sgt. billy
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), playing 'Wildwood
3' with Dick 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. He
traveled to Hawaii and got to
see the whole Orient!
Bill was a member of the U.S.
Calvery and rose to the rank of
Sargent,-just like his character
on the Boomtown show,(except
for the uniform, of course)!
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.
Bill O'Brien runs a very
successful financial services
company on Cape Cod, where
he now lives.
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), playing 'Wildwood
3' with Dick 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. He
traveled to Hawaii and got to
see the whole Orient!
Bill was a member of the U.S.
Calvery and rose to the rank of
Sargent,-just like his character
on the Boomtown show,(except
for the uniform, of course)!
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.
Bill O'Brien runs a very
successful financial services
company on Cape Cod, where
he now lives.
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