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Billy Gilman
has been the busiest 12-year-old in America since the last time Scholastic
featured him on our Web site. Billy has become the youngest artist to have
a platinum debut album and the youngest solo artist ever to receive a
Grammy nomination! After his stellar performance of the hit single, One
Voice, at the American Music Awards recently, everyone can see that
Billy has taken the music industry by storm. Now he is planning to return
to the studio to create a new album which should hit stores as early as
spring 2001. He may also go on tour this summer with Jessica Andrews. Read
Scholastic's exclusive chat with this amazing young star and find out what
his favorite season is and why he once spent $5 on a
soda. Q: What was it like to see yourself in People magazine, did you ever dream that would happen? Billy: Never, I mean, it's just so incredible. I'm on all these wonderful television shows and magazines. I wish that I could go back because it happened so fast, I didn't have time to enjoy it. So, I wish I could just hold the clock of time and go back. Q: Your idea of a perfect day is 80 degrees and being by the beach, what do you like to do in the summer? Billy: I just like to hang out with my friends and eat lots of ice cream. We have a pool so we like to have pool parties and sleepover parties. It's just a normal summer. Q: Everyone was so impressed with you at the American Music Awards, what did it feel like to receive a standing ovation there? Billy: When I got a standing ovation at the Academy of Country Music Awards I was really, really overwhelmed, but when I got the standing ovation at the American Music Awards it really, really touched me. I was almost going to bawl onstage. That's why I rushed offit touched me so much. Because I'm telling you, there was a different collaboration of music there that night, to see all of those rappers and pop artists standing for me. Q: I heard you once spent $5 on a soda, why was that? Billy: We were in a rush at the airport and we were in one of those stands where they sell hot pretzels and stuff. I was running and all of a sudden I asked my mom, "Give me a 10 dollar bill because I need to get something to drink." I don't know why I asked for a 10 dollar bill, but I did. I got some bubble gum and then I asked for a Coke, and the man at the counter goes, "Ok, five dollars for all of it." I was like, "Five dollars? All right, whatever," because we were in a rush and our plane was almost ready to depart from the gate, and I'm like, "hey, that guy got a nice tip." Q: If you could go back to one time period in history, what would it be? Billy: I would like to go back to World War II to see what they went through because my great-grandfather fought in the war. That was really astonishing to know that. He would tell [stories] every Christmas Eve when we would sit around the fire and drink cocoa and open our gifts, it was really, really cool. Q: Coming up in May is your 13th birthday, what plans do you have for that? Billy: Yaaaaay! I can't wait. We're going to throw the biggest party. I think we're going to go to the rollerblading rink or to the movies, maybe something even more exciting than that. |
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