Billy Byrd

American country and jazz guitarist. Taught himself guitar by copying the records of Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt. In the 1940s, Byrd backed the Oak Ridge Quartet (the predecessor of the Oak Ridge Boys), Little Jimmy Dickens, George Morgan and others. In 1949, Byrd succeeded Tommy "Butterball" Paige as the lead guitarist with Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours. Byrd released three solo instrumental albums and, during a stint in California, backed Tab Hunter and Tex Ritter. In 1950, Byrd and guitarist Hank Garland designed the popular Byrdland guitar for Gibson Guitars. b: 1920 - d: 7 August 2001, Nashville, TN For the songwriter of "Broadway", see Bill Bird