Billy was born in Fulton Ark. And grew up around Texarkana, where he picked his share of cotton in those Arkansas cotton fields. Billy and his Brothers played for country dances in 1944. His older brothers returned from World War Two and formed The McBay Brothers Band in 1945. They played radio stations and local night clubs both in Texas and Arkansas. They were together until the older brothers married and started raising their families. Billy played the Long Horn Ballroom from 1959 until 1977. In 1964 he worked on a recording session and toured with Bob Wills for a short time before going back to the Long Horn Ballroom. He played jobs around Dallas and Ft Worth and did some light traveling until he went to work with Hank Thompson in 1995. Billy was interviewed on the Bob Wills segment of Century Of Country on TNN TV in the 90's. His fiddle playing is prominent on Hank Thompson's Seven Decades CD, released in 2000. Billy is enshrined in The Pioneers Of Western Swing Hall Of Fame in Seattle, Washington and the Texas Hall of Western Swing, San Marcus, Texas.