Americana Loses One Of Its Founding Contributors And Greatest Cheerleaders – Billy Block

A champion of Nashville’s emerging artists has died after a bout with cancer, according to a Facebook post by his wife.

“Billy had been waging war with Stage 4 Melanoma since he was diagnosed during Christmas in 2013,” Jill Block writes, adding that her husband has “taken the drum seat behind dear friends…in the Band of Angels.”

“Be listening,” she writes. “The beat goes on.”

The
Nashville Scene called Billy Block ”
the honky-tonk underdog’s best friend” last year when his cancer became public.

Block’s career began as a professional drummer then promoter and radio host. His life’s work was a
show that started with the name “Western Beat.” It ran for 25 years.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun playing a lot of music with a lot of friends,” he said at a reunion show in 2006. “That’s what Western Beat is all about.”

Artists from Keith Urban to Kacey Musgraves appeared with Billy Block before hitting the big time. He was 59 years old.

Block is survived by four children and his wife of 23 years. She says she plans to donate his archived audio and instruments to the Country Music Hall of Fame for an Americana exhibit.