Singer-Songwriter Billy Gilman was born on this date in Westerly, RI in 1988. In 2000, at age 11, he emerged as a child star after being discovered by Ray Benson of the popular country band Asleep at the Wheel.

Gilman had a hit with the song “One Voice” in 2000, when he became the youngest artist ever to have a Top 40 single on the country charts. His album of the same name went double platinum, and follow-up recordings Classic Christmas and Dare to Dream also did well.

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After a career hiatus, Gilman re-emerged in 2016 on “NBC’s The Voice,” where he was runner up for the season. Gilman continues to play live dates and recently recorded a Livestream show at the Greenwich Odeum.

Lifestyle Editor Ken Abrams writes about music, the arts and more for What'sUpNewp. He is also an Editor and Writer for Hey Rhody Media. Ken DJ's "The Kingston Coffeehouse," a roots/folk/rock radio show every Tuesday, 6-9 PM on WRIU 90.3 FM. He is a former educator in the Scituate, RI school system where he taught Social Studies for over 30 years.
He is on the board of the Rhode Island Folk Festival and Newport Live (formerly Common Fence Music), a non-profit that brings diverse musical acts to the Newport area.