Billy Mize (William Robert Mize, April 29, 1929 – October 28, 2017) was an American steel guitarist, band leader, vocalist, songwriter, and TV show host. Mize was born in Arkansas City, Kansas, and raised in the San Joaquin Valley of California, an area steeped in country music thanks to relocated Okies. He originally learned to play guitar as a child, but fell in love with the steel guitar he received for his 18th birthday. Mize moved to Bakersfield, California and formed his own band playing local gigs and also working as a disc jockey on KPMC. In 1953, he, Bill Woods and Herb Hen…
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