Will Oldham (born 24 December 1970, Louisville, Kentucky) is an American
singer-songwriter, actor, and musician. His music is often (perhaps inappropriately) placed under the genre of "
alt-country". Oldham has recorded under many names, including
Palace,
Palace Music,
Palace Brothers, and
Bonnie Billy. He often plays and records with other musicians, including
Dave Pajo and his brothers Ned and Paul Oldham, but is generally the chief creator of the music. He has also been involved in musical projects and bands such as
Amalgamated Sons of Rest,
The Anomoanon,
The Boxhead Ensemble,
Tortoise, and
The Sundowners as well as releasing his first solo album in 1993. Oldham has said that the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy moniker has many references. These include 'Bonnie' Prince Charlie, an 18th century Jacobite; Billy the Kid, the 19th century American outlaw also known as William Bonney; and the American singer
Nat King Cole. He has also appeared in several films, such as the 1987 film Matewan and most recently in Old Joy (released in late 2006). He is also the photographer of the cover image of the
Slint album
Spiderland.
