Bill Hicok

Bill Hicok was born in Cleveland but grew up in upstate New York with a brother and two sisters. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1963 with a BA and a commission as a 2nd lieutenant, and then spent the next 28 years in the Army, traveling the world and dodging the occasional (mostly metaphorical) bullet.  Bill retired in 1991, took up watercolor and acrylic painting for a few years.  He then got restless, bought a motorcycle, learned to ride it and took off from April through September 1999, on a 16000 mile, 34 state ride around the country.

Soon after, Bill began to regret never having learned to play an instrument.  He’s been a lover of classical music for years and a long time supporter of WHRO so he bought a guitar and began taking lessons.  Bill started buying CDs of classical guitar music and one of the first was Guitar Favorites on NAXOS with guitarist Norbert Kraft.  On that CD is a beautiful barcarolle by the Paraguayan guitarist and composer Agustin Barrios called Julia Florida.  He played that CD and particularly that piece by Barrios over and over, and was hooked.  Bill especially loves the music of Barrios, and it was in part the inspiration for Silver Moonbeams.  The title is that of a poem by Barrios and refers to the strings of his guitar.

In the fall of 2002 Bill’s guitar teacher helped him make a demonstration CD for a half-hour program of music for guitar.  He sent it to Dwight Davis and the first program aired on May 4th, 2003, with the same music and narrative as the audition.
Bill lives with his wife Marilyn and Sapphire the cat in Queens Lake near Williamsburg. They have five children and six beautiful grandchildren.  Life is better than good.