Bill Fox

Who is Bill Fox?

Bill Fox was the lead singer and guitarist of the three-piece Cleveland, Ohio, garage pop band The Mice, which existed from January 1985 to 1988. They released two albums, For Almost Ever and Scooter, and were a major influence on the burgeoning Ohio power pop scene, including Dayton's Guided by Voices.

Years later, Fox released two solo albums, Shelter from the Smoke and Transit Byzantium.

After his brief West Coast tour for the latter album, Fox promptly quit the music business and remained disconnected from all media contacts regarding his music for nearly a decade. Fox is the subject of a long article by Joe Hagan in the June/July 2007 issue of The Believer, in which he is referred to as "one of America’s greatest contemporary songwriters.". Hagan set out to make contact with Fox and get an answer to the question "Why Did Bill Fox Stop Playing Music?" Though he did not meet Fox, he did get his answer.

Hagan's article made a large impact on past and present fans of Fox to rediscover his music. Reportedly the article prompted some iTunes royalties that have inspired Fox to both allow the reissue of his solo albums and begin performing again.