William Fredrick Bean, known professionally as Billy Bean, born on December 26, 1933, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an American jazz guitarist. He began playing guitar at age 12, receiving initial instruction from his father before studying under Howard Herbert and Dennis Sandole. In the late 1940s and 1950s, he performed at local venues in the Philadelphia area before relocating to New York City, where he recorded with Charlie Ventura and Red Callender. In 1958, he moved to Los Angeles, California, to record for Decca Records, collaborating with John Pisano on the guitar duet albums Makin' It – Guitar Duets (1958) and Take Your Pick (1958). He also worked as a sideman with artists that include Buddy Collette and Paul Horn. After returning to New York City in October 1959 to join Tony Bennett's band, he formed a group with Hal Gaylor and Walter Norris called The Trio, which released the album The Trio (1961) for Riverside Records. He retired to Philadelphia in 1986 and died on February 6, 2012.
