Billy Strings

Billy Strings married Ally Dale on September 9, 2023, after meeting her at the Ore Dock Brewing Co. in Marquette, Michigan, and dating for nine years. Dale worked as his tour manager during the early part of his career. They have one son, River Roy Apostol, who was born on September 29, 2024.

Strings was raised by his mother, Debra Apostol, and his stepfather, Terry Barber. Debra died in June 2025, and Strings dedicated a Lexington, Kentucky, concert to her shortly afterward.

Born William Lee Apostol, Strings grew up in Michigan and was introduced to bluegrass guitar by Terry Barber, an accomplished amateur musician. He began strumming a toy guitar at age three, and his aunt gave him the stage name Billy Strings after recognizing his ability on several traditional bluegrass instruments. His family also called him Boomer, while fellow musicians in his teenage rock years called him Wild Bill.

Strings played in the metalcore band To Once Darkened Skies as a teenager, performing with a theatrical intensity that included head-banging, stage-diving, and breaking instruments. He later described bluegrass as the music through which he learned to play and metal as the music through which he learned to perform. His early influences included Doc Watson, David Grisman, Bill Monroe, John Hartford, Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Phish, and the Grateful Dead.

His childhood was marked by substance abuse in his family. His biological father died of a heroin overdose when Strings was two, and Strings left home at 13 after his parents became addicted to methamphetamine. He later stopped using hard drugs and alcohol, experiences that became important subjects in his confessional songwriting.

Strings began his professional partnership with mandolin player Don Julin in 2012, and the two performed together for four years. His self-titled 2016 EP preceded Turmoil & Tinfoil, which he released through his own Apostol Recording Company in 2017. The album reached No. 3 on Billboard's Bluegrass Albums chart and helped establish his blend of bluegrass, rock, folk, country, and psychedelic influences.

He signed with Rounder Records in 2019 and released Home that year. The album reached No. 1 on Billboard's Bluegrass Albums and Heatseekers Albums charts and won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. His later releases included Renewal in 2021, Me/And/Dad with Terry Barber in 2022, Live Vol. 1 in 2024, and Highway Prayers in 2024. Live Vol. 1 won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, while Highway Prayers became the first bluegrass album in more than 20 years to top Billboard's all-genre Top Album Sales chart.

Strings' touring band has included banjo player Billy Failing, bassist Royal Masat, mandolin player Jarrod Walker, and fiddler Alex Hargreaves. He has collaborated with Molly Tuttle, Del McCoury, Willie Nelson, Dierks Bentley, Béla Fleck, Bryan Sutton, Marcus King, and The Infamous Stringdusters. He made his Grand Ole Opry debut in March 2019 and has appeared on Austin City Limits and Bluegrass Underground.

His performances are built around extended improvisation, rapid guitar picking, and interaction among the musicians. He has played major festivals including Lollapalooza, Newport Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, MerleFest, and the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, where he served as the first artist in residence in 2017 and 2018.