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Meg from Barnes & Noble.com: Good evening Billy Gilman and welcome to Barnes & Noble.com. We're delighted you could join us for a chat! How are you and where do we find you tonight?

BG: I'm great. I'm very excited to chat with you guys. You've caught me in New York.

Jonathan Bravata from Lagrange Park, Illinois: How does it feel to be become the youngest artist ever to acheive platinum status, and to do it at such a young age?

BG: It's really incredible. I heard I went platinum this morning. We were flipping! It's really overwhelming.

Eugene from Carson City, NV: Do you feel that the sudden onset of sucess that you have been blessed with has changed you in any way?

BG: It has changed me. I'm on the road more & more. It's a quick Hi & Bye to Mom and Dad & my younger brother. But in other ways it hasn't changed at all.

Peter from Washington, DC: Congratulations on your album going platinum. Do you have any thoughts about the fact that so many different kinds of people (young, old, male, female, etc.) love your album? With your broad popularity, you are sort of like the Harry Potter of music.

BG: Thank you! (laughs) Well it's just really incredible. I want to thank all the fans to help it go gold & platinum. it really means a lot to me!

Richard from Tucson: What was it like to work with Charlotte Church?

BG: She was so nice and she has a beautiful voice. The song is called Dream a Dream. It was really really fun. She did bits and pieces of Sleigh Ride, on my christmas album coming out Oct 17. It's really a beautiful song.

Casper from West Point, GA: Where would you like to tour that you have not already toured?

BG: Basically Reba Mcentire has asked me to go on her tour. 13 or 14 dates with her - Champagne & Grand Rapids. The one place I'd still like to tour in is Canada.

Jack from Kansas City, Missouri: I think your entire CD is fantastic!! Do you plan to do more songs like "Spend Another Night" and "What's Forever For" on future albums as well as straight country songs?

BG: A good question. you never know. We're doing all the standards on the Christmas album like White Christmas and some new ones. On the third album which we're starting on February, I'll probably do some songs like those you mentioned but you never know!

Cassey from Pennsylvania: What do your friends think of you sucess?

BG: They think it's awesome because they know this is what I've been wanting to do for a long time. In first grade, while other kids were bringing in toy trucks & snakes, I'd bring in a tape & ask the teacher if she had a stereo and I'd sing a few songs for them.

Brett from Texas: I hear you may win an award for best young recording artist. Have you ever won anything before for singing like a talent show or anything?

BG: last question: and they'd go "yep! there's Billy!" this question: I'm up against all these great artists. To be nominated is incredible...but to win an award -- cross our fingers!

mandy mai from Wisconsin: I heard you just got a new puppy. What breed is it? What did you name it? How many other pets do you have and what kind of pets are they, snakes?

BG: Well, it's a male Pug, really little, his name is Butch. All together I have 28 animals - horses, pigs, chickens...a mini farm. The Gilman farm, the Funny farm! (laughs)

Theresa from MN: I heard someone that your song "One Voice" was written for the school shootings? Is that true?

BG: That is very true. We wanted to write a song about the real world, with guns and violence in the schools, so basically that's what it's about.

Richard from Arizona: Besides country,what other kinds of music do you listen to?

BG: I listen to all kinds of music - rock, pop, jazz, broadway, rap, basically everything!

sydney from sacramento: Hey Billy- I'm the one with the garden hose at the Randy Travis concert!I was wondering are you going to school or are you being tutors?Thanks!Have fun in England!

BG: Oh yeah! Thanks for the hose, I was going to use it for a prop in the show, but you took it... I'm tutored and probably a week's worth is about 3 months in school and we get things done really quick!

FireStorm from Lewiston, Maine: Hey Billy, Today Al Gore came to Lewiston Maine and I got to meet him. Today, I also get to ask you a question and im much more honored to do that. I would rather meet you then the Vice President of the United States. I love your music, and it would be so great just to talk with you. My question is.. How is your tooth doing, when does the wire get to come off? (the same thing happened with me). Thanks so much!

BG: It did? I'm so sorry. But the tooth is doing very very good. I just went to the orthodontist yesterday and everything is looking good, but I have to have some minor changes in my mouth. The wire comes off in a couple weeks...that's what they say.

Casie from Taylorville,IL: What is your favorite movie??horror movie??

BG: I love horror movies! I love suspense and scary movies. But my favorite movie would be The Goonies. Now all these girls and boys will send me Goonies movies. One time on a chat I said I liked the color green & I got green roses, green paper, green hats -- it was incredible

Peter from Washington, DC: I am looking forward to hearing the duets that you recorded with Charlotte Church. Are there other singers that you would like to sing a duet with?

BG: Well i would like to sing a duet with...probably either Pam Tillis, Leanne Rimes, and Leanne Womack.

Richard from Tucson: What did you think of the new video Oklahoma and how it turned out? It kind of makes me want to cry sometimes.

BG: How did he see the video? That's cool. Thanks if you saw it. It turned out to be great, more than I planned for. When we first saw it, when the boy meets the father for the first time,everybody was bawling. It turned out to be a good video.

Max from Atlanta: Hi, Billy "The Amazing Platinum Boy" Gilman! I know you have been very busy lately. What is the muost fun part of all the traveling you have been doing?

BG: Well I went to England and that was really fun and I'm going back with everyone - my tour manager and everyone else. That's the most fun I've had - driving on the wrong side of the street and everything. But I'm not driving yet! (laughs)

Eugene from Carson City, NV: I imagine one, or, both of your parents work full-time. When you go on the road, do you take one of them with you... or, any other family memebers for that fact?

BG: Yeah sometimes I do take both of them and sometimes I take my grandmothers and my grandfathers. I take basically all my family so they can experience what it's like to be out on the road. It's not all easy, some of it's hard. It's fun to see their expressions when they see what I go through! (laughs)

Caitlin Cornell from VT: Do you sometimes wish that you could just hang out with your friends and not alwasy be around adults? Oh yeah congrats on your album!!

BG: Yeah I love to hang around with my friends. Before I came to New York I had some friends over and sprained my foot a little playing with my scooter. Most of the time I hang around with friends, but you know with that singing stuff, you have to hang around adults. But most of them are fun and act like kids so it doesn't matter.

Danielle from Florida: Is it true that you might appear on 7th Heaven and Touched By An Angel?

BG: Actually it is true! I might appear on 7th Heaven with Aaron Spelling - I met him and he's a wonderful guy. It was so funny, we were sitting in his office and he had to take a call and he says "I have to take this call if I want to pay for my wife's jewelry!" It was so funny how he said it!

Dawn from VA: Any plans yet to go back on the Rosie show? And will you see any Broadway shows in New York this time?

BG: Well Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorites. We have made plans to go back on Rosie some time this year or next, but we don't have a final date yet.

Molly from Indiana: Hey there Billy, i was wondering if you sing in the shower. i know is stupid but i was just wondering.

BG: Actually I just took a shower and yeah I do sing in the shower. So it's not a stupid question!

Max from Atlanta: Hi Billy "the youngest star to ever go Platinum" Gilman! Good job, Kid! Could you tell us some about the making of the new "Oklahoma" video? Was it fun, was it hard work? Who plays the dad?

BG: If you listen to country music and watch CMT -- the "He Didn't Have to Be video" from Brad Paisley - it's the father in that. It was hard, it was hot, but it was fun at the same time.

Danny from Colorado: hi Billy would like to know what your alltime fav song is thanks

BG: My all-time favorite song in by Barbra Streisand and it's called "Somewhere."

Andrew from OakLawn..ill: how do you feel about the napster things going on? because thats how i heard your music.. and practically fell in love w/ it

BG: Thank you! I haven't heard much about the napster thing. I've never been on that website and haven't heard much about the napster "crisis."

Brittany from Corinth, TX: Do you have a girlfirend?

BG: Yeah....no...well, no, since I'm on the road a lot. I don't have time cuz I'm on the road constantly. So no, I don't have a girlfriend.

JoAnna from Florida: You are my hero, Who is your hero???

BG: Thank you so much! My heroes are my parents and Pam Tillis and -- i can't wait because I'm going to her last concert ever (in NYC) -- Barbra Streisand. So basically that's it.

Tony Nudo from Tennessee: Hey Billy-I am one of your older fans, and I sent you a fan letter i hope you got. I was wondering if your busy schedule allows you to tour the cities you play in

BG: Since I'm so busy I don't get to a whole lot, but sometimes I do. I've gone to the Alamo, all those neat places...

Eugene from Carson City, NV: I noticed that you have a song on you CD that the Moffatts first released. Has anyone dared to compare you to them yet (not that there is much of a comparison other than age... you are far more talented!!) If they have, how do you feel about that?

BG: That's cool! The Moffatts are great. I didn't know they did that originally, but now in interviews I have to know who wrote the songs. They're great entertainers!

John from New Jersey: Do you really sign the posters that you can order from your cd?

BG: Actually yes I do. I sign about 400 a day. It's really really fun to see all the fans come in and want a poster and I thought cool! Yeah, my hand gets tired.

Kristen from Poland, Ohio: You can't even imagine how exciting this is for me. Ever since the first time I saw your video, I had to know more about you! The only thing that would be better than this would be to meet you. Where will you be touring next?

BG: Well I'm gonna be with Reba - in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Champagne, IL, and Buffalo, NY -- you never know what dates will pop up so keep looking!

Elbe from Spokane Wa.: Will you be a singer for the rest of your life, or do you think something else may eventually catch your eye?

BG: Well I've always wanted to be a singer for the rest of my life and hopefully I will be. But my family and mgmt company say "It's only temporary, Billy, so love it as much as you can because you never know when it'll end." But I hope it never ends!

Mike from Cincinnati, Ohio: I was just wondering if you had a mailing address for fans, or a fan club, or email address. (If you don't have a club I'd love to help you get one started!) I've been wanting to write you for a long time, but didn't know how. Thanks, and good luck!

BG: You can go on my website on www.billygilman.com and right on the top there's my email address. I get about 300-400 a day. I answer every one of them! Who knows how I have time for music! (laughs)

Eugene from Carson City, NV: Do you play any instruments? If not, do you plan on learning any?

BG: I was learning to play guitar, but it kind of slipped away since I'm on the road a lot. So no, I'm not playing any instruments.

Stacey from Arizona: Do you miss being just an ordinary regular kid. I mean without all the touring and studio time.

BG: I'm always a kid. I get a week, 2 weeks off and I play with my friends. And with tutoring, I don't have to wake up at 5:30 like if I had to go to regular school! But I still get to be a regular kid.

Eugene from Carson City, NV: Do you have any brothers or sisters? Is anyone else in your family as musically gifted as you are?

BG: Basically, my family loves to listen to music. My brother, Colin, is 8 y.o. He's very athletic - soccer, football, and baseball, so he might be a great athelete. So music-oriented, people aren't so much into it in my family. But athletics-oriented, yeah!

stefanie nagy from pennsylvania: hi i am like your biggest fan um i wanna know who is your all time favorite country singer and why

BG: Patsy Cline - because she is so incredible, her voice. Unfortunately she died in 1963. But she's my favorite country singer.

Meg from Barnes & Noble.com: Thank you so much, Billy, for taking the time to chat with us tonight. Before we sign off, do you have any parting words for your many online fans?

BG: Thank you so much! They were all great questions and I enjoyed every minute of it!

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