A fixture in the music scene of his home state of Connecticut, guitarist and singer Billy Ruegger carries a wealth of knowledge and experience that has made him both a successful band leader and a valued sideman on stage and in the recording studio. From playing New York City jazz clubs while earning his degree at The New School for Jazz, to touring the continental U.S. with reggae band Mystic Bowie’s Talking Dreads, to cutting his teeth as a solo acoustic entertainer in Key West, FL, the different chapters of his musical life all inform the artist and the performer that he is today. Equally driven by both the desire to master existing genres as well as the excitement of discovering new sounds, Billy’s continual musical exploration has ultimately yielded an artistic voice that recalls those that came before him- early influences such as The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and John Scofield figure heavily into his aesthetic sense- yet is something altogether new. Aside from writing and performing his original music, Billy is also the lead singer and guitarist of Born and Raised, a band that covers the music of fellow Fairfield native John Mayer. Billy currently resides in New York City, performing frequently in the northeastern U.S. as well as in Key West, FL.