5:00pm - $15 Tickets on Eventbrite and at Door
Reverend Billy C. Wirtz
Reverend Billy C. Wirtz is a comic genius, gifted boogie‑woogie pianist, and American musicologist who defies easy classification. “I like to think of myself as the Victor Borge of the blues,” says the Reverend, but his act goes far beyond musical comedy, mixing razor‑sharp wit, social commentary, and deep knowledge of gospel, R&B, and roots music traditions.
Born in Aiken, South Carolina on September 28, 1954, Billy grew up glued to televised gospel broadcasts from Augusta’s Bell Auditorium and later immersed himself in D.C.’s rich Black music culture while working at Glen’s Music, a record store devoted to R&B, jazz, and spirituals. Those years listening to Julius Cheeks, Clarence Fountain, the Dixie Hummingbirds, and classic boogie‑woogie piano records sparked a lifelong love of blues and gospel and eventually led him to the keyboard.
A turning point came when Wirtz befriended Chicago blues legend Sunnyland Slim, who invited him to stay in Chicago and learn directly from the master. Living with Sunnyland, haunting the city’s nightclubs, and meeting his blues heroes convinced Billy that he could make a life as a pianist. Back in Virginia and the Mid‑Atlantic, he played in bands like Sidewinder and the Charlottesville All Stars, then became a sought‑after sideman with Washington, D.C. roots outfits including Root Boy Slim & the Sex Change Band, Evan Johns and the H‑Bombs, and The Nighthawks.
By the early 1980s, Wirtz stepped out on his own, recording his first solo LP, Salvation Through Polyester, and developing the full “Reverend” persona: a wild, mock‑evangelist blues preacher delivering “sermons” of deep‑fried humor and sanctified piano. His breakthrough album Deep Fried and Sanctified kicked off a long run of critically acclaimed records and solidified his reputation as one of the most original voices in modern roots music.
On stage, Reverend Billy C. Wirtz is a one‑man revival meeting: rollicking boogie‑woogie, outrageous stories from the Chitlin’ Circuit and beyond, and songs like “What I Used to Do All Night” that turn aging, politics, and everyday absurdity into pure comic gold. At Hank Dietle’s, expect a show that is fast, funny, and fiercely musical—a night where you’ll laugh hard, learn a little, and leave with the blues (and the good kind of religion) in your soul.