Kirk Wall

KIRK WALL (front man on guitar)  

Kirk Wall is a multi-talented singer, musician, comedian and actor in the Southern California area. Originally from Texas and New Mexico, he grew up in a musical family and started out playing the violin. In college, he began studying music and opera.   

After doing his first play, “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown”, he performed in numerous stage musicals throughout his career including “Sweet Charity”, “Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat” and “Grease”.  

He did television; filming an episode of “The Fall Guy” and appearing on General Hospital” as Dr. Spence Andrews.  

Kirk started at Disneyland in the mid-1980’s as a sub for Dick Hardwick in the Golden Horseshoe Revue in Frontierland when he replaced his friend, Mike Norris in the position. He played the part of Pecos Bill and the Traveling Salesman made popular by Wally Boag. Big shoes to fill indeed. He performed in the 1986 & 1987 Blast to the Past Celebration doing Elvis and performing doo-wop with a 50’s band at Tomorrowland Terrace called The Streamliners.   

In 1987 and 1988, he performed with the Barley Boys in Pigmania during the run of Disneyland's State Fair event.  As well as playing in the Rainbow Diner Show in Tomorrowland during Blast to the Past.

Kirk has performed as lounge singer, Tony Fabulous with The Big Shots [doing 40's Big Band music], and with The Knights [doing doo-wop and 50's music.] Kirk has also performed around the west coast as an Elvis impersonator and did symphony performances around the country doing combination bluegrass and classical music concerts. He has hosted the Orange County's Elvis Fest since 2000.  

He is also featured on various CD's including "Nobody's Business" with Tony Fabulous and the Big Shots, "The Knights" and "Billy Hill and the Hillbillies". He is currently featured on the CD "The Billys Live".  

Anders Swanson (on fiddle and bass)

Anders Swanson is the youngest member of Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies. He began playing piano at the age of 9, violin at age 10 and bass at age 14, so it isn’t any wonder that this talented man is the fine musician you see today. He toured Europe in 1981 with the Aptos High Jazz Band, He was musically educated at the California State University in Long Beach with Jennifer Ruben, John Clayton, Chris Kollgaard and Paul Ellison. 

While attending CSULB, he was awarded the Woody Haerman Music Scholarship, the Bank of America Achievement Award and the Music Achievement Award from the CSULB Music Department.

From 1997 to 1998, he was a co-arranger of their movie music for the Taiwanese Minster of Culture. He appeared as a guest soloist at the Monterey Jazz Fest and was voted the Monterey Jazz Festival’s “Best Soloist”.

His musical credits include tours with the Long Beach Symphony, The Pacific Symphony, Ray Charles’ tour of the US, Europe and Middle East in 1987, Michael Vlatkovach’s US and Canada tours in 1992-1993 and again in 1999, Jerry Lewis’ your of the US, Puerto Rico and Canada in 1993-1994, and the Bill Elliot Swing Band tour of the Eastern US in 1999. He played with the Hoagy Carmichael Centennial Celebration Tour of the US in 2000.

He has also played with Ross Tompkins, Ritchie Cole, Ernie Andrews, the Buffalo Philharmonic,  the Virginia Symphony, Bill Watrous, Dave Frishberg, Bill Berry, Don Menza, Eddie Henderson, Sam & Abe Most, Billy Mitchell, and Vinny Golia.

His theme park resume is equally impressive. During the 1980's while the Queen Mary was still a Disney operated attraction, he played with the Stowaways and the Seasicks. He has also played with Swing Soufflé and Red and the Red Hots. He has subbed as a jazz bassist with the Royal Street Bachelors, the Side Street Strutters, The Bootstrappers and The River Rascals in New Orleans Square, Disneyland. He also performs with the Ellis Island Boys and Five and Dime at Disney California Adventure.

He has played and recorded with The Colin Mandell Group on “Strange and Savage Tales”, Bill Plake on “South”, The Michael Vlatkovick Trio on “Live in Toronto” in 2000 and “No Zee Two E’s”. He arranged music for the Ellla Fitzgerald tour “All That Jazz” in 1990. He arranged “Superbass” for Ray Brown in 1990.

He also appeared on “Trilogy” with A to Zink in 1996, Karen Gallinger on “My Foolish Heart” in 1998 and did the music for the Minolta commercial in 1989. He performed with the  Jeanette Wrate and the Northern Lights Ensemble on “Echoes of a Northern Sky”, Soraya Shaw on “Day Dreams”, with Koonse, Swanson and Wabich on “Secret Tea” on Seabreeze Jazz in 2001, Mark Weber on “Beautemous Everlasting” and “Time Zone Differential” and with Glenn Horiuchi on “Calling is it and Now”.

Turning to the bluegrass sound over the last few years, he had subbed with the Miner 49ers at Disney’s California Adventure and joined the cast of Billy Hill and the Hillbillies when the show went to 7 days a week.

With the opening of Disney California Adventure's relaunch, Anders joined the performing group, Five and Dime.

He has taught privately and with the Musician Trust Fund Series since 1985. He taught with the Four Seasons Youth Orchestra from 1990-1993 and the Los Alamitos Youth String Program from 1995-1999. He also taught bass guitar at Sam Ash Music in Cerritos in 1998-1999. Trained in classical and jazz traditions, he has specialized on string bass, electric bass and violin and has taken up the mandolin in his spare time. 

He applies a bow technique to the Hillbillies’ shows very few musicians would dare think of... but add to this the wonderful sound, the comical expressions and he is a joy to behold.