| Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Alias: | Kirk Wall and the Hillbillies, Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, The Billys |
| Origin: | Anaheim, California |
| Genre: | Country, bluegrass, rock |
| Years Active: | –present |
| Website: | https://jansworld.net/krazy-kirk-main-page |
| Current Members: | Kirk Wall Eric Brenton Rick Dunham Anders Swanson Brad Conyers [1] |
| Past Members: | John Marshall Dennis Fetchet Rick Storey Duane Michaels Mario Hidalgo Evan Marshall Arshag Chookoorian John David John Eaden [2] |
Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies is a musical/variety group that performs at Knott's Berry Farm. Prior to 2014, they performed for 26+ years at Disneyland in Anaheim, California as Billy Hill and the Hillbillies.[3] The group performs a bluegrass country music-centered show along with classic rock and rap (performed in a country and bluegrass style).
The group had four original members, all using the stage name of Billy Hill, who performed from August 5, 1992 until November 1994. The original members are:
Hildago was later replaced before the opening inside the Golden Horseshoe Saloon on December 18, 1994 by Evan Marshall (mandolin), who left the band in 2003.
Billy Hill and the Hillbillies play music from all genres in a folk/bluegrass style while interacting with audiences. The roster consists of a regular rotation of 10 to 12 musicians, with Wall generally serving as the lead singer while playing fiddle and guitar.[4]
Wall, who got his start in show business as a comedian, said he geared his jokes to adults in the crowd more than the children. "The kids might not get the jokes," Wall said, "but they at least get a kick out of seeing their mom and dad crack up." A sometime Elvis impersonator, Wall noted that Disney did not prohibit him, or any other Disney musician, from pursuing side projects.[5] One such show took place in Buffalo, New York in 1997 as part of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's TGIF series. According to Mary Kunz of Buffalo News, the group performed classical pieces together with the orchestra which "proved how much bluegrass and classical music have in common". After intermission, the band re-emerged dressed in overalls, "like some kind of Appalachian Marx Brothers", and performed another hour of country standards including "Hey Good Lookin'", "Tennessee Waltz", and "Orange Blossom Special".[6]
Prior to February 3, 2009, Billy Hill and the Hillbillies were performing 7 days a week inside the Golden Horseshoe Saloon as three different teams:[7]
On November 6, 2013, a press release on the Disney Parks official blog announced that the Billy Hill and the Hillbillies Show would retire as of January 6, 2014, ending a run of 21 consecutive years performing in Frontierland.[8] A group called "Save The Billys" started a petition and Facebook event in an attempt to persuade Disney to change its mind on retiring the show.[9]
In late 2013, the "Blue Team" consisting of Kirk Wall, Anders Swanson, Dennis Fetchet, and Rick Storey, started their own group named "Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies". The show has the same music, comedy style, and members of Disneyland's Billy Hill & The Hillbillies but performing outside of Disneyland in both public and private events. The first performance for this group was on New Year's Eve 2013 at Knott's Berry Farm. The current team in 2024 includes Kirk Wall, Eric Brenton, Rick Dunham, Anders Swanson, and Brad Conyers.