Robin to his Batman, Ed McMahon to his Johnny Carson, Boo Boo to his Yogi, Pokey to his Gumby…you get the drift. Today’s post features pictures of Taylor with his friend, sidekick and trusted right-hand man/assistant, Bill Williams.
This is Bill:
This is Bill and Taylor:
Credit to Alicia for these next two:
In this next one, Taylor points to Bill so we don’t get them mixed up — “No, I’m Taylor Hicks — that’s Bill Will.”
You will often see Bill in the background — here are a few of Background Bill.
I’m not sure what he’s doing back there in this one — working hard or hardly working?
At the Tonight Show — I think that’s Felix and Brian back there too:
For this next one, click the larger version here if you like close-ups of what I can only assume is commonly referred to as, “Billstubble.”
Credit to Taylorbug
Bill isn’t just a huge fan of baseball caps and plaid shirts — he’s also a master at the art of flashlight-holding.
Triple duty — happily holding a flashlight, sharpies and some sort of drawing (possibly) for Taylor’s viewing.
Quadruple duty — holding a flashlight, backpack, harmonica case and what looks like a jacket.
Here Background Bill is focused on delivering some garments (dry cleaning?) to their destination. (There’s Background Brian again too.)
Earning his keep, carrying a bag in each hand.
Credit to Patay
He also can work a camcorder at a moment’s notice. Link to larger version
Taylor and Bill apparently also share their wardrobe. I give you exhibits A through E:
Bill’s “how many licks” Tootsie Pop hat aside (it’s irrelevant to this exhibit but interesting nonetheless), pay close attention to Taylor’s shirt in this one…
Now look at Bill on the right (what you can see of him) — same shirt or do they each have their own? Do enquiring minds want to know?
Now take a close look at their hats in this picture:
Could that be Taylor’s hat on Bill? Link to larger version
And Bill’s hat on Taylor?
The fun never ends.
For the Bill fans, one more pic of Bill just hangin’ loose. Link to larger version
And now we wave goodbye to the dynamic duo.
Great Pals!
Now I want to see Taylor with some women!!
Sweet, everyone needs a special friend.
OH
MY
GOD
*bows*
If anyone needs me, I’ll be in this post forever.
A million thanks!
That was fun!! thanks for that!
Guess you’ll have to Bill me later. It’s late and I’m tired. Will comment tomorrow. (Funny stuff, tays! I LedOL and almost woke up completely!)
One thought, though. Where’s Bill been during the whole Grease thing? Any sightings?
Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
Your heart is true
You’re a pal and a confidant . . .
Well, wait a second that song would imply they’re female and that there are four of them.
Maybe they’re Rico and Suave . . . or was that just one person?
I’m obviously not as good at “famous pairs” as Bloggerina is. 😛
Oh well, in spite of my blundering, I love this post, and have just one question I need to have answered.
Do you think they launder between wardrobe trade-offs?
I like to think that BOTH BW and TH are Cubs fans, thus they each own that Cubs cap.
🙂
Go, Cubs!
Frick and Frack, Double Trouble, Ying and Yang. Wow how great for Taylor to have such a great friend. I too wondered what Bill does when he is not traveling with Taylor? Does he have a job that allows him to leave for a year at a time? Or is he on Taylor’s payroll?
Love all the pics of Taylor and Bill. Wouldn’t it be fun to trade places with Bill for just one day?
LOL, they are both adorable. Thanks for the cool pics- I like how they share hats and shirts. 🙂
It is nice to see true friendship, Bill always there for Taylor and I’m sure Taylor for Bill. Thanks for buddy Sat.
Not suprised about Tapp’s post. She has gone to “BillWill Heaven” with this one.
I think it awesome for Taylor to have a longtime, trusted friend with him whenever possibe.
You rock BW…we all love ya’
I can’t imagine Taylor doing all he’s done without someone he can trust and who willingly and happily does the odd jobs that have to be done and done well. I haven’t met Bill but from all accounts he has a charming personality and is great with fans. I’m sure he is a calming force in Taylor’s life when things get hectic and crazy.
Not a BW fan… sorry… but the shots of TH are great!!
Thanks TsH. Bill Will is a great asset to Taylor. I’d love to see some of the pictures he’s taken with that dynamite camera he’s always using.
It’s funny to think that his real name is William Williams. I like Bill Will better.
All the pictures made me laugh, they such a dorky pair.
Adorkable, that is.
COOL! What a treasure-trove of Bill Will/Taylor pics! I met him once at a meet & greet before a concert last summer and he is truly cute as a button and wonderful with the fans. I asked him (along with Taylor) to sign a picture we had taken of the two of them in the spring and they cracked up laughing. Taylor said, “You’re a celebrity, Bill!” Thank you for this trip down memory lane… 🙂
Thanks TH!
I have missed seeing Bill with Taylor in the pics from NY .
He’s a good guy.
:o)
Mike and Ike, Richie and Potsie, Lenny and Squiggy, Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber, Snoopy and Woodstock, Spongebob and Patrick.
Seriously, Taylor has a cool friend and sidekick in Bill. He is more than a pack mule, much more!
I’m sure it is comforting for Taylor to have a long-time trusted friend as his assistant. Plus, it’s just another example of Taylor staying grounded, by bringing those that helped him get where he is, along for the ride.
Bill was seen in a number of Grease pics, at different times during the run of Taylor’s time with the show.
I think its funny how you sometimes see poor Bill laden with three and four things and still trying to do stuff like hold the flashlight! lol Mr. Hicks sure makes him earn his keep! lol
Have to admit, there’s something in #7 you usually don’t see- must have been chilly that day………..
Oh Sallyannlady you said what I was thinking…but I digress…great pics and nice to see to friends who respect each other even in a working relationship. I was also wondering how Bill survives when not working on the road with Taylor… Great pictures TH…Taylor is just too cute in all of them.
I love all the pictures and your captions. He definitely “earns his keep”.
There’s two pictures that stand out to me here….”the fun never ends” (probably my favorite in the bunch — look at how Taylor’s fingers are holding that book!!!) and the picture with Background Bill with the dry cleaning and Background Brian um, in the background. I keep going back to those two and laughing. In the Background Bill picture, Taylor looks mildly pissed that he has to carry his own sharpie!
aw he’s a cutie
Caryl,
I saw and spoke to Bill several times at the theater….he would walk Taylor to the theater sometimes…he was there opening night…he was there when Joni was visiting..he is such a doll…Bill was there the weekend that Taylor ended his run..he was out at the barricades on Sunday night taking pictures of the crowd for Taylor’s scrapbook!!! Amazing!
TH- These pics are great…….love them…thanks!
Great photos! Was Bill in them? I didn’t notice.. 😛
I kid Tapp, I kid. 😀
I’m sure Bill took care of all sorts of things Taylor didn’t want to deal with (including those pesky groupies).
Marcy- thanks for the update! I never heard anything about Bill in NY. I was wondering if Taylor packed him up with his other tour stuff.
One of your best photo essays ever!
Great pics of great friends! How about “Pete and Repeat” for a name of famous duos? I was wondering if those t shirts were washed in between wearings too! I remember reading somewhere that Bill owns a medical supply business; he could hire someone else to run it while he is working with Taylor. Doe anyone know when or how they met? Was it in high school maybe?
True friendship is hard to find. When you do find it, hold on to it & keep it forever!
Thanks for the wonderful pics!
These are so cute! Tay and BillWill have a true friendship–how long have they been friends? Has Tay ever said? My best friend and I have been friends for almost 30 yrs and we will always be buddies!
I know Bills brother, Wes told me that he knew Taylor from the college days so maybe they all met in college???
Thanks TH !!
These are fun – Good for both of them —
Taylor might be talking to me in #13 – just maybe.
I was standing about there.
At the book signing in San Marcos, Texas.
Come back to Texas – guys !
Sallyannlady…had to go back to #7 and take a look…now that is funny. LOL.
Bahahaha!!! *snort* Funny as hell.
Such good bff’s. Don’t they ever get sick of each other? LOL!
And I know these were suppose to be about Bill, but Taylor is SO HOT in all these pics. YUM!
It is soooo good to have a best friend. Another buddy duo, Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff.
Great pictures. I wish Taylor were my best friend and Bill, we could be Three’s Company.
Thanks TH, I would like to be your best friend too. All those pictures. wooooooooooooo
He’s a cutie too. It’s good to see good friends toghether. He seems like a great guy.
Love the picture & the captions, TH. I know how much a really good friend means & I am happy Taylor has one in Bill.
Taylor has said more than once that he likes to have friends around him to keep him grounded and to let him know if he starts acting full of himself. I believe that Bill is definitely one of those friends. It’s a win-win situation because Bill gets to do and see things that he most likely never would have and Taylor gets to lead a more normal life. And, as we may have just learned from these pix — they can each double their wardrobe!
I will clear up the t-shirt mystery for you. I gave Taylor the choice between a brown t-shirt or a green one at my meet & greet in Concord, NH. When Taylor chose the brown one, I tossed Bill the green one and told him he could have that. Now, according to the resolution on my screen, Bill has on the green Montreux shirt and not Taylor’s brown one. But, I’m happy to know that he did actually wear it! I’ve had photographic evidence of Taylor in his for a long time. 🙂 It’s nice to know that they liked them!
“That’s what friends are for……”.
A very nice blog.
I saw Bill once and he was very kind.
Who do you suppose the bodyguard at the War Eagle last week was for,,, Taylor or Bill ? lol
Pokey to his Gumby – ROFLMAO!
The Booksigning pic I believe is from the NY signing 😀
Bill’s a great friend to Taylor, and knows how to work a sharipe and flashlight like no one’s business :p
Seriously, I bet Taylor is happy to have him…loyalty like that cannot be bought, that’s for sure
Sometimes I just wish they’d finish the sentence. Bill will.
Bill will ……… what?? Actually, I take that back. It must be the answer to just about any question. Who will carry the sharpies? Bill will. Who will get the dry cleaning? Bill will. Do you suppose he ever wants to be Bill won’t??!!
Maintaining friendships for a long time shows what good guys they are. A testament to their character. Good men, both.
I always love seeing pics of Taylor and his best bud together. A truly great friendship 🙂
I’m late to the Bill party…
I was there when #10 was taken, a lady had done a huge cross-stitch for Taylor and went through alot of trouble getting it to him. Poor girl, the glass broke on her flight, but the pic was amazing–that’s what he is looking at.
I was also there for #13, cause I took it LOL.
Taylor really got loaded down with gifts that day. One girl gave him a bunch of water, I think that’s whats in the white bag.
Taylor is so lucky to have a great friend like Bill, I sure wish I could find one.
Thanks for the great pics!!!!
[quote] hdey
Sometimes I just wish they’d finish the sentence. Bill will.
Bill will ……… what?? Actually, I take that back. It must be the answer to just about any question. Who will carry the sharpies? Bill will. Who will get the dry cleaning? Bill will. Do you suppose he ever wants to be Bill won’t??!![/quote]
This cracked me up!
Bill is a genius…he can operate any camera you hand him…sight unseen…I’m impressed with that…
I guess Taylor would give Bill the shirt off his back if he needed it. Lol
There’s a pic of me and Bill the last night of Grease – I posted it on the Boogie – he’s so sweet, he was taking pics of us for Taylor’s scrapbook – that’s a turnaround!!!
Yay! You used one of my photos. Number 8 with the Billstubble. That was after Little Rock. Thanks for the friendship pictures. Sweet.
fun photos. How can I get me a BillWill? I need someone to carry my bags, pick up my dry cleaning…
Lone Ranger and Tonto.
Bill totes and carrys but I think his bigger job is making Taylor laugh and keeping him grounded.
He does a great job. He seems like a good guy.
They certainly seem very close. “Spongebob and Patrick” – that’s funny!
Once again thanks. I had not seen most of these and love the fact they are such good friends.
Some really cool pics, I wasn’t sure what Bill looked like, now I know who he is. Had to read Valeries post #21 twice, I was sure she said “poor Bin Laden.” I’m so happy Taylor has a good friend to look out for him.
I also was not sure who Bill was. He looks so young!
What a fun group of photos and nice tribute to Taylor’s right hand man. The flashlight seems to be everywhere..especially interesting in pic #10. 🙂
I am sorta with djmorton…..pics with girls would be nice, too!
My guess is that Taylor goes out of his way to not have pictures taken when he is on a date. I read that he was spotted at a NY restaurant having a meal with a female during Grease but no pictures surfaced. LOL. I forget where I read it. It was on someone’s blog who was at the same place with her husband.
Better for him to stay under the Radar. LOL
Yes Im late i know..
Browneyes Got taylor that B&W I hat in pics 17 & 18 when she went to Souix City Day before I saw him im MN I been collecting pix with him or bill in that hat this is the first pic i have seen with Bill wearing it. Looks good on them both.