Billy Grisack is a singer, songwriter, fellow podcaster, and DIY artist that has spent the last 35 years making money–including feeding his family, buying a home, and paying the bills–in the music business.
Billy is the host of The Mad Music Marketing Minute, co-host of Music Marketing Monday with Bob Baker, and he has an enormous original catalog of music spanning rock, classic rock, and children’s music genres.
Table of Contents
10:41 – If you had to describe yourself as a band, song or genre, what would it be?
22:36 – Looking back at your career, what stands out to you as your proudest moment?
28:31 – What’s been one of your biggest failures?
35:12 – Four things artists should be doing today to grow their fan-base and move their careers forward
If you had to describe yourself as a band, song or genre, what would it be?
I think it would be somewhere between Frank Zappa meets Bozo the Clown, playing music by Kiss. I like things that are musically interesting, but that the average person can enjoy. I try to be serious, but really fun and open.
Looking back at your career, what stands out to you as your proudest moment?
It would have to be: Making a statement in November or December of 2011, just on a spur-of-the-moment, that I was going to write, record, and release a CD every month with 12 songs for all 12 months of 2012. And then I actually did it despite all of the naysayers. And much to my surprise, not only did they sell well, they were my biggest selling CDs.
What more, I really learned how to sing and play better during that period. It really redefined me as an artist. And here is the really interesting thing that really made me proud. I am a marketing guy, I really love it, but I took a year off from marketing and I did not market those CD’s at all. I just didn’t have the time, I was writing, recording, releasing, writing, recording, releasing. But those CD’s kind of organically took off on their own without the marketing machine, which shocked the crap out of me.
What’s been one of your biggest failures?
I could do no wrong for awhile. And course, I got a big head as a result. And in Green Bay, we have this guy called Brett Favre, pretty famous football player, maybe you’ve heard of him? So he went through this big thing where he quit. That was before all the trades. So I decided to write this song called “Good Bye, Brett Favre.” And we’re going to make these CD’s, and I’m gonna be a millionaire.
Then I did one thing that I had never done before, and I’ll never do it again, I got some friends and family that were really into football, and they decided to put the money up to make 1,000 of these CD’s. And I write the song and release, and then the son-of-a-gun decides not to retire. And then he gets traded to the Jets. And suddenly, all his adoring fans hate him. So now I’m sitting here with 2,000-3,000 Brett Favre CD’s in my garage. It was just a total disaster.
Four things artists should be doing today to grow their fan-base and move their careers forward:
- Before you do anything, know who, what, and where you are going to be doing this for. It’s one of the biggest mistakes I see with bands and artists is that they don’t have a clue who they are playing for. Who is your audience, what do they like to listen too, and where do they congregate? You need to know this first.
- Create an image that works for your audience. It doesn’t mean being fake and putting on Kiss make-up, it means right-sizing your image for the people that are listening to your stuff.
- Then answer this: Why do you want to do this? The ‘why’ is so important. And it’s a circle that you need to keep feeding.
- There is power with the people. Find a support system of fans, followers, friends, and family. DIY doesn’t mean doing it all by yourself.
EXCLUSIVE offer for MusicBizCast listeners from Billy:
http://musicmarketingmind.com/success
The best ways to reach Billy:
On the web:
http://musicmarketingmind.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/themusicmarketingmind
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/MusicMarketMind
Billy’s music:
http://misterbilly.com/
Billy’s latest project:
http://bigandtallband.com/
Songwriting resource mentioned in the show:
Dave Kinnoin
http://songwizard.com/
Outro Music:
The Cat Came Back/Stray Cat Strut
Electric Bananas
Mr. Billy
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