He may not be a native son of Traverse City, but famed bluegrass star Billy Strings is repping his former home of northern Michigan on his new album, Highway Prayers. The album, which came out today (Friday), namedrops Traverse City on two of its 20 songs.
Strings, born in Lansing in 1992 as William Apostol, was once a fixture of the Traverse City music scene. Though he grew up in the Ionia area, he moved north after graduating from high school in 2011, eventually linking up with local mandolinist (and author of Mandolin for Dummies), Don Julin. For four years, the two — along with bassist Kevin Gills — worked together to carve out a northern Michigan niche for their bluegrass sound. Locals could catch Strings every Thursday night at Little Bohemia, or hear him play regularly at other area venues such as Union Street Station, Left Foot Charley, Inside Out Gallery, and even Horizon Books.
Since moving to Nashville in 2016, Strings has experienced a meteoric rise. In 2021, he…
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