪ Is only the wind

♪♪

♪ Oh, I can hear you downstairs and you're just about to leave 
♪ There's nothing else that I can do to keep you here with me 
♪ And now the screen door's slammin' and I'm frightened once again 
♪ What I wouldn't give if I could be convinced

♪ It was only the wind ♪♪ ♪ And nothing more
♪ Not the end of my world that's walkin' out that door 
♪ And I wish that I could dream again 
♪ Believin' it's only the wind

♪ Ooh
♪ Ooh, ooh 
♪ It's only the wind

(Cheers and applause)

[Billy] Thank you!

[Mickey] Both with the new songs and with some of the songs that, you know, a lot of our audience are familiar with, they're seen in a very different context tonight. Instead of the full band, you know, the kind of big, larger-than-life production of when they were released in the '90s it's just you and the guitar.

How do you see those songs being received differently from an audience when it's more intimate, maybe more about the lyrics and the songwriting as opposed to kind of the full-band experience?

[Billy] That's a great question, because when I'm playing by myself, I can be present in the moment, and I never sing the songs or deliver them the same way. Some nights I might sing a line, some nights it might be... I just need to speak that line.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Billy] Or maybe slow it down, you know, or speed it up in areas. You can't really do that with a band because the band is — They're on a chart. You know, they've got structure. You got to play it the same way every night.

But the real thrill of playing live for me is when I can feel it real time, in the moment, I can deliver it real time to the people, and I get a reaction back. Because I think, you know, music is a two-way conversation. You got to have the guys singing and writing, but you need that feedback from the audience because they make you feel a little something different. And then in that real time, you can then deliver the song a little differently based on what you're receiving — what I'm receiving from the audience. So that exercise is really fun for me.

I can get up and regurgitate, you know, the show to the letter with the band, 'cause we've got that tweaked pretty good. But when it comes to what I get a big kick out of, it is just this living-room setting, just me and some folks, telling them a story, you know?

[Billy] Oh, thank you.

(Cheers and applause)

Thank you so much.

This next song was a very pivotal song for me. It was my second single that came out, and so I was still pretty much a brand-new artist.

And it came out. It went all the way to number one. I got my first number-one song. Then the Academy of Country Music voted it their Song of the Year in 1992.

(Applause)

And that was pretty good, right? Not bad. So if you could re-imagine this song on the guitar as we wrote it on the piano, it would sound something like this.

(Down-tempo introduction plays)

♪♪

♪ Well, you made up your mind
♪ It was time it was over
♪ After we had come so far
♪ But I think there's enough pieces of forgiveness
♪ Somewhere in my broken heart 
♪ Well, I would not have chosen the road you have taken 
♪ It has left us miles apart 
♪ But I think I can still find the will to keep goin' 
♪ Somewhere in my broken heart

♪♪

♪ So fly and go ahead and fly 
♪ Until you find out who you are 
♪ And I, well, I will keep my love unspoken 
♪ Somewhere in my broken heart 
♪ I hope that in time you will find what you long for 
♪ Love that's written in the stars 
♪ And when you finally do, I think you will see
♪ It's somewhere in my broken heart

♪♪

♪ And, girl, I will keep my love unspoken 
♪ Somewhere in my broken heart 
♪ I hope that in time you will find what you long for 
♪ Love that's written in the stars 
♪ And when you finally do, I think you will see 
♪ It's somewhere in my broken... 
♪ Somewhere in my broken... 
♪ Somewhere In my broken heart

(Cheers and applause)

[Billy] Thank you. Thank you very much.

This is a... (Chuckles)

This buddy of mine, Guy Clark, he's not with us anymore. He wrote on the third floor of the EMI building there at our publishing company. And I heard him working on this song one day, and it was called "Men Will Be Boys."

I heard him say this line, "The only difference between men and boys is the size of their feet and the price of their toys."

And I said, "That is me. That's me right there." And so he said, "Let's go out and have a have a drink." I didn't drink a lot back then, and I said, "Guy, I don't know. I'll drink with you, but, you know, I'm not a big drinker or anything." I said, "You know, doesn't that stuff kill brain cells?" And he goes... "How do you know it ain't killin' the ones that's been holdin' you back?"

(Laughter)

I thought that was a good point. Guy, after having a couple of drinks, he said, "All right. I'll let you record this one."

(Mid-tempo introduction playing)

♪♪

♪ Only the difference between the men and the boys 
♪ Is the size of their feet and the price of their toys 
♪ Always horsin' around, makin' too much noise 
♪ Ain't it funny how us men'll be boys

♪ Sneakin' out of the house
♪ Just tryin' to have a little fun 
♪ Yeah, lookin' for something that he ain't done 
♪ Look what the cat dragged in at the break of dawn 
♪ Well, he ain't passed out 
♪ He's just out there campin' on the lawn

♪ Only difference between the men and the boys 
♪ Is the size of their feet and the price of their toys 
♪ Always horsin' around, makin' too much noise 
♪ Ain't it funny how us men'll be boys 
♪ Kickin' tires 'round a pickup truck 
♪ Drinkin' that ice-cold beer — throwin' it right back up

♪ Smokin' and jokin' out behind the shed  
♪ And cussin' a blue streak till the girls turn red 
♪ Only the difference between the men and the boys 
♪ is the size of their feet and the price of their toys
♪ Always horsin' around, makin' too much noise 
♪ Ain't it funny how us men'll be boys 
♪ Spend your lifetime... growin' up, Dennis

♪ Or you can spend your lifetime down in a rut 
♪ When it comes a time to make a choice 
♪ Now, most men just as soon be boys 
♪ Only difference between the men and the boys 
♪ Is the size of their feet and the price of their toys 
♪ Always horsin' around, makin' too much noise 
♪ Ain't it funny how us men'll be boys
♪ Horsin' around, makin' too much noise 
♪ Oh, ain't it funny how men'll be boys

(Cheers and applause)

[Billy] Thank you so much. This is a crazy business. I've had such a wonderful time. One of the greatest moments was getting to work with the great Kenny Rogers. And I got to be friends with Kenny over the years, and we did a lot of Christmas shows together. We would do sometimes 25 shows in 26 or 27 days. It was crazy.

But I got to meet Dolly Parton through Kenny Rogers, and Dolly Parton calls me up one day, and she goes, "Billy Dean, I'm doing a movie in Nashville called 'Blue Valley Songbird,' just a little TV movie, and I want you to be in my movie." And I said, "Well, Dolly, I don't know a thing about acting. I've done some country-music videos, but that's about all I know how to do."

She goes, "Well, let me just put it to you this way. Your character and my character have a love scene."

(Laughter)

I said, "I'll see you on Monday."

(Laughter)

I'm thinking to myself, "How much acting skill do you really need to make out with Dolly Parton?" Right? I mean, right? So it comes time to shoot the love scene, right? Now, I'm gonna describe it to you.

It went down like this.

Here's the bedroom set. I'm sitting on the edge of the bed like this, right? The camera's over here on my left, and the director is over here. And he walks over to talk me through the love scene.

He said, "Now, Billy, you're gonna be sitting like this, facing the camera, and Dolly's gonna be sitting right behind you. And when I say, 'Action,' I want you to turn and look Dolly right in the eye and deliver your line." I just had one line.

"Deliver your line. Then I want you to lean in and give her a kiss. Then I want you to lay her down on the bed and continue the kiss. Then the lights are gonna fade to black, and that's the end of the love scene." So while I'm talking to the director, they bring her out, sit her behind me, and they realize I'm blocking the shot. They can't see Dolly.

So while I'm talking to the director, they put her up on a box — they call him them an apple box — with a pillow, which is about this high. But now put this picture in your mind if you can. Picture this. I'm on the edge of the bed. Dolly Parton now is about a head and neck taller than I am.

(Laughter)

So when they said, "Action," I turn...

(Laughter)

...and I forgot my line. 'Cause it wasn't her eyes...

(Laughter)

I was looking into. I forgot my line, and I panicked. And I heard Dolly whisper, "Just start there and work your way up to the kiss."

(Laughter)

So I did. It was the best 13 seconds of my life!

(Laughter)
(Applause)

Oh, my goodness.

It wasn't long after that I got to do the movie "Blue Valley Songbird" with her I get a call to sing the closing-credits song about the greatest bull rider who ever lived, by the name of Lane Frost.

(Applause)

Yep.

Y'all might remember. The movie was called "8 Seconds," and they gave me this really great honor of singing the closing-credits song. It's a song about heroes, and Lane Frost was a — He was a hero to a lot of people.

(Down-tempo introduction plays)

♪ Once in a while, someone comes along 
♪ That one-in-a-million heart so pure and so strong 
♪ They can face up to the tears and somehow still find a smile
♪ But we only get 'em every once in a while

♪ Once in a while, someone has the eyes 
♪ That one-in-a-million look that never tells lies
♪ They can get you on your feet to walk that extra mile 
♪ But we only see 'em every once in a while

♪ That's why we call them heroes
♪ That's why we know their names
♪ And once you've heard their stories
♪ You're never quite the same

♪ And that's why we call them heroes
♪ 'Cause the best thing they ever do
♪ Is they point to the best in us all
♪ They say, If I can, you can too

♪ Once in a while, I still hear his voice 
♪ That one-in-a-million sound like two laughing boys 
♪ He would hate it if we cried, that never was his style 
♪ Oh, how I miss him every once in a while

♪ Oh, how I miss him every once in awhile

(Cheers and applause)

[Mickey] When you perform in that kind of setting, or even in any setting these days, and you're playing songs that you know folks in the audience have, you know, a very familiar relationship with, right?

[Billy] Yeah.

[Mickey] It was on the cassette in their car in the '90s or the CD.

Yeah.

[Mickey] They've got some kind of emotional attachment to that song. I would imagine you do, too, right? You were in a period of your life when you wrote them. You know, after playing these songs for so many years, how has your relationship with the song changed over that time too?

[Billy] You know, when you're younger — I was in my 20s when I got my record deal. And country music was always — As I was growing up, it was kind of the music for your mom and dad, you know? You had to live life a little bit in order to kind of understand an old Merle Haggard song or a Willie Nelson song.

Of course, we're all getting younger and younger these days, people getting record deals.

So some of the songs, man, that I sang, I hadn't really lived them yet, you know? I knew a little bit about what a heartbreak was. But, man, nowadays, you know, celebrating 35 years of being in this business, these lyrics go by now — specifically like "Only Here for a Little While" — you know, "I'm gonna hold who needs holding, mend what needs mending 'cause we're only here for a little while."

Well, now I've lost people in my life, friends and family, and that song has a deeper meaning now for me than it did when I was in my 20s.

(Mid-tempo introduction playing)

♪ I'm gonna hold who needs holdin' 
♪ Mend what needs mendin' 
♪ Walk what needs walkin' 
♪ Though it means an extra mile 
♪ And pray what needs prayin' 
♪ Say what needs saying 
♪ 'Cause we're only here for a little while

♪ Well, today I stood singin' songs and saying amen 
♪ Saying goodbye to an old friend that seemed so young 
♪ Well, he spent his life workin' hard to chase that dollar 
♪ Putting off until tomorrow the things he should have done 
♪ Made me stop and think, "What's the hurry, why the runnin'?"
♪ I don't like what I'm becoming,I'm gonna change my style 
♪ I'm gonna take my time and not take it all for granted
♪ 'Cause we're only here for a little while

♪ Gonna hold who needs holdin' 
♪ Mend what needs mendin' 
♪ Walk what needs walkin' 
♪ Though it means an extra mile 
♪ And pray what needs prayin' 
♪ Say what needs saying 
♪ 'Cause we're only here for a little while

♪ So let me love like I'll never see tomorrow 
♪ Treat each day like it's borrowed 
♪ Like it's precious as a child 
♪ And take my hand 
♪ Why don't we just reach out to each other?
♪ 'Cause we're only here for a little while

♪ Gonna hold who needs holdin'
♪ Mend what needs mendin' 
♪ Walk what needs walkin' 
♪ Though it means an extra mile  
♪ And pray what needs prayin' 
♪ Say what needs saying 
♪ 'Cause we're only here for a little while  

♪ Yes, we're only here for a little while 
♪ Yes, we're only here 
♪ For a little while

(Cheers and applause)

[Billy] Thank you so much.

Wow.

So, I grew up in the 1960s, right? I was born in '62, and the Vietnam war was going on during that time, and the draft was going on at the time. What I realized is dads, especially, that had been through war, they raised their sons differently. You didn't have time to be a kid. Man, it was a dangerous world, and he had to grow me up quick. And I rebelled against that.

Hence, songs like "I Miss Billy the Kid," "Men Will Be Boys," "Young Man," and this particular song, that I actually wrote for my kids, called "Let Them Be Little." This is a song I wrote with my good friend Richie McDonald.

And I'll tell you kind of a funny story. So, my daughter was 16 when I sang this song on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time. She was a lot younger when we wrote it. But she calls me up.

I'm standing backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, and I'm talking to Mel Tillis. Do you guys remember who Mel Tillis was? The country singer? He stuttered. A stuttering boy.

So my phone rings, and it's my daughter Hannah. And she's 16 now, and she goes, "Dad, I want you to meet my new boyfriend." We hadn't talked about dating or anything. I didn't know she had a boyfriend. We hadn't discussed that. She said, "Can I bring him in backstage at the Opry?" And I said, "Sure. I said, "Yeah. I do want to meet him."

(Laughter)

And so the curtains were closed at the Opry, and I told my daughter, "I'm standing behind the drums, talking to Mel Tillis."

And they were kind of adjusting the lights backstage, you know? And my daughter and this young kid walks in, and the lights kind of — I just looked over, and there was something blinging off this kid's face. And it became apparent when he walked up. This kid was into piercings.

(Laughter)

Never judge a book by its cover, right? That's what I taught my kids, but I never lived by it. Anyway...

(Laughter)

This kid had things in his ears and nose and — anyway, I didn't know what to say. And Mel Tillis tried to say it for me.

(Laughter)

Now, I am not an impersonator, but I'm gonna give you my best Mel Tillis. Mel — Mel took one look at that poor kid, and he goes, "Uh — Uh, hold on... uh, just a...a second, uh, son."

(Laughter)

He says, "Uh — Uh, you look like, uh, to me that you fell face, uh, first... in a tackle box."

(Laughter)

I never had to say a word. I felt so sorry for the kid. I really did. I felt sorry for the kid. They only dated a couple of weeks, and I said, "Was it the Mel Tillis incident that broke them up?" I felt bad.

But anyway, we wrote this song, me and Richie, about our kids and yours.

It's called "Let Them Be Little."

(Down-tempo introduction plays)

♪♪

♪ Well, I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand 
♪ You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute 
♪ How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink 
♪ Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon, so

♪ Let them be little 
♪ Cause they're only that way for a while
♪ And give 'em hope, give them praise 
♪ Give 'em love every day 
♪ Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle 
♪ Let 'em sleep in the middle 
♪ But let them be little

♪ See, I've never felt so much in one little tender touch 
♪ I live for those kisses, all your prayers and your wishes 
♪ And now you're teaching me how only a child can see 
♪ Tonight while we're on our knees all I ask is

♪ Please, let them be little 
♪ Cause they're only that way for a while
♪ And give 'em hope, give them praise 
♪ Give them love every day 
♪ Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle 
♪ Let 'em sleep in the middle 
♪ But let them be little

♪ So innocent this precious soul 
♪ You turn around and it's time to let them go, so...

♪ Let them be little 
♪ Cause they're only that way for a while
♪ And give them hope, give them praise 
♪ Give them love every day 
♪ Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle
♪ Let 'em sleep in the middle 
♪ But let them be little

♪ Let them be little

[Billy] Can I just say how grateful I am to still be doing this, how grateful I am to all of you for, you know, keeping the '90s music alive and mostly for spending your day with me here at the Iowa PBS studio here. Very honored to be here. Still got a couple more songs to do before we get on out of here, but first of all, I just wanted to take that minute to say thank you so much for not forgetting about our music.

(Cheers and applause)

I would like to sing — This song has had a lot of different meanings over the years, but this song is really... It's meant for you. It's meant for me to sing this for you. So thank you and...

(Down-tempo introduction plays)

...where would I be if there hadn't been you, right? My dreams would still be dreams.

♪♪

♪ A man filled with doubt, down and out and so alone 
♪ A ship that's tossed and turned, lost and yearning for a home 
♪ A survivor that's barely survivin' not really sure of his next move
♪ All of this I would have been if there hadn't been you

♪ If there hadn't been you, where would I be
♪ If there hadn't been you here for me 
♪ I made it through times I never would have made it through 
♪ If there hadn't been you

♪ Oh, a man that's filled with hope who finally knows where he belongs 
♪ And a heart that's filled with love more than enough to keep it strong 
♪ And a life that's alive again, no longer afraid to face the truth 
♪ All of this I would have missed if there hadn't been you

♪ If there hadn't been you, where would I be?
♪ If there hadn't been you here for me 
♪ I made it through times  I never would have made it through

♪ If there hadn't been you on my side 
♪ Oh, you in my life
♪ All my dreams... well, they'd still be dreams
♪ If there hadn't been you

♪ All my dreams would still be dreams 
♪ If there hadn't been you

(Applause)

[Billy] Whoo. It means so much. Thank you very much. Thank you. I've got one more song. I bet you can't guess what it is.

[Mickey] Tell me about a classic — "Billy the Kid."

[Billy] Ah. "I Miss Billy the Kid" definitely came from the way that I grew up in the '60s and '70s. My name is William Harold Dean. So when I was growing up, I was called Harold Dean, and I was named after one of my dad's brothers who was killed in World War II. And my dad's name was Billy. His name was Billy Dean, and he loved to sing.

And when I came to Nashville, they didn't really like the name Harold for a country-music singer, and neither did I. But I didn't want to tell my dad that because, you know, I was named after his brother, right?

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Billy] So they asked me if I would change my name. And I said yes, I would. I'd change it to — I'm a William, so I would probably just change it to Billy, which was my dad's name. And he would have loved to have seen his name up in Las Vegas, you know, on marquees and things.

It was interesting changing your name, and I felt like I did lose a part of that kid from Florida and kind of took on this new persona as this country-music singer, Billy Dean, right? So I wrote "Billy the Kid" about Harold Dean.

[Mickey] Fascinating, your relationship with that and kind of how you emerged to be Billy Dean.

[Billy] Yeah. I'll tell you. I've sat out — My dad passed away pretty young. He was 58. But many nights I've sat out underneath a marquee and looked up and said, "Well, there's your name, old man. There you go. You finally made it, too."

(Laughter)

[Mickey] Billy, thank you so much for being here. Thanks for being part of Studio 3 LIVE.

[Billy] My pleasure, Mickey. Thank you for having me, man. Appreciate it.

(Mid-tempo introduction playing)

♪ When I was 15, I left my country home 
♪ Yeah, runnin' scared and runnin' wild 
♪ I let this old world carve a man out of me 
♪ From an innocent child 
♪ Somehow I lost my way 
♪ Lord, I miss those days

♪ When strapped on my holster low across my hips 
♪ With two Colt .45s and them white plastic grips 
♪ I'd head west through our neighborhood ♪
♪ And they'd say, Well, here comes young Billy and he's up to no good

♪ I rode a trail through the neighbor's backyard 
♪ Shootin' the bad guys through my handlebars  
♪ Known for my bravery both far and near 
♪ Lord, and bein' late for supper was my only fear

♪ I miss Billy the Kid 
♪ Well, the times that he had 
♪ And the life that he lived 
♪ I guess he must have got caught 
♪ His innocence lost 
♪ I wonder where he is 
♪ I miss Billy the Kid

♪ Well, these days I don't know whose side to be on 
♪ Lord, there's such a thin line between right and wrong 
♪ I live and learn, I do the best I can
♪ But there's only so much you can do as a man

♪ I miss Billy the Kid 
♪ Well, the times that he had 
♪ The life that he lived 
♪ I guess he must have got caught 
♪ His innocence lost 
♪ I wonder where he is 
♪ I miss Billy the Kid 
♪ I guess he must have got caught 
♪ Well, his innocence lost 
♪ I wonder where he is 
♪ I miss Billy the Kid

[Billy] I sure had fun hanging out with you today. Thank you guys so much. That does it for me.

(Cheers and applause)

Big shout out to Iowa PBS. Thank you all for being here tonight. Please tune 'em in. Support 'em with all you got. We love you. Thank you.

[Announcer] Studio 3 LIVE is also available as a podcast. Get it wherever you get your podcasts.

[Billy] Let's get them hands together.

♪ Two, one, two 
♪ Yeah!

(Rhythmic clapping)

♪ Yeah, yeah
♪ Oh, yeah 
♪ Whoo!

♪♪

(Cheers and applause)

[Billy] Thank you very much!

(On screen text:
Host — Mickey Davis
Producer & Director — Andrea Coyle
Production Supervisor — Sean Ingrassia
Audio Mix — David Feingold
FOH Sound — Jon Locker
Production Technicians — Reid Denker, Neal Kyer, Lucas Thompson
Camera Operators — Darrin Clouse, Scott Faine, Luke Garcia, Mark Haugen, Kenny Knutson, Phil Blobaum
Administrative Assistant — Tiffany Clouse
Set Design — Rob Sunderman
Set Construction — Vince Rubino
Lighting Design — Will Coeur
Lighting Technician — Sonja Woener
Graphics — Joe Bustad, Brent Willett
Executive Producer — Andrea Coyle
Copyright 2026 Iowa PBS
)

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Learn more at prairiemeadows.com.

Funding for this program was provided by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation, as well as generations of families and friends who feel passionate about the programs they watch on Iowa PBS.