He is a bass player and DJ who worked with the musician Nooney Rickett in the early to mid 1960s and went on to study radio and television for a licence before going to Los Angeles and becoming a DJ in Santa Ana. He went on to become a morning radio DJ at KDES in Palm Springs.
He then worked at a radio station in San Francisco before going to work with the Blue Rose Band which included Michael McDonald and Bobby Blood, Chris Mostert, Jerry Gibson and Terry Furlong.
After the horn players went they carried on as a 4 piece band called Barrelhouse and then it was just Bill and Michael McDonald who performed as a duo. Michael McDonald went to work with Steely Dan before The Doobie Brothers and Bill got offered a job as Bobby Darin’s bass player. He worked with him on live shows on the road and TV shows for 2 or 3 years until his death due to heart problems in 1973.
He worked on the production of Grease in Chicago for a few months before Bobby Darin’s death and then went on to work with Tony Orlando and later the singer Roger Miller in 1974 and 1975.
In 1976 he went to work for Glen Campbell and first performed on the successful single “Southern Nights” released from the album of the same name. He remained with him for 6 years and during his time with him he became his music director, road and tour manager.
In the early 1980s he performed,, recorded and toured with the singer Eric Burdon and then returned to radio as a morning DJ in Tahoe for around 3 years before returning to the Bay area in California. He worked with a trio at the Hilton and has also gone on to work as a voice over artist and actor.
Recordings he has performed on include Comeback and Wicked Man by Eric Burdon, Basic, Live at the Royal Festival Hall, Highwayman and It’s the World Gone Crazy by Glen Campbell, Honey Dear by Sal Carson Big Band, Live at the Red Dog A Go by The Nooney Rickett IV and Dream Lovers and Should I Do It by Tanya Tucker.
Glen Campbell recordings
I Don’t Want to Know Your Name (Micheal Smotherman)
Capitol Records- P-4959 (US Promo)
Southern Nights (Allen Toussaint)
Capitol 4376 S93475A (US 45)
Sources:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwpIoxIAXJY&ab_channel=JeffNuss
- http://www.bobbydarin.net/billymac.html
- https://www.newspapers.com/article/28759113/nooney_rickett_bobby_blood_bill/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjXg_7-13Sg&t=13s&ab_channel=JeffNuss
- https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/blue-rose/blue-rose-2/buy/
- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7285493/
- https://www.sessiondays.com/2023/02/1981-glen-campbell-i-dont-want-to-know-your-name-us65/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Nights_(Glen_Campbell_album)
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-mccubbin-mn0002288891
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/1863944-Bill-McCubbin