Check out Wyatt Ellis in this video with Billy strings. He’s a thirteen year old kid from just down the road. Hellova mandolin player. He leads off on the second song at about the 4:00 minute mark.
Yeah, I've watched that video a couple of times. He can pick a mandolin.
One thing I've noticed, Billy Strings seems like a genuinely nice young man taking into consideration that he grew up in a less than optimum situation. I think his stepfather, Terry Barber, should be given credit for a lot of it.
From what I've read, things got skewed pretty good in his life for a while. But Terry Barber managed to hold it together at least to an extent,...and he obviously contributed a lot to Billy String's development as a musician. The two seem very close these days.
Of all the Billy Strings videos, I think I like those old amateur videos that were done back before he hit big. This one especially. The amateur sound quality makes it sound like it's being spun on an old 78.
It must have been very entertaining to have him sit around a fire and occasionally launch into a song like he does here. People are paying several hundred dollars for a ticket to see him do this now,....and these few friends of his got to see and hear him for nothing back in the day.
