Billy’s presence in this “Hated & Misunderstood” issue of the much-loved (and unfortunately defunct) Big Brother magazine was brought up in that Slap Magazine questions video from last month. The interview is from May of 2003, some time after Billy moved to New York, when he still rode for Zoo, ABC was still around, and the Koston 3s were among the most popular skate shoes in New York. Billy is definitely a long way from being hated and misunderstood these days, and it is amazing to think he once shared that title in an issue that featured other notorious names like Chad Fernandez. The key difference, of course, is that Billy was more on the misunderstood end of things, and C. Fro AKA “Just call me Hair” is actually “hated,” if you want to put it that way. There was an interview with someone else in this issue who falls under that title, but I can’t remember who it was.
This post is a collaborative effort between The Chrome Ball Incident for unearthing the scans so that we may use them, and Quartersnacks, which has given Billy numerous deserved headlines this year. But not too many, just so that we don’t look like we are losing our focus in being the #1 Dylan fansite and news resource.
The interview sheds light on many of the classic Billy moments (“To show the officer I wasn’t drunk, I ran up his car and did a backflip off of it”), and is all the more reason to start annoying Rob Harris about releasing his documentary on Billy from last year to the public. Plus, that grind on the rail at White Hall Street, next to the Veteran’s Memorial, is tall as hell.
The magazine format has been modified to fit this site’s layout. All of the images are enlargeable.
I still have this issue – it’s from May of 2003, and this interview was absolutely epic. A true classic.
that fs flip is alot.
“ay caramba” billy rohan x bart simpson, BB May 99
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21/tshop/billy-simpson.jpg
Wu Tang Clan
Thanks for the info, post has been adjusted.
That Bart Simpson photo is pretty funny, never seen it before. He seems to have retired the headband in recent years.
your post says the article came out in “May of 2010”.
Whoops. Corrected. Thank you.
I used to talk shit about this dude.
then i realized he’s one of the chillest, down to earth skaters.
your the man billy.
OK, so I’m misunderstanding here, Why did this dude have a bad rep?
Because he messed with some cops on a bunch of occasions? His stories are funny; I don’t see why they would piss anybody off.
Please enlighten me. I wasn’t around in ’03.
doing a backflip to show the cops whatsup? heavy ballin
I always liked billy. but i don’t remember this interview. i have so much more resect for him now knowing the insides to those rumors/stories. The guy still has one of the best fs flips i’ve ever seen-a contender against penny and reynolds