My name is Billy Reiter and I have lived in Ohio most of my life. I’m married to a wonderful lady, Lisa and we have 3 children and reside east of Columbus, Ohio. My introduction to music was through my Mother who sang and played piano. At a very young age, perhaps I was 5 or 6, she had me singing in the church choir. As I grew older, my interest musically leaned toward drums until the British Invasion came full-force, then I turned to the guitar, I guess I was 14-15. I found an old guitar that my Dad had played very well until he joined the Army in ’43. After he came home, I guess he barely ever picked it up if at all.
I started learning chords to old folk songs by holding the guitar upside down. The chords I learned to finger upside down have enabled me to play right-handed guitars upside down to this day, but I prefer guitars made left-handed. Around the time I was graduating from high school in 1972, and fortunately Uncle Sam had all but diminished the draft, I started playing and singing around locally. My high school buddy and I eventually hooked up and started playing parties around Marietta College, in Marietta, Ohio. That led to us forming a band with his oldest brother and sister, calling ourselves The Blue Horizon Band. We did country-western and country rock and a couple of my originals. As one of the best up and coming bands in Ohio/West Virginia, we were rewarded by sharing the stage with Conway Twitty and the Twitty Birds at Kings Island in Cincinnati during their country-western month. It was a huge shot in the arm for us until a member of the band decided his career over touring. The band died but I went on to perform in an acoustic duo called Funk & Reiter and we had a nice following of fans around southeastern Ohio and Parkersburg, WV. I left Funk to explore the possibilities of becoming a session vocalists/rhytmn guitarist. I hit the streets in LA and Nashville, eventually ending up in Columbus, Ohio where I was able to perform solo at a few clubs. Having always loved motorcycles and racing, I met some people who got me into racing Motocross. I’m so glad that I got to experience that and to use the natural athletic ability I was blessed with.
It was a blast to say the least, except for the various injuries I received. Those injuries finally forced me to give up racing with regrets but led me back to performing again.
Since returning to live gigs, I’ve been in several bands, while trying to maintain my soloing. I’m staying fairly busy now and look forward to one day forming my own band with the name; Cottonwood Drift. I like it all but rather play country rock/blues and like doing Neil Young tunes the best.
I like it all! Guitar influences would have to be Tony Iommi, Joe Walsh, Brandon Noyes, Toy Caldwell, Phil Keaggy, Jason Loch, Billy Gibbons, Dicky Betts, Leslie West, Mark Farner,Jimmy Page, Frank Marino, Eric Clapton, Leo Kottke, David Gilmour, Mark Knopler,Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Michael Hedges, and Willie Phoenix. I suppose George Carlin and Steve McQueen had influences on me too. Carlin for his straight up comedy and political view, and McQueen for his motorcycle racing and the movie Bullit and the documentary on bike racing from Bruce Brown, On Any Sunday. Triumph and BSA motorcycles are freedom on 2 wheels!!
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