ESB -1138
~ Prelude to the Angry Young Man ~
Billy was born in Bronx but grew up in Hicksville, New York. His father Howard was with the US Army unit that liberated Dachau concentration camp in April 1945. Howard was originally from Germany where his father Karl Amson owned the fourth largest mail order company in Germany before being dispossessed by the Nazis. His mother, Rosalind Nyman, was born in England, to an agnostic Jewish family. His parents later divorced, and his father moved back to Vienna (Austria). His sister Judith, and half-brother Alexander is an acclaimed classical pianist and conductor in Europe, now living in New York.
From an early age, Billy had an intense interest in music; especially European classical music. He reluctantly began piano lessons at an early age at his mother's insistence. His interest in music instead of sports was the source of teasing and bullying in his early years. His piano instructor also taught ballet. This led neighborhood bullies to mistakenly think he was learning to dance. As a teenager, Billy took up boxing so that he would be able to defend himself. He boxed successfully on the amateur Golden Gloves circuit for a short time (winning twenty-two bouts), but abandoned the sport shortly after having his nose broken in his twenty-fourth boxing match.
Billy attended Hicksville High School, and was to have graduated in 1967. However, he was one English credit short of the graduation requirement; he overslept on the day of an important exam due to his late-night musician's lifestyle. Faced with a summer in school to complete this requirement, he decided not to continue. He left high school without a diploma to begin a career in music.
Billy was born in Bronx but grew up in Hicksville, New York. His father Howard was with the US Army unit that liberated Dachau concentration camp in April 1945. Howard was originally from Germany where his father Karl Amson owned the fourth largest mail order company in Germany before being dispossessed by the Nazis. His mother, Rosalind Nyman, was born in England, to an agnostic Jewish family. His parents later divorced, and his father moved back to Vienna (Austria). His sister Judith, and half-brother Alexander is an acclaimed classical pianist and conductor in Europe, now living in New York.
From an early age, Billy had an intense interest in music; especially European classical music. He reluctantly began piano lessons at an early age at his mother's insistence. His interest in music instead of sports was the source of teasing and bullying in his early years. His piano instructor also taught ballet. This led neighborhood bullies to mistakenly think he was learning to dance. As a teenager, Billy took up boxing so that he would be able to defend himself. He boxed successfully on the amateur Golden Gloves circuit for a short time (winning twenty-two bouts), but abandoned the sport shortly after having his nose broken in his twenty-fourth boxing match.
Billy attended Hicksville High School, and was to have graduated in 1967. However, he was one English credit short of the graduation requirement; he overslept on the day of an important exam due to his late-night musician's lifestyle. Faced with a summer in school to complete this requirement, he decided not to continue. He left high school without a diploma to begin a career in music.