Billy Price on Otis Clay, Roy Buchanan and the soul behind Random Madness

Billy Price joins Blues Matters from Pittsburgh to discuss a remarkable career that has taken him from early soul and R&B influences to working alongside legends including Roy Buchanan and Otis Clay. In this in-depth conversation, Billy reflects on stagecraft, songwriting, the evolution of blues and soul music, his admiration for Bobby Bland, and the making of his new album Random Madness. He also shares stories from Memphis, Clarksdale, France, and the legendary blues cruises, while opening up about ageing, creativity, and continuing to grow as an artist. More interviews, reviews and features at bluesmatters.com Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:14 Discovering music and early influences 01:12 Growing up outside a musical family 01:27 Moving from New Jersey to Pittsburgh 02:14 First experiences performing live 02:46 Becoming a frontman 03:14 Creating a stage persona 04:01 Learning from soul heroes like O.V. Wright 04:41 Joining Roy Buchanan’s band 06:23 What Roy Buchanan taught him 07:18 Performing with Otis Clay 10:26 Singing with Tyrone Davis 11:10 Blues cruises and jam sessions 11:53 Favourite venues to play 12:15 Festivals versus intimate gigs 12:49 Thoughts on blues as a genre 15:34 Piano, horns and soul influences 16:05 Memphis, Clarksdale and the lack of horn players 16:33 The best advice he received 18:23 Introducing the album Random Madness 20:26 Songwriting and finding lyrical ideas 22:10 I Was A Fool 23:01 I Got That Dog In Me 23:38 I Said What I Said 24:18 Rent Free 24:34 Exit Strategy 25:08 Dirty Knee Revelation 25:44 Stickers On My Suitcase 26:21 Touring France and working with Fred Chapellier 27:45 The meaning behind Random Madness 28:37 Playing the new songs live 29:02 Balancing old favourites with new material 30:31 What success means to Billy Price 31:37 Plans to visit the UK 32:01 Hopes for the new album