Billy Liebert born 18 April 1925

Billy Liebert (April 18, 1925 - April 13, 2001) was a Country and western swing accordion and piano player, band leader, conductor, arranger and, composer. 

William Edward Liebert was born in Detroit, Michigan. He played the accordion in bands that appeared in the Greater Detroit area at age fourteen. At sixteen he was teaching accordion. The actor and musician, Texas Jim Lewis who had a long career in music, took Liebert under his wing in early 1942, covering the Eastern and Midwestern states on a stage tour called "Four A Day". 

                            L-R Harold Hensley, Billy Liebert, Eddie Kirk, Judy Hayden, Cliffie Stone,                                         Herman the Hermit, Merle and Tennessee Ernie Ford. Seated The Armstrong Twins

In late 1942, Liebert continued his association with the newly expanded Texas Country Swing band of Jim Lewis, appearing in the numerous dance halls of the Bert "Foreman" Phillips (from the program "Western Hit Parade") in the vicinity of Los Angeles.  Shortly after his release from the navy in 1946, Liebert returned to formal studies at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, when Cliffie Stone offered him a job as arranger-conductor on his radio and TV shows which Billy accepted. His first recording session was with Tex Ritter but he also recorded a few sides for the Imperial label with his Rhythmaires in the early 50’s. 

                                   

Over the next thirty-five years he provided his accordion and piano accompaniment, as well as arrangements and musical direction for a large number of recording artists: Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Merle Travis, Kay Starr, Mel Torme and Roy Rogers among many others. 

Other credits included performing as musical director and arranger for radio and television for CBS from 1954 to 1969, and as musical director and performer on Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree. In 1966 and again in 1967, the ACM honored Liebert with its Best Country Piano Performer Award. He was a member of Sons of the Pioneers from 1973 to 1981. 

In 1972, Liebert composed, arranged, and directed John Wayne's album: America, Why I Love Her, which won the George Washington Award from the Freedom Foundation. Billy also did recorded product presentations for Atari, Hewlett Packard, the Marriott Hotel Corporation, ROLM Semiconductors, Gift Checks USA, as well as the A.S.P.C.A. (California Wildlife division), Universal Studios Marketing (Doc Brown Impression for their Back To The Future III audience preview), Jaycees of California (Haunted House narration and voices). 

He died on April 13, 2001 in San Diego, California. 

(Scant information edited from in-jeans.com., IMDb., LP liner notes & Slim Jim’s notes @ YouTube)