Billy Gilman Bio
William Wendell Gilman III, known professionally as Billy Gilman, is an American country music singer who rose to prominence as a child performer in 2000. Born on May 24, 1988, in Westerly, Rhode Island, he scored a top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit and a top 20 country hit with his debut single “One Voice” when he was only 11 years old, becoming the youngest artist to ever have a top 40 single on the country chart. His debut album One Voice was certified double platinum, and he later rebuilt his career as an adult contestant on season 11 of The Voice, finishing as the season’s runner-up. In 2014, Billy Gilman publicly came out as gay and remains active in music and charitable work.
Over the course of his career, Billy Gilman has released five studio albums across several record labels and has performed on major national stages, from the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration to charity telethons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He married his partner, Anthony Carbone, in August 2024 and continues to record and tour as an adult artist.
Early Life and Background
William Wendell Gilman III was born on May 24, 1988, in Westerly, Rhode Island, and was raised in Hope Valley, in the town of Richmond. He is the son of Frances “Fran” Woodmansee and William Wendell “Bill” Gilman Jr., who works in maintenance. He grew up alongside a younger brother, Colin, in a supportive household in southern Rhode Island.
Billy Gilman began singing before he was in school and gave his first public performance at the age of seven. His early love of country music and his clear vocal talent set him on a fast track toward a professional career, and at the age of nine he was discovered by Ray Benson of the western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Benson helped him record demo recordings, and that early guidance led directly to Billy Gilman’s signing with Epic Records Nashville in 2000.
As a young performer, Billy Gilman balanced school and a growing music career, performing locally and regionally before stepping onto the national stage. His upbringing in Rhode Island and the encouragement of his family and early mentors played a central role in shaping his early artistic direction.
Path to Music
Billy Gilman’s path to a professional music career moved quickly once he began recording demos with Ray Benson. The demos circulated to major labels, and he was signed to Epic Records Nashville in 2000, just months before his 12th birthday. This early label deal marked his transition from local performer to nationally recognized recording artist.
His debut single, “One Voice,” was released in 2000 and quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. At 11 years old, Billy Gilman became the youngest artist to ever have a top 40 single on the country chart, a record that introduced him to a wide mainstream audience. The single earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, while the songwriters Don Cook and David Malloy received a separate nomination for Best Country Song.
Beyond the studio, Billy Gilman gained early exposure through high-profile performances, including an appearance on the 2001 Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration in New York, where he sang “Ben.” He also appeared on the tribute album Country Goes Raffi and collaborated with Welsh soprano Charlotte Church on the track “Dream A Dream” from her album of the same name.
Billy Gilman Career
Early Career (1999–2001)
Billy Gilman began his recording career in 2000 with the release of his debut single “One Voice” on Epic Records Nashville. The song became a top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit and a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and it earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. At 11 years old, he was the youngest artist to ever place a top 40 single on the country chart.
His debut album, One Voice, was released on June 20, 2000, and was certified double platinum in the United States. The album featured the singles “Oklahoma” and “There’s a Hero,” with “Oklahoma” reaching the top 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Later in 2000, Billy Gilman released the holiday album Classic Christmas, which was certified gold. In 2001, he released his second studio album, Dare to Dream, which was also certified gold.
Breakthrough (2000–2003)
The years 2000 to 2003 represented the peak of Billy Gilman’s initial run as a child country star. His first three releases for Epic Nashville, the double platinum One Voice, the gold-certified Classic Christmas, and the gold-certified Dare to Dream, established him as one of the most successful young country artists of his era. Singles such as “Oklahoma” and “There’s a Hero” extended his reach on country radio, and the follow-up singles “Elisabeth” and “She’s My Girl” from Dare to Dream continued to receive airplay even if they did not match the early success of “One Voice.”
After Dare to Dream, Billy Gilman’s voice began to change with the onset of puberty, and he temporarily stepped back from singing. In 2003, he released Music Through Heartsongs: Songs Based on the Poems of Mattie J.T. Stepanek, his final album for Epic. The album was tied to the work of child poet Mattie Stepanek, who lived with muscular dystrophy and died in 2004, and it reflected Billy Gilman’s longstanding connection to disability and charity causes.
By the mid-2000s, Billy Gilman had moved to Image Entertainment, where he released the album Everything and More in 2005 and a self-titled album, Billy Gilman, in 2006. These releases marked his effort to grow into an adult recording artist after rebuilding his vocal technique.
The Voice and Reinvention (2016)
In 2016, Billy Gilman auditioned for season 11 of the US edition of The Voice, singing Adele’s “When We Were Young” in his blind audition. All four coaches, Adam Levine, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys, and Blake Shelton, turned their chairs, and he chose to join Team Adam Levine. The audition broadcast highlighted his childhood career and his 2014 public coming out as gay.
Across the season, Billy Gilman advanced through the battle, knockout, and live rounds, performing songs such as Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” Roy Orbison’s “Crying,” Queen’s “The Show Must Go On,” Adele’s “All I Ask,” Martina McBride’s “Anyway,” and Celine Dion’s “I Surrender,” several of which reached the top of the iTunes chart. He advanced to the finale and was named the season 11 runner-up when Sundance Head was declared the winner on December 13, 2016.
Notable Works and Milestones
Billy Gilman’s signature recording is his debut single “One Voice” (2000), which became a top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit and a top 20 country hit and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. His debut album One Voice was certified double platinum, and his holiday album Classic Christmas and his 2001 album Dare to Dream were both certified gold. He later completed a successful run as the runner-up on season 11 of The Voice in 2016.
Billy Gilman Award Nominations
Billy Gilman has received one Grammy Award nomination across his career. He was nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his debut single “One Voice” in 2000, and the songwriters Don Cook and David Malloy received a separate nomination for Best Country Song for the same recording.
Billy Gilman Awards Won
Billy Gilman has not won a Grammy Award. His verified industry recognition is centered on commercial certifications, including double platinum status for his debut album One Voice and gold certification for both Classic Christmas and Dare to Dream, alongside the artist honors he received from the Rhode Island Senate and House of Representatives in 2017.
Billy Gilman Family
Billy Gilman is the son of William Wendell “Bill” Gilman Jr., who works in maintenance, and Frances “Fran” Woodmansee. He has a younger brother, Colin, and grew up with his family in Hope Valley, in the town of Richmond, Rhode Island. His parents appeared with him on the season 11 broadcast of The Voice, where they were introduced as a key source of support throughout his childhood career and his later public coming out in 2014.
Personal Life
Billy Gilman publicly came out as gay in a video titled “My Story by Billy Gilman,” posted to the One Voice Productions YouTube page on November 20, 2014, shortly after country singer Ty Herndon shared his own coming out. He has been a longtime ambassador and former National Youth Chairman for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and has also supported the charity Soles4Souls. He married his partner, Anthony Carbone, in August 2024.