sharke

Rain


Well, it does tell us that one Billy Arnell passed away.  But are we sure it's our Billy? 

The man who collaborated w/ Loeb was in his early 20s in the mid-70s.  Meaning he'd be 50 something now. Maybe I have it all wrong, but I imagined Billy a bit younger. I don't know, I'm hesitant to say my goodbyes to our friend before we know for sure.

More like 60. I saw the guy's photo on his website and he doesn't look that old! Plus his music does not sound like that of a 60 year old guy. I wouldn't close the book on this yet, if what you say is true about the deceased man's age. 

I tend to agree (because I'm hoping against hope it ain't true) - I usually listened to Billy's music on the Songs forum, and it ranged from techno to garage to R & B ballads..that doesn't really fit the image of a 60 year old guy to me.


His last log-in was May 13th this year, and his posts from around that time were pretty upbeat, so I'm really hoping this is just a long break.

Ouch. Thanks for taking the detour Sharke.

Scott provided that address - I guess it was linked to one of the phone numbers he had for Billy.


EDIT - really I have no clue, I'm just bumping this thread, hoping someone will chime in w/ more info.

I'd really love Billy to see this thread and come out with one of his punchlines just now.

He is sorely missed already.

Someone do something nice with his avatar.
I'm too lame.

Awwww...  I've been following this thread hoping that Billy would pop in with a Mark Twain-ish quote and let us know he's OK. Sounds like that's not going to happen, so I'll raise a glass to Billy tonight.....  He'll be missed.

Now I'm confused. There seems to be some assumption that the Bill in question is the Bill who is associated with Steve Loeb. Now apparently a Billy Arnell and Steve Loeb wrote the theme tune to ABC News, which in the following link says "1978 Publisher":


http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/ABCnews.html

But if you click on his name in that link, it takes you to a page which says the theme was done in 1967:

http://www.classicthemes.com/tvRadioComposerPages/arnellBilly.html

Now honestly speaking....I don't know how old this guy was supposed to be, but listening to the stuff on his website, it just doesn't fit the bill of someone who wrote a TV theme in 1967. I'm still wondering where Scott got the address from that I visited today...was it connected to the Billy Arnell who worked with Steve Loeb? And are we sure that is BA-Midi? I hate to stir things up, but when I came away from that building today I was thinking "well I guess that's that," and yet here I am with my doubts again!

While it's always hard to know for sure, the most worrying thing is that ignoring people's PMs, emails, and not visiting here even if not posting, just isn't like Billy. I only know him via here but I'm sure if he saw this topic he would definitely reply and let us all know he's okay.

Of course there may be genuine other reasons why he can't do any of those things and I really hope there is but it doesn't look good.

These photos of Billy, are from his website:





They are tagged with info that suggests that they were made at 1:24 a.m. on 01/02/2006, so that's about 6-1/2 years ago.


This photo was taken when Billy was 8 years old.



Looks like it was made in the late 1950's or perhaps early 1960's.


best regards,
mike

Ya know something doesn't seem right here.   How can a guy in the music biz and a guy who is pretty tech savy,  who was on the internet a lot  have so little info? 

A one line obit,  a web page and a couple of blurbs on wikipedia and such?  No family...no nothing?

I mean if you dug on me you could find my current batting average in my old man's baseball league, the highschool I went to,  music projects, old bands I played in,  where I have worked,  where I have taught  etc....  i am not much younger than Billy.   You could find that stuff with little effort.




  

sharke


Well, I wish I had better news for you guys. If the address that Scott Lee posted (260 W72nd st) is of the Billy Arnell in question, he passed away 4 weeks ago. There was no doorman but I spoke to the super through the intercom. From where did this address come from?

According to the links below, the man named Billy Arnell at that address was 63 years old. The phone number seems to match what Scott provided.  His CEL phone is a 212-362-xxxx


http://www.whitepages.com.ir/New-York/Arnell/Billy


http://www.spokeo.com/sea...mp;swp4=t30#:277986887



As Mike pointed out, the 8 years old pic looks like late 50's, maybe early 60's. Which would make it all the more likely.

Actually, Billy Arnell is also listed as chairman of Break Out Music, here. :s

http://www.manta.com/g/mr5h1sp/billy-arnell

Scott Lee


Hi everyone,

This is what I know. I worked for Capital records for a bit, of which billy and I spoke briefly about. Billy owned, ran or had some affiliation with a record company that delt with capital as well as other record companies at some point in time. 

The address I supplied wasn't one billy gave me directly, but was the address I found for a Billy Arnell living in NYC.  Im not 100% sure that was his address, though was the only Billy Arnell I found. 

The thing about Billy is even if he would drop off, he always made sure to get right back to me or as some posted, would email them back promptly. Thats the big concern of mine. I am also reserving thinking the worst until someone can do a positive ID. 

Hoping for the best for Billy! Please still be with us.

The band Riot - produced by the man named Billy Arnell who worked w/ Loeb - had at least one record on Capitol.


See http://www.discogs.com/artist/Arnell+%26+Loeb
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narita_(album)


EDIT - I hope this doesn't come across like I'm prying. Billy's absence just really affect me, like I think it does many of us. I'm always hoping that I'll hit some information that'll prove me that we have the wrong guy.

I hate to make this any more complicated than it already is, but there is a YouTube video of an old track by one Billy Arnell (of Billy Arnell and the Sparkles), which features a comment from someone, posted 4 weeks ago, which says "RIP Billy we miss you." The super I spoke to said that the Billy Arnell at 260 W72nd st died 4 weeks ago too. I'm really confused as to whether or not there are two Billy Arnells, both seemingly in the music business. Or perhaps this YouTube commenter  knew of the BA-Midi Billy Arnell, heard of his death, and did a search on YouTube and mistakenly thought that Billy was the same one? Or maybe that really IS BA-Midi singing on the Tough Girl track? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GOsBpHyldE

More worringly is the similarity in website design between the breakout.com website and Billy's.

http://www.breakout.com/

http://www.ba-midi.com/music/files/


Same colour, similar layout, same font. While it hardly proves anything as an observation it doesn't help me stop thinking the worst.

FastBikerBoy


More worringly is the similarity in website design between the breakout.com website and Billy's.

http://www.breakout.com/

http://www.ba-midi.com/music/files/


Same colour, similar layout, same font. While it hardly proves anything as an observation it doesn't help me stop thinking the worst.

Yea and listen to the music in the video on Breakout.Com.  Sure does sound like Billy's stuff.  Have to say... that has to be him.