sgt. billy
Bill O'Brien, Rex and Mike Bavaro
backstage for the 'Boomtown Show' for   
Radio Classics Live!  5/2/09
BIG FAN, Joanne Brown, meets
Bill backstage after the show!
Here's Walter
meeting the gang!
Walter told Rex
he was the sheriff
on the very last
show that Pablo
was on!
Walter is a big
advocate to bring
back local
children's
programming!

Jan Connolly meets
Sgt. Billy and Rex
at the big show
reunion of 2006.
Closing out the reunion
Show, singing the            
Boomtown song, Bill        
plays and sings with        
Rex, joined by
Sam Donato, Jillian
Trailer
and
Producer Mike Bavaro.
A little joking around on stage:
The Media was      
there for this          
very special night!
 wmjobrien.com

 COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIES has offices in               
         Sandwich, MA and in Naples, Florida.

                                          William J. O'Brien, AEP,CLU           
                                           Chartered Financial Consultant
                                          Comprehensive Strategies


SGT. Billy, was a character
played by Bill O'Brien.
Bill was a guitar player and he
worked for Lou Ciarfella, who
was a member of the Junior
Redmen in Wakefield, MA and
played Chief Black Eagle on
the Boomtown show.
Lou mentioned to Bill that Rex
needed a handler for Goldrush
and Bill took the job.
Eventually,with all his musical
talents, he found himself on the
show.

Bill played folk music most of his
young career. He was " a
character with a banjo", (as he
put it to me), In High School, Bill
played in a group called "The
'Wildwood 3"  with Chick
Woodman and Steve Potter.
They played in bars and coffee
houses. They found themselves
competing in 'The Battle of the
Bands'.

Bill graduated school in 1963
and followed his older brother
into the Army. He was off to
Korea in 1964.

In the Army, Bill was part of a
folk group that played at Service
Centers. He later, found himself
in a traveling Army show that
entertained the troops. Bill
traveled to Hawaii and even got
to see the whole Orient!

Bill was a member of the U.S.
Cavalry and rose to the rank of
Sergeant,-just like his character
on the Boomtown show.
Bill was also a member of The
Honor Guard at his Fort.

Back in the U.S., Bill met Dick
Kilbride, (who played Pablo on
the show). Dick provided Bill
with a manager to get him jobs
at night time 'happy hrs.'
He made a couple of recordings
to MGM Records. He had
become a pretty busy guy. He
was attending Berkley College
of Music, made a living doing his
music gigs, the Boomtown T.V.
show and traveled all over the
country. He went with Rex
Trailer doing  Boomtown road
shows at places like Indian
Ranch and also went on the
Crimson Travel Tours to
" beautiful sunny California ".
If this wasn't enough, he was
also a flight instructor!

When the Boomtown show
ended it's run, "it was time to
find a real job" he said.
Rex, Dusty Pipes and Bill
backstage at  the 2009
MCMAA show.
Bill O'Brien cracking everybody up with a joke about his Cavalry Uniform
fit at the
Massachusetts Country Music Association Awards Show with Rex   
this past September. Bill looked great and the man can really play a mean banjo!  
                             They both were a big hit at the show!
This page is still under construction.
              (Oct 14,2009)