William ‘Lee’ Riley was born in Pocahontas, Arkansas, on 5
th
October 1933, of Irish-
Indiandescent.Hewasoneof eight childrenandhis fatherworkedas an itinerantpainterand
sharecropper, but with America in themidst of theDepression, life was extremely difficult
and the familymoved aroundwithinArkansas, following the work fromOsceola to Poplar
Ridge and then on to a plantation in St Francis County, outside of Forest City, where the
Rileys were one of only four white families within amakeshift shanty town andwhere Billy
pickedcottonalongsidehis father,havingalreadyabandonedhis schooling in the thirdgrade.
Hehad started foolingaroundwithaharmonicaat theageof sixand listenedand learned
from the blues singers out on the street. Later his father bought him a second hand Sears
guitarand fora shortperiod in1948heplayedguitar fora travellingevangelistaroundTupelo,
Mississippi.His parentsmovedback toPocahontas andBillymoved inwithhis sister and at
the age of 15 persuaded her to sign papers stating that hewas two years older and therefore
eligible to enrol in the military. This ruse proved successful and he was accepted into the
United States Army at Blytherville, Arkansas, withwhomhe remaineduntil his honourable
discharge from the service in1953.
Itwasduringhis spell in thearmy thatBillyhad formedhis firstbandand thisencouraged
him tobelieve that he could earnhis livingplaying countrymusic.However, after settling in
Jonesboro, Arkansas, andholdingdown aday job at a shoe factorywhile gigging at night, he
found little opportunity to fulfil his musical ambitions, eventually taking the decision in
1955 to relocate toMemphis,Tennessee.
Initially he concentrated on finding work of any description and had spells as a house
painter, meat cutter, stock clerk in a supermarket, driver of a laundry truck and even for a
briefperiodas apartner ina restaurantbusiness.Musicwas still therehowever, nibblingaway
at hismind and onChristmasDay 1955 a chance event occurredwhich set Billy ‘Lee’ Riley
off onhis quest for rock ‘n’ roll stardom.
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