William Harold Dean Jr, known widely as Billy Dean, is a country singer and multi-instrumentalist. After appearing on the television talent competition Star Search, he was able to catapult himself to fame and a musical career that lasts to this day.
Born in Quincy, Dean began playing music at the age of eight in his father’s band The Country Rocks. Throughout his childhood, he continued to perform as a member of The Country Rocks as well as with other musicians. After he graduated high school, Dean attended East Central Community College in Decatur, Mississippi, on a basketball scholarship. After only a year, he left college to pursue his dream of becoming a professional musician.
At the age of 20, Dean had made his way to the finals of the Wrangler Country Star Search but did not win. He continued to pursue his dream while supporting himself as a demo musician and acting in television commercials for McDonalds, Chevrolet, and Valvoline. He finally made his breakthrough on the television competition Star Search at the age of 26, where he won the Male Vocalist category.
After his win, Dean landed a record contract and released his debut album Young Man in 1989. This album was certified Gold and produced two number three hits on the Billboard Country charts with “Only Here for a Little While” and “Somewhere in My Broken Heart.” His self-titled second album was also wildly successful with "You Don't Count the Cost,” "Only the Wind," and "Billy the Kid," each at number four on the country charts, and "If There Hadn't Been You" at number three. Dean continued his success with his third album released in 1993 Fire in the Dark. certified Gold by multiple institutions, the album’s lead-off single "Tryin' to Hide a Fire in the Dark" peaked at number six in the United States and number one in Canada.
Dean has continued to be an active member in the country music scene and has released his latest album The Rest if It's Mine in 2022. While not performing, Dean also is active in the song writing scene, and even performed a brief stent as the lead in Kenny Rogers’ off-Broadway musical The Toy Shoppe in 2013.