Billy Vaughn was involved in the Rock Industry as a musician and promoter of bands until the early 1980's when he decided to retire from music and pursue a career in marketing.
In 1994, at the insistence of friends, Billy decided to come out of musical retirement and once more take an active part in the music industry. But this time Billy decided that instead of pursuing fame as a singer he would take a serious crack at songwriting.
In early 1995 Billy recorded a cassette album featuring 10 of his original songs. The title track of the album, ""If I Had Not Met You" won the 1995 Owen Skinner Memorial Songwriters Shield at the Pioneer Village Country Music Festival, Petrie, Queensland, and this win inspired Billy to start pitching his songs to Australian artists.
In September 1995 Slim Dusty released his version of Billy's song "Old Rock'n'Roller" on his Hit Album "Country Way Of Life". Since that time over thirty recordings of songs written or co-written by Billy have been released by Australian Country Music artists.
BEHIND THE SCENES
When he is not songwriting or performing Billy takes an active part in the behind the scenes areas of the Country Music industry.
He served as National Publicity officer for the Tamworth Songwriters Association Inc. for six years (1996-2002), during which time he wrote the monthly "First the Song" column for national country music magazine "Country Music - Capital News"
In 1998 Billy designed and launched the original TSA Website and acted as the site's Webmaster until December 2002. Billy also played a pivotal role in the establishment of the "TSA Songwriters Showcase" series, which is now staged as an annual event at "The West Leagues Club" during the Tamworth Country Music Festival
Photo: In 1996 Billy, with his wife Debbie Bell and friend Darryl Scott, founded the TSA/SEQ Songwriters Awards. A national songwriting competition that culminates in an Awards Concert Spectacular that is staged each year in Brisbane at the Kedron-Wavell Services Club.
The TSA/SEQ Songwriters Awards has established itself as one of the premier events on the Country Songwriters competition calender and in 2003, the event's eighth year, received over 400 entries.
Billy also conducts songwriters workshops. These began in 1997 when Billy was invited to act as a presenter at the annual Tamworth Songwriters Association half-day workshop, held during the Tamworth Country Music Festival. As a result of his input at this workshop he received invitations to run several further songwriters workshops for local Country Music organisations and Brisbane's Yeronga Institute of TAFE.
Billy was the featured presenter at the "Serious Songwriters" workshops, operated in conjunction with the Tamworth Songwriters Association, during the Tamworth Country Music Festivals of 1998/1999
Together, Billy and Debbie act as competition judges at many of Queensland's Country Music festivals.
