William “Bill” Blair Hahey has over 48 years in the music and  recording industry, playing and singing professionally from east to west coast, Europe, and Hawaii.

 

He sings vocals and plays guitar, keyboard and trombone.

 

Bill's music education started with Overbrook School for the Blind. He learned piano at age 6, French horn and trombone at age 9, guitar at age 11, and choir singing from third grade through graduation. His first professional recording was at age 19 with his band, IBIS.

 

Bill started at Combs College of Music in the Germantown section of Philadelphia in 1976. He played jazz clubs for seven years in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware in a duo called “Don and Bill.” He was also in a sextet called “Bills Plus” which included three blind people named Bill, one of which was Bill McCann of "Dancing Dots.” Dancing Dots offers technology, educational resources and training to assist blind people to read, write, and record their music. 

 

In 1983 at the age of 26, Bill moved to Oregon and started putting bands together, including: Uncle Chester, Continental Drift, Milestone and Jah Levi. These bands opened for The Whalers, Jimmy Cliff, Leon Russell, Israel Vibration, Itolls, and many others.

  

Clean Outta Sight Audio, Bill’s recording studio, was built in 2019 and is located in Medford, Oregon. Since its opening, Bill has recorded Dan Hinkle’s Tunes 23 Inches to Nashville, Heroes, Wishen, and numerous original songs.

 

Studios in which Bill has recorded and helped produce music include Suncrest (Talent, OR), Staunton Studio, Shawn McCoy (commercials), Sullivan Recording, Nice Studios (Camden, NJ), Cabin Fever Sound (Tom Frederick’s Studio), Freeman Productions; Blue Jay Productions; Sullivan Recording; and, Sylvia Massy's recording studio, Studio Divine.

 

Bill started writing songs upon coming to southern Oregon, and through the decades has written and performed over 40 songs. New music includes “Treasure Box,” I Don’t Wanna Ever Say Goodnight” and “All the Time.” Other newer songs include Lonesome Guitar Slinger, Drive Me to Drinking, Be The Right One and I Really Do Love You. His music is available here as well as YouTube and Bandcamp.

 

Bill has performed for early Disabled United Direct Empowerment (DUDE) benefit shows, as well as Habitat for Humanity. He has volunteered with the National Federation of the Blind as well as DUDE. Bill sang with the Rogue Valley Peace Choir from 2013 to 2018. Recently, Bill performed for and received valuable services from Hearts for Seniors, an Oregon non-profit.

 

During the Covid outbreak, Bill built his website and took part in Living with Blindness on-line discussions with seniors who are losing their vision. Bill worked in the community directing blind persons to find help with agencies geared for the blind and other disabilities.