An Evening With Billy Dean

There was a time in Billy Dean's life when it looked like basketball was his future, not a stage. The 6'4" singer from Florida received a basketball scholarship to attend East Central Junior College in Decatur, Miss., where he majored in physical education. But music was always courtside.
After he made the finals of the Wrangler Country Star Search in 1982 and then became a male vocalist champ on Ed McMahon's Star Search in 1988, Billy earned a Top 5 hit in 1990 with his debut country single, "Only Here For A Little While." His second single, "Somewhere In My Broken Heart," also went Top 5, as did follow-up singles "You Don't Count The Cost," "Only The Wind" and "Billy The Kid."
Billy charted so quickly and so often that he released a Greatest Hits collection as his fourth album. That project included "If There Hadn't Been You," "We Just Disagree" and "Once in a While," which Billy wrote and recorded for the soundtrack to the 1994 film 8 Seconds. Three of his albums were certified gold and his self-titled 1991 effort earned platinum status. Billy called his 2012 album A Man Of Good Fortune.

“Music has deeply enriched my life," says Billy. "It's because of my fans and their support that I've spent most of my life on a musical journey and that's why I truly feel like 'A Man Of Good Fortune.'"

In the midst of his early recording career, Billy also dabbled in television. He contributed to commercials for Valvoline, McDonald's and Chevrolet; landed a role in the brief Elvis series on ABC-TV in 1990; and appeared in parts on soap operas and dramas including Lois & Clark.

In addition to a busy touring and recording schedule, Billy is also the owner of Dean Acres, a concert venue on his property east of Nashville.