Billy graduated from Glenbard North High School.

At eighteen years of age, Billy moved to Florida with his band named the Marked. The band was called appropriately after the birthmarks sported by the drummer and himself. Billy was born with a large strawberry birthmark on one hand and he was convinced that when anyone looked at him, they always looked at his hand first.

The band made little progress. They returned to Chicago about twenty gigs later, and broke up. Billy had hopes of forming a new band.