Willie "Billy" Diamond (October 5, 1916 Louisiana, USA - October 20, 2011, Los Angeles, California) was a bandleader, upright bass player, band leader and manager for Antoine "Fats" Domino. He hired Antoine Domino for his band, the Soul Senders, and gave him the name "Fats".

Diamond died at the age of 95 from natural causes and is entombed at St. Louis #1 Cemetery in the Musician's Tomb. His tombstone reads "Mayor of the Ninth Ward".

Billy Diamond was born Willie Diamond to Bertha Victor (Oct 23, 1897 - April 3, 1946) and Jake Diamond (Dec 15, 1882 - November 10, 1932) in the ninth ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. His father was a well-known flamboyant baseball player in the Negro Leagues. When Diamond was an infant, his father moved his family to Chicago and his maternal in-laws came to take the young boy and his older sister, Charlotte Baker (Dec 12 1914 - Nov 27, 1962), who was blind, where he was raised by his grandparents and aunt.

When Billy was a teenager, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong gave him a trumpet, which he never learned to play, but instead opted to build a washtub bass, a decision inspired by his cousin, a gifted bass player named John Porter.^[1] He then became a Dixieland bass player under the mentorship of New Orleans jazz bandleader Oscar "Papa" Celestin. During World War II, Diamond took a position with the army and became the first man of color to book entertainment for the troops.^[2]

Billy soon became one of the top bandleaders in New Orleans with his combo, the Solid Senders^[3]. The Solid Senders entered the competitive music scene in New Orleans, playing clubs and school dances. In the summer of 1947, Billy went to a backyard barbecue in the ninth ward to hear a young pianist play. The pianist, Antoine Domino, impressed Diamond enough that he asked Domino to play with the Solid Senders. He nicknamed him "Fats" because Domino reminded him of renowned pianists Fats Waller and Fats Pichon.

Billy can be heard playing upright bass on Fat's first album in 1949, "The Fat Man" on songs such "Ain't That A Shame" and "Blueberry Hill". This album is is widely regarded as the first million-selling rock and roll. Billy later became Domino's road manager in the early 1950s.

In the 50s and 60s, Diamond began promoting other artists, including Shirley and Lee, Huey "Piano" Smith, James Booker and Solomon Burke.

In 1960, Billy married Josephine Shirley Johnson (Aug 14, 1936 - Aug 3, 2012). Billy and his wife relocated to Los Angeles, where he hired bands and managed all operations of the 5-4 Ballroom. They had two children, Tricia Diamond (April 12, 1966 - ) and Tracie Diamond (Dec 5, 1967 - ). Billy was an integral contributor to one of the most successful musical movements of the post WWII era, a respected musician, and a manager.

He was painted on the New Orleans Mural House in the 7th Ward at the corner of St Bernard and Villere by artist Monica Kelly.

Billy died of natural causes in Los Angeles, California on October 20, 2011. Services were held on December 9, 2011, at December 9, 2011 at St. Louis Cemetery #1 (Basin St.) in New Orleans, LA with Fats Domino in attendance. He is entombed in the Musicians Tomb.