My Take
Billy Sheehan is the guy who completely broke my brain the first time I saw him play. Bass is supposed to hold the bottom end, right? But this dude from Buffalo, New York treats the instrument like it's a lead guitar — chording, two-handed tapping, three-finger picking, controlled feedback — the full shredder toolkit applied to four strings and somehow it works every single time. His run through Talas and then David Lee Roth's band got people's attention, but Mr. Big and The Winery Dogs showed he could operate in wildly different contexts and still be the most technically jaw-dropping person on stage. Born in 1953 and still going, he's proof that elite technique isn't a young person's game — the man has been doing impossible things on bass for over fifty years and he makes it look casual, which might be the most impressive part.
Overview
William Sheehan (born March 19, 1953) is an American musician known for playing bass guitar with acts such as Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, Niacin, and The Winery Dogs. He is also known for his "lead bass" playing style, including the use of chording, two-handed tapping, "three-finger picking" technique and controlled feedback.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Billy Sheehan
- Name (Japanese)
- ビリー・シーン
- Reading
- びりー・しーん
- Born
- March 19, 1953 (age 73)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Snake
- Origin
- Buffalo, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- bass guitarist / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Kenmore East High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.