b. William George Butler, 24 January 1942, Amlwch, North Wales. Butler's mother may have given birth in North Wales during wartime, but no one has deeper Scouse roots than Billy Butler. In the early 60s, he came to national attention in the Spin-A-Disc panel on the ITV programme, Thank Your Lucky Stars, and he made a single with Polly Perkins, "I Reckon You". Butler made guest appearances with the Merseybeats and he formed his own group, the Tuxedos. "We got into comedy unintentionally," he says, "because of the cock-ups." Butler was also the regular disc jockey at the Cavern club between 1964 and 1969. Despite many national radio and television programmes, Butler's forte is as a regional disc jockey and radio presenter. He has also promoted numerous stage shows and most of the known Liverpool acts have met Butler on their way up. His BBC Radio Merseyside and Radio City programmes have drawn enormous audiences, and tapes and videos of the programmes have sold thousands of copies (notably the "Hold Your Plums" quiz). His long-term producer and partner has been Wally Scott and their quick-fire wit helped keep the programme going. Keeping it in the family, Butler's son, Lee, became a top club DJ. From time to time and particularly during the annual Mathew Street Festival, Billy Butler re-forms the Tuxedos.