Nelle sue opere, fortemente autobiografiche, ha raccontato in dettaglio la propria vita amorosa e gli abusi sessuali subiti durante l'infanzia.
Ha pubblicato oltre cento album, molti registrati in maniera artigianale, sia da solista sotto vari pseudonimi quali William Charlie Hamper, Bill Hamper, Bill Hamper-Childish, Guy Hamper, Jack Ketch, Gus Claudius e Danger Bill Henderson, che come componente di vari gruppi tra cui Thee Headcoats, Milkshakes, The Mighty Caesars e Blackhands, The William Loveday Intention.
Biografia Inizio l'attività musicale alla fine degli anni settanta come componente di due gruppi di Canterbury, i Pop Rivets e i Milkshakes guidate da Mickey Hampshire che si dedicavano al sixties revival. Suonò poi con le Delmonas (coriste dei Milkshakes) e poi costituì con i componenti di questi ultimi senza il leader Hampshire un nuovo gruppo Thee Mighty Caesars del genere sempre orientato al revival degli anni sessanta.
Terminato questo progetto si dedico da un lato all'attività da solista con l'uso di vari pseudonimi con la propria etichetta Hangman e dall'altro ad una lunga serie di collaborazioni (con il poeta Sexton Ming) e progetti paralleli tra cui Thee Headcoats dediti ad un garage pop influenzato dal punk, che lo fece conoscere agli addetti ai lavori e Blackhands orientati più verso la musica popolare americana.
La carriera proseguì negli anni novanta con altre collaborazioni sempre fedele all'etica DIY.
Discografia Solista Album 1987 - I've Got Everything Indeed 1988 - The 1982 Cassettes 1988 - I remember... 1991 - 50 Albums Great 1993 - Torments Nest 1996 - Made With a Passion - Kitchen Demo's
Album spoken word 1988 - Poems of Laughter and Violence 1992 - The Sudden Fart of Laughter 1993 - Trembling of Life 1993 - Hunger at the Moon 2007 - Poems of a Backwater Visionary
Raccolte 1991 - I Am the Billy Childish 1992 - Der Henkermann - Kitchen Recordings 1993 - Native American Sampler - A History 1983-1993 1999 - Crimes Against Music-Blues Recordings 1986-1999 2002 - 25 Years of Being Childish 2006 - My First Billy Childish Album 2009 - Archive From 1959 - The Billy Childish Story 2019 - Punk Rock Ist Nicht Tot - 1977-2018
Album in collaborazione 1987 - Laughing Gravy (a nome Wild Billy Childish & Big Russ Wilkins) 1989 - Long Legged Baby (a nome Wild Billy Childish & the Natural Born Lovers) 1993 - At the Bridge con The Singing Loins 1998 - Devil in the Flesh con Dan Melchior 1999 - In Blood con Holly Golightly
Con Sexton Ming 1987 - Which Dead Donkey Daddy? 1987 - Plump Prizes & Little Gems 1988 - YPRES 1917 Overture (Verdun Ossuary) 1999 - The Cheeky Cheese 2002 - Here Come the Fleece Geese 2002 - Muscle Horse Was In The War 2012 - Dung Beetle Rolls Again
Con The Pop Rivets 1979 - Greatest Hits 1979 - Empty Sounds from Anarchy Ranch 1985 - Fun in the U.K 1990 - Live in Germany '79 1997 - Chathams Burning - Live 77 & 78 Demo's
Con Thee Milkshakes Album 1981 - Talking 'Bout... Milkshakes 1982 - Fourteen Rhythm and Beat Greats 1983 - After School Sessions 1983 - The Milkshakes IV - The Men with Golden Guitars 1984 - Thee Milkshakes vs. The Prisoners 1984 - 20 Rock & Roll Hits of the 50s & 60s 1984 - Nothing Can Stop These Men 1984 - They Came They Saw They Conquered 1984 - Thee Knights of Trashe 1987 - Thee Milkshakes Revenge - The Legendary Missing 9th Album 1992 - Still Talking 'Bout... Milkshakes!
Raccolte 1984 - Showcase 1990 - 19th Nervous Shakedown Con Thee Mighty Caesars Album 1985 - Thee Mighty Caesars 1985 - Beware the Ides of the March 1986 - Thee Caesars of Trash 1987 - Acropolis Now 1987 - Wiseblood 1987 - Live In Rome 1987 - Don’t Give Any Dinner to Henry Chinaski 1989 - John Lennon’s Corpse Revisited 1992 - Caesars Remains
Raccolte 1987 - Punk Rock Showcase 1989 - Thusly, thee Mighty Caesars (English Punk Rock Explosion) (LP Comp U.S.) 1989 - Surely They Were the Sons of God (C.D. Comp U.S.) 1994 - Caesars Pleasure (CD Comp)
Con The Delmonas 1985 - Dangerous Charms 1986 - The Delmonas 5 1988 - Do the Uncle Willy 1989 - The Delmonas
Come Wild Billy Childish & the Blackhands 1988 - Play: Capt'n Calypso's Hoodoo Party 1992 - The Original Chatham Jack 1993 - Live in the Netherlands
Come Jack Ketch & the Crowmen 1988 - Brimful of Hate
Come Thee Headcoats 1989 - Headcoats Down! 1990 - The Earls of Suavedom 1990 - Beach Bums Must Die 1990 - The Kids Are Square - This is Hip! 1990 - Heavens to Murgatroyd, Even! It’s! (Already) 1991 - W.O.A.H! Bo in Thee Garage 1991 - Headcoatitude 1993 - The Wurst is Yet to Come 1993 - The Good Times Are Killing Me 1993 - Cavern by the Sea 1994 - Connundrum 1995 - The Sound of the Baskervilles (Thee Headcoats featuring Thee Headcoatees) 1996 - In Tweed We Trust 1996 - Knights of the Baskervilles 1997 - The Jimmy Reid Experience 1998 - The Messerschmits Pilots Severed Hand 1998 - Sherlock Holmes Meets the Punkenstien Monster 1998 - Brother is Dead…but fly is gone! 1998 - 17% Hendrix Was Not the Only Musician come Billy Childish & His Famous Headcoats 1999 - English Gentlemen of Rock‘N’Roll/the Best Vol.2 2000 - I Am the Object of Your Desire 2000 - Elementary Headcoats - Thee Singles 1990-1999 Come Thee Headcoats Sect (con The Downliners Sect) 1996 - Deerstalking Men 2000 - Ready Sect Go!
Come The Buff Medways 2001 - This is This 2002 - Steady the Buffs 2003 - The XFM Sessions 2003 - 1914 2005 - Medway Wheelers
Come The Chatham Singers 2005 - Heavens Journey 2009 - Juju Claudius 2020 - Kings of the Medway Delta
Come The Musicians of the British Empire 2007 - Punk Rock at the British Legion Hall 2007 - Christmas 1979 2008 - Thatcher's Children Come The Vermin Poets 2010 -Poets of England
Come The Spartan Dreggs 2011 - Forensic R & B 2012 - Dreggredation 2012 - Coastal Command 2012 - Tablets of Linear B 2014 - Archeopteryx vs. Coelacanth 2013 - A Tribute To A. E. Housman (CTMF & The Spartan Dreggs)
Con CTMF 2013 - All Our Forts Are With You 2013 - Die Hinterstoisser Traverse 2014 - Acorn Man 2016 - SQ1 2017 - In The Devil's Focus (10" BBC 6 Music Sessions) 2017 - Brand New Cage 2019 - Last Punk Standing...
Note
Altri progetti
Collegamenti esterni
Scheda sull'enciclopedia rock di Piero Scaruffi