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{{short description|American musician and songwriter}}
'''Bill Dees''', né '''William Marvin Dees''' (24 January 1939 [[Borger, Texas]] — 24 October 2012 [[Mountain Home, Arkansas]]), was an [[United States|American]] musician most famous for his song writing collaborations with singer [[Roy Orbison]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/arts/bill-dees-73-orbison-collaborator-dies.html?hpw&_r=0 William Yardley, ''Bill Dees, 73, Orbison Collaborator, Dies'',] [[New York Times]], November 1, 2012</ref>
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name = Bill Dees
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_name = William Marvin Dees
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1939|01|24}}
| birth_place = [[Borger, Texas]], United States
| death_date = {{death date and age|2012|10|24|1939|01|24}}
| death_place = [[Mountain Home, Arkansas]], United States
| origin =
| instrument = Vocals
| genre = [[Country music|Country]]
| occupation = Singer-songwriter
| years_active = 1959–2012
| label =
| associated_acts = [[Roy Orbison]]
| website =
}}

'''William Marvin Dees''' (January 24, 1939 – October 24, 2012) was an American musician known for his songwriting collaborations with singer [[Roy Orbison]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/arts/bill-dees-73-orbison-collaborator-dies.html?hpw&_r=0 William Yardley, ''Bill Dees, 73, Orbison Collaborator, Dies''], ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 1, 2012</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
Dees played guitar and sang with a band called "The Five Bops," gaining enough recognition to perform on an [[Amarillo, Texas]] radio station. Dees eventually made his way to [[Nashville, Tennessee]] where his meeting Roy Orbison led to a collaboration that produced a string of successful songs for [[Monument Records]] including the hits "[[Oh, Pretty Woman]]" and "[[It's Over (Roy Orbison song)|It's Over]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=97826285|title=Mercy: Behind Roy Orbison's 'Pretty Woman' |date=December 6, 2008|publisher=[[National Public Radio|NPR]]|accessdate=March 15, 2010}}</ref>
Born and based out of [[Borger, Texas]], United States, Dees played guitar and sang with a band called The Five Bops doing his first recordings with [[Norman Petty]] at his [[Clovis, New Mexico]] studio in May 1958. They later became The Whirlwinds, gaining enough recognition to perform on an [[Amarillo, Texas]] radio station. Dees eventually made his way to [[Nashville, Tennessee]], where his meeting with Roy Orbison led to a collaboration that produced a string of successful songs for [[Monument Records]], including the hits "[[Oh, Pretty Woman]]" and "[[It's Over (Roy Orbison song)|It's Over]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=97826285|title=Mercy: Behind Roy Orbison's 'Pretty Woman' |date=December 6, 2008|publisher=[[National Public Radio|NPR]]|accessdate=March 15, 2010}}</ref>


In 1967, Dees co-wrote all the songs for the Orbison album and [[MGM]] motion picture ''[[The Fastest Guitar Alive]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061652/soundtrack|title=The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967) - Soundtracks|publisher=[[IMDB]]|accessdate=March 15, 2010}}</ref>
In 1967, Dees co-wrote all the songs for the Orbison album and [[MGM]] motion picture ''[[The Fastest Guitar Alive]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061652/soundtrack|title=The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967) – Soundtracks|publisher=[[IMDb]]|accessdate=March 15, 2010}}</ref>


Beyond his work with Orbison, Bill Dees wrote hundreds of songs, a number of which were recorded by performers such as [[Johnny Cash]], [[Loretta Lynn]], [[Skeeter Davis]], [[Glen Campbell]], [[Billy Joe Royal]], [[Frank Ifield]], [[Mark Dinning]] and [[Gene Pitney]]. In 2000, he recorded his own album titled ''Saturday Night At The Movies'', a compilation of songs previously sung by Orbison that had been written with Dees and some that Dees had written alone.
Beyond his work with Orbison, Bill Dees wrote hundreds of songs, a number of which were recorded by performers such as [[Johnny Cash]], [[Loretta Lynn]], [[Skeeter Davis]], [[Glen Campbell]], [[Billy Joe Royal]], [[Frank Ifield]], [[Mark Dinning]], and [[Gene Pitney]]. In 2000, he recorded his own album titled ''Saturday Night at the Movies'', a compilation of songs previously sung by Orbison that had been written with Dees and some that Dees had written alone.


Dees resided near [[Branson, Missouri]], and continued to write songs with collaborator Jack Pribek until his death on October 24, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.khozradio.com/15565/songwriter_bill_dees_dies_in_mountain_home.html |title=Songwriter Bill Dees Dies in Mountain Home |publisher=khozradio.com|accessdate=2012-10-26}}</ref> He was living at a nurs­ing facil­ity in [[Mountain Home, Arkansas]] at the time of his death.<ref name=cartoon>{{cite news |url=http://blog.bcdb.com/oh-pretty-woman-songwriter-bill-dees-dead-73-5011/ |title=Oh, Pretty Woman Songwriter Bill Dees Dead at 73|first=Ethan|last=Minovitz|publisher=Big Cartoon News |date=October 26, 2012|accessdate=October 26, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20165752|title=Bill Dees, US songwriter, dies aged 73 |accessdate=01-11-2012}}</ref>
Bill Dees lived in [[New Boston, Texas]], for a number of years. There he continued writing and playing his music. Later he resided near [[Branson, Missouri]], and continued to write songs with collaborator Jack Pribek until his death on October 24, 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.khozradio.com/15565/songwriter_bill_dees_dies_in_mountain_home.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127025755/http://www.khozradio.com/15565/songwriter_bill_dees_dies_in_mountain_home.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 27, 2013 |title=Songwriter Bill Dees Dies in Mountain Home |publisher=khozradio.com |accessdate=October 26, 2012 }}</ref> He was living at a nursing facility in [[Mountain Home, Arkansas]], at the time of his death.<ref name=cartoon>{{cite news|url=http://blog.bcdb.com/oh-pretty-woman-songwriter-bill-dees-dead-73-5011/|title=Oh, Pretty Woman Songwriter Bill Dees Dead at 73|first=Ethan|last=Minovitz|publisher=Big Cartoon News|date=October 26, 2012|accessdate=October 26, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121203173239/http://blog.bcdb.com/oh-pretty-woman-songwriter-bill-dees-dead-73-5011/|archive-date=December 3, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20165752|title = Bill Dees, US songwriter, dies aged 73|accessdate = November 1, 2012|work = BBC News|date = November 1, 2012}}</ref>

==Songs with Roy Orbison (partial list)==
*"Oh, Pretty Woman" (1964) [UK #1, 3wks; US #1, 3wks]
*"It's Over" (1964) [UK #1, 2wks; US #9]
*"Borne On The Wind" (1964) [UK #15]
*"Ride Away" (1965) [UK #34; US #25]
*"Crawling Back" (1965) [UK #19; US #46]
*"Sleepy Hollow" (1965) [Bill Dees]
*"Where Is Tomorrow" (1966)
*"Communication Breakdown" (1966) [US #60]
*"Walk On" (1968) [UK #39; US #121]
*"Tennessee Owns My Soul" (1969)
*"Windsurfer" (1988)
*"There Won't Be Many Coming Home" (1966) [UK #12]
*"The Fastest Guitar Alive" (1967)
*"Indian Wedding" (1964)
*"Goodnight" (1965) [UK #14; US #21]
*"Only With You" (1965)
*"Wondering" (1965)
*"Twinkle Toes" (1966) [UK #29; US #39]
*"Going Back To Gloria" (1966)
*"(Say) You're My Girl" (1965) [UK #23; US #39]
*"Ya Te Amo Maria" (1964)
*"Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart" (1966) [UK #22; US #31]
*"A New Star" (1966)
*"You're The One" (1972)
*"Heartache" (1968) [UK #44; US #104]
*"So Good" (1967) [UK #32; US #132]
*"This Is Your Song" (1965) [Bill Dees]
*"Maybe" (1966)
*"Losing You" (1966)
*"I'm Losing You" (1967)
*"Go Away" (1966)
*"The Loner" (1966) [Bill Dees/John Adkins]
*"It Ain't No Big Thing" (1965)
*"Just One Time" (1967)
*"My Friend" (1969) [UK #35]
*"Best Friend" (1967)
*"Born To Be Loves By You" (1967)
*"Growing Up" (1966)
*"Never" (1966)
*"Wait" (1966)
*"Sugar And Honey" (1965)
*"Just Another Name For Rock 'n' Roll" (1966) [Bill Dees]
*"Why Hurt The One Who Loves You?" (1966)
*"This Is My Land" (1966) [Bill Dees]
*"Time To Cry" (1967)
*"Pantomime" (1966)
*"Summer Love" (1965) [Bill Dees/Marcus Felton Mathis]
*"It Takes One To Know One" (1967)
*"City Life" (1966)
*"That's A No-No" (1967)
*"She" (1967) [US #119]
*"Memories" (1967)
*"You'll Never Be Sixteen Again" (1966)
*"Yesterday's Child" (1969)
*"River" (1967)
*"Rollin' On" (1967)
*"Whirlwind" (1967)
*"Heading South" (1967)
*"If Only For A While" (1972) [Bill Dees/Larry Henley]
*"Good Time Party" (1967)
*"She Won't Hang Her Love Out" (1970) [Bill Dees/Marcus Mathis]
*"Pistolero" (1967)
*"Medicine Man, Medicine Man" (1967)


==References==
==References==
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*{{IMDb name|0214405}}
*{{IMDb name|0214405}}


{{Authority control|VIAF=10274153}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Roy Orbison}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Dees, Bill
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American musician and songwriter
| DATE OF BIRTH = January 24, 1939
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Borger, Texas]], United States
| DATE OF DEATH = October 24, 2012
| PLACE OF DEATH = Moun­tain Home, [[Arkansas]], United States
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dees, Bill}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dees, Bill}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:American country singers]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:American country singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American country singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American country guitarists]]
[[Category:American country guitarists]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:American rock guitarists]]
[[Category:American rock guitarists]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:American male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Songwriters from Texas]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Texas]]
[[Category:Musicians from Texas]]
[[Category:People from Borger, Texas]]
[[Category:People from Borger, Texas]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:Roy Orbison]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Texas]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:People from Hutchinson County, Texas]]

Revision as of 03:57, 3 December 2021

Bill Dees
Birth nameWilliam Marvin Dees
Born(1939-01-24)January 24, 1939
Borger, Texas, United States
DiedOctober 24, 2012(2012-10-24) (aged 73)
Mountain Home, Arkansas, United States
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1959–2012

William Marvin Dees (January 24, 1939 – October 24, 2012) was an American musician known for his songwriting collaborations with singer Roy Orbison.[1]

Career

Born and based out of Borger, Texas, United States, Dees played guitar and sang with a band called The Five Bops doing his first recordings with Norman Petty at his Clovis, New Mexico studio in May 1958. They later became The Whirlwinds, gaining enough recognition to perform on an Amarillo, Texas radio station. Dees eventually made his way to Nashville, Tennessee, where his meeting with Roy Orbison led to a collaboration that produced a string of successful songs for Monument Records, including the hits "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "It's Over".[2]

In 1967, Dees co-wrote all the songs for the Orbison album and MGM motion picture The Fastest Guitar Alive.[3]

Beyond his work with Orbison, Bill Dees wrote hundreds of songs, a number of which were recorded by performers such as Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Skeeter Davis, Glen Campbell, Billy Joe Royal, Frank Ifield, Mark Dinning, and Gene Pitney. In 2000, he recorded his own album titled Saturday Night at the Movies, a compilation of songs previously sung by Orbison that had been written with Dees and some that Dees had written alone.

Bill Dees lived in New Boston, Texas, for a number of years. There he continued writing and playing his music. Later he resided near Branson, Missouri, and continued to write songs with collaborator Jack Pribek until his death on October 24, 2012.[4] He was living at a nursing facility in Mountain Home, Arkansas, at the time of his death.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ William Yardley, Bill Dees, 73, Orbison Collaborator, Dies, The New York Times, November 1, 2012
  2. ^ "Mercy: Behind Roy Orbison's 'Pretty Woman'". NPR. December 6, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  3. ^ "The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967) – Soundtracks". IMDb. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  4. ^ "Songwriter Bill Dees Dies in Mountain Home". khozradio.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  5. ^ Minovitz, Ethan (October 26, 2012). "Oh, Pretty Woman Songwriter Bill Dees Dead at 73". Big Cartoon News. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  6. ^ "Bill Dees, US songwriter, dies aged 73". BBC News. November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Dees&oldid=1058371688"