The Ballad of Billy Balls
It’s 1982, and a man bursts into an East Village storefront apartment and shoots punk musician Billy Balls. Author and activist iO Tillett Wright and Crimetown Producer Austin Mitchell unravel a mystery of love and loss, the tender binds of family, and the stories we tell ourselves just to survive. Created by Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier.
Chapter One | Billy Balls and His Babygirl
New York City. The 1970s. Artists flock to the East Village hoping to make a name for themselves. Enter Rebecca, an aspiring model, who meets Billy Balls, a rock and roll musician like no other. They fall madly in love and are inseparable, until one night, when Billy is mysteriously shot.
Chapter Two | He’s Not Done Yet
After Billy dies, his body disappears and strange things start to happen. Rebecca insists the whole thing is a cover up and we set out to find the truth.
Chapter Three | Billy the Kid
As the investigation begins, iO explores Billy's journey to New York City.
Chapter Four | Get in the Wind
iO explores a darker side of Billy - did it lead to his death?
Chapter Five | Those High-Powered Lawyers
Was there a conspiracy to murder Billy in order to keep him quiet? iO's search for an answer leads to a sobering reality.
Chapter Six | Amanda
Amanda, a game-changing character, tells her story.
Chapter Seven | The Hunt for Paper
iO and Austin track down some concrete evidence.
Chapter Eight | Cops Tend to Shoot
After months of anticipation, iO and Austin receive the biggest piece of evidence yet.
Chapter Nine | Ophelia
Rebecca's grief in the years following Billy’s death leads her to an unlikely source of comfort, and a big surprise.
Chapter Ten | Something Bigger Than Me
iO's upbringing pushes him to a life or death moment, and his path toward healing leads straight to Billy.
Chapter Eleven | There’s Someone Under This Ground
iO takes Rebecca on a trip 37 years in the making.
Chapter Twelve | The Guy in the Cowboy Hat
The elusive character at the center of the mystery is found, and iO gets his story.
Chapter Thirteen | Life After Death
As the show comes to an end, iO tries to figure out what the wisdom of it is.