Remember this kid?
I saw him live one summer, probably the same year as this video, and I was totally blown away by his stage presence. He was so cute, confident, and charismatic.
And then I never heard from him again.
Billy Gilman. A child star growing up out of the limelight because he didn't do anything shocking enough to make it onto a magazine cover. He had a beautiful voice, his had a hit song or two, and then he did what so many wholesome young stars are not able to do: he stayed true to himself. He didn't sell out. And his family/friends/agents didn't sell him out, either.
Instead of crossing over from country to pop and making videos with little half-naked teeny boppers batting their eyes and grinding on him, he got involved with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Here he is in 2008, a few years older and even cuter than he was when he was twelve:
I love that he chose to use his talent for something like this. Now you might be wondering what he's up to today, right? Well, putting this together:
Say what you will about Billy's songs, charity compilations, or country music in general--you can't deny that Billy Gilman exemplifies the redefinition of using talent for gain. Even if you put aside the fact that he is using his talent to raise money for people who don't have the resources to provide for themselves, he still deserves more exposure and recognition because he's just plain talented. Consistent on-pitch vocals, engaging stage presence, he's got it all.
More Billy Gilman vids:
http://youtu.be/MIWU7fhxThA
http://youtu.be/Q5dqAoEsURg
http://youtu.be/wXWNLRenWv0
http://youtu.be/ggs-X_HJvtY
No comments:
Post a Comment