Bill Harley

Bill Harley (born William Harley, July 1, 1954 in Greenville, Ohio) is an American children's entertainer, musician, and author who has been called "the Mark Twain of contemporary children's music" by Entertainment Weekly. He uses a range of musical styles, and his audience includes both children and adults. Harley began singing and storytelling in 1975 while still a student at Hamilton College. Much of his material is autobiographical, focusing on vignettes from childhood.

Career Harley has released over 30 recordings. He received two Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word Album For Children (albums consisting of predominantly spoken word versus music or song) for his albums Blah Blah Blah: Stories About Clams, Swamp Monsters, Pirates & Dogs and Yes to Running! Bill Harley Live in 2007 and 2009, and five additional Grammy nominations. He has also won Parents' Choice awards, ALA (American Library Association) awards and the highest award from the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio for his concert DVD Yes to Running.

Harley has also published numerous books. His first novel for elementary students, The Amazing Flight of Darius Frobisher, was chosen by Bank Street School of Education as one of the best children's books of the year. His second novel for children, Night of the Spadefoot Toads, was released in October 2008 and won a Green Earth Book Award. His picture books include Sitting Down To Eat, which was selected as an American Booksellers Association Pick of the List. A book from his most recent series, Charlie Bumpers vs. The Teacher of the Year, won the 2016 Beverly Cleary Children's Choice award and is part of the One School One Book programming from Read to Them.

Harley has performed in more than 2500 schools over the years. In addition to children's music, he performs at storytelling festivals around the country, including appearances at the National Storytelling Festival. He tours nationwide as an author, performing artist and keynote speaker from his home in Seekonk, Massachusetts. His 1988 album You're in Trouble had a contributing bit by Rhode Island children's performer Salty Brine, who started one of Harley's songs like a weather report, and his trademark line "No school Foster-Glocester!"

Awards

Nominations 1999 Grammy Award Best Spoken Word Album For Children; Weezie And The Moon Pies 2000 Grammy Award Best Spoken Word Album for Children; The Battle of the Mad Scientists and Other Tales of Survival 2008 Grammy Award Best Musical Album for Children; I Wanna Play 2012 Grammy Award Best Album For Children; High Dive and other things that could have happened… 2006 Storytelling World Award; Joey, Chloe and the Swamp Monsters 2007 Grammy Award Best Spoken Word Album For Children – Blah Blah Blah: Stories About Clams, Swamp Monsters, Pirates & Dogs 2009 Grammy Award Best Spoken Word Album For Children – Yes to Running! 2009 Green Earth Book Award Children's Fiction – Night of the Spadefoot Toads 2010 Rhode Island Humanities Council Lifetime Achievement Award

Discography

1984: Monsters in the Bathroom 1986: 50 Ways to Fool Your Mother 1987: Dinosaurs Never Say Please 1987: Cool In School: Tales from the 6th Grade 1987: Coyote 1988: You're in Trouble 1989: In the Hospital (With Peter Alsop) 1990: Grownups Are Strange 1990: Come On Out and Play 1990: I'm Gonna Let It Shine 1994: Already Someplace Warm 1995: Wacka Wacka Woo 1995: From the Back of the Bus 1995: Sitting On My Hands 1996: Lunchroom Tales: A Natural History of the Cafetorium 1996: Big Big World 1996: Who Made This Mess? (Video/DVD) 1997: There's A Pea On My Plate 1998: Weezie and the Moonpies 1999: The Battle of the Mad Scientists and Other Tales Of Survival 1999: Play It Again 2001: Down in the Backpack 2002: Sandburg Out Loud (with Carol Birch, Angela Lloyd & David Holt) 2002: Mistakes Were Made 2003: The Town Around the Bend 2004: cELLAbration! A Tribute to Ella Jenkins (with various artists, from Smithsonian Folkways) 2004: The Teachers' Lounge 2005: One More Time 2005: Blah Blah Blah 2007: I Wanna Play 2008: Yes to Running! Bill Harley Live Double CD 2008: Yes to Running! Bill Harley Live DVD 2009: First Bird Call 2009: "Wash Your Hands (Lavate las Manos)" (single) 2010: Rock & Roll Playground (with various artists, from Putumayo) 2010: The Best Candy in the Whole World 2010: "Grimsley's Christmas Surprise" (single) 2012: High Dive 2012: "Puddy Wiot" (single) 2013: It's Not Fair to Me (with Keith Munslow) 2014: Nothing For Granted 2017: "Hold Your Candle" (single) 2017: "Well...I'm Sorry" (single) 2018: Further Around the Bend: More News from the Town Around the Bend 2018: John Muir's Stickeen 2018: Same Moon: Bill Harley Live at Home 2019: "The Emporer's New Clothes Talking Blues" (single) 2020: Just Kidding (compilation) 2020: Storytime (compilation) 2020: Bill & Keith's Dollar Store, Vol. 1 (with Keith Munslow) 2020: "Walking Each Other Home" (single) 2020: "Elijah" (single) (with Peter Amidon) 2020: "I Know an Old Lady (Who Swallowed a Fly)" (single) 2020: "Little Things" (single) 2020: "Same Rain (We Sing for Peace)" (single) 2020: "Three Gilly Boats" (single) 2022: Walking Each Other Home 2022: No Problem: Stories of Accidental Mayhem 2022: "Best. Song. Ever." (single) (with Keith Munslow) 2024: “The Bogman” (single) 2024: “Jericho Road” (single)