Billy Squier biography
On February 17, 1998, during the second run of the play Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God - a monodrama about the life of Freddie Mercury - Squier debuted a song that he wrote in memory of his friend titled "I Have Watched You Fly". He introduced the song by saying, "I knew Freddie as a friend. I'm honored to share the stage with him in the afterlife."
In 1998, Squier released his last studio album to date on an independent label, a solo acoustic blues effort entitled Happy Blue. He embarked on a mini-tour to showcase songs from the album, which included a stripped-down acoustic version of his classic rock mega-hit, "The Stroke."
As time passed, his albums went out of print, save Don't Say No and some greatest hits compilations; however, many of these are now being reprinted.
Shout! Factory will release Don't Say No: 30th Anniversary Edition on July 27, 2010, marking the first time that this album has been remastered in over 20 years. It was released in collaboration with Squier, who provided two live bonus cuts from his personal collection.
Other activity
Squier played a special acoustic show at B.B. King's in New York City on November 30, 2005. Highlights of the show were acoustic versions of "Everybody Wants You", "Nobody Knows", "Learn How to Live", "The Stroke", "Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You", and most of the 1998
Happy Blue CD. VH1 Classic and New York hard rock radio icon Eddie Trunk introduced Squier that night as "one of the great singer/songwriters in the history of rock."
Squier now lives in New York's Upper West Side. Sampling of "The Big Beat" continues. The late Jam Master Jay's reference to the song as a classic beat in the early days of hip hop has paid great dividends for Squier. The three piece hip hop group performed a track live at The Funhouse entitled "Here We Go", using the song's backbeat. Jay Z's "99 Problems," a massive hit in 2003, is based on that beat, as well as British grime/hip-hop MC Dizzee Rascal's "Fix Up, Look Sharp" and Kanye West's "Addiction".
In 2004 "Everybody Wants You" was remixed with the group Fischerspooner's song "Emerge" and included on the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" soundtrack.
In 2006, Squier joined Richard Marx, Edgar Winter, Rod Argent, and Sheila E touring with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band. A documentary of the tour including a full-length concert performance is now available on DVD.