Billy Yeager and Anais Yeager "Kansas No Place Like Home"

Billy Yeager and Anais Yeager "Kansas No Place Like Home"

https://www.billyyeager.com

Renowned UK Record Producer Hails "Kansas No Place Like Home" as a Masterpiece!

“Unique and wonderful! The ambience, air, depth, atmospheric guitars, and the vibe of this music give you a lot of hope; an inner peace amongst the madness.” – Legendary Engineer/Producer Phill Brown

In a tale of remarkable connections, an unknown musician, and a renowned record producer converge to create something extraordinary.

Phill Brown, a UK-based legend in the music industry, has worked with over 300 of the biggest artists, including Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, and Pink Floyd. His 55-year career was chronicled in the critically acclaimed book "Are We Still Rolling?"

Billy Yeager, an award-winning filmmaker, actor, songwriter, and musician who plays over 13 instruments, resides in Kansas with his wife Anais, an actress from Spain who also composes music and plays piano and guitar. Since 2023, the Yeagers have traveled throughout Kansas, filming music videos for their self-written and produced songs in locations such as Monument Rocks, Little Jerusalem, the Gypsum Hills, and the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.

Their record album, "Kansas No Place Like Home," is set to release this year. Phill Brown and the Yeagers believe in the power of music to transcend simple entertainment value. Together, they have devised unique concepts for marketing and promoting the album, with all proceeds dedicated to various charitable causes.

These include providing wheelchairs for landmine victims, instruments for underprivileged children from Title 1 schools in Kansas, raising awareness and funds for creating the nation’s first wheelchair-accessible disc golf course through the song “Disc Golf Days,” and supporting the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, which has suffered from government funding cuts, through the song “Diary of the Prairie.” The Yeagers have been planning and preparing for over a year.

With Phill Brown's connections and support, the album "Kansas No Place Like Home" was first released in the UK, where limited editions of vinyl pressings have been sold.

People from the UK are learning about Kansas and the Tallgrass Prairie. What makes the record unique, according to Brown, is Billy's special utilization of strings and symphonic soundscapes, which allows listeners to make a soulful and spiritual connection to the state.

Phill Brown, one of the first to hear the album’s tracks, spoke on camera about the record from Echo Zoo Studios in the UK, highlighting the unique way Billy records and produces his own albums. “Billy does everything on 4-track which is old school recording similar to what I worked with back in 1967, I am not sure how he does it, it is extremely difficult, I suppose a should take a trip to Kansas to find out.”

Musicologist Nick Duggan, a classical guitarist, cellist, and film composer from the UK who is featured in the promotional video for "Kansas No Place Like Home," explains what makes the album so special. He considers it a milestone in Americana folk music, emphasizing its ability to transport listeners to another time and place with its magical, picturesque musical effects. Duggan also discusses the differences in regional styles and musical traditions, highlighting the record's unique combination of bluegrass, folk, Americana, rock, and jazz. "Every chord transports me to Kansas and the Midwest," he says.

Billy Yeager has been discovered multiple times throughout his music and film career by notable figures such as Columbia Records Executive John Hammond in 1983, Grammy Award Winner Bruce Hornsby in 1992, Kiss and Bon Jovi manager Doc McGhee in 2001, Pink Floyd’s management company, and Rod Stewart in 2004.

However, Yeager eventually lost interest in the music business and turned to producing and directing his own independent films, each winning several awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, Best Actor, and Best Musical Soundtrack.

Growing up on film sets, Yeager watched his father Ray and famous aunt Bunny Yeager—a 1950s pin-up photographer who discovered the legendary Bettie Page—make movies in South Florida. From 1983 until 1991, Billy isolated himself in a room for over seven years, writing and recording over 900 songs.

In 1992, Grammy Award Winner Bruce Hornsby discovered Yeager's music and began helping him secure a record deal. This led to a development deal with Capitol Records and management by Gerry Georgettis, who worked with Pink Floyd. Yet, by 1995, Yeager turned away from the music business to focus on his filmmaking career.

Phill Brown first learned about Billy Yeager through his film, "A Perfect Song," which Billy wrote, produced, acted in, and directed. The film received accolades, including Best Actor and Best Soundtrack awards. However, it remained shelved for over 23 years until Phill requested to see it.

Billy shared a private YouTube link with Phill, who declared, "Every musician in the world needs to see this film."

Together, they are now screening the film in the UK to benefit their charity, Mindy’s Wish, a private, invitation-only event. All proceeds from this screening will go toward providing wheelchairs for landmine victims.

The Yeagers' other charity, "The Awakening Guitar," involves a unique initiative for Title 1 schools across Kansas. Students are asked to write essays in response to questions about the power of music and its potential to inspire and create positive change. Joanna Freed, a teacher at West High School in Wichita, collaborated with the Yeagers.

She expressed her gratitude, stating, "Many of my students have discovered a new passion for music through my guitar class but lack funds for instruments. This opportunity allows them to continue their musical journey."

The Yeagers will be touring with their music videos, screening segments from various projects and films.