Cover art for podcast The Ballad of Billy Balls

The Ballad of Billy Balls

23 EpisodesProduced by iHeartPodcastsWebsite

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. … read more

23 Episodes | 2019 - 2024

S2 Trailer | The Ballad of Billy Balls

March 21st, 2019

3:30

"Crimetown Presents: The Ballad of Billy Balls" premiers March 28th, 2019.

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S2 [1] Billy Balls and His Babygirl | The Ballad of Billy Balls

March 28th, 2019

29:15

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 …

S2 [2] He's Not Done Yet | The Ballad of Billy Balls

March 28th, 2019

24:15

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 …

S2 [3] Billy the Kid | The Ballad of Billy Balls

April 4th, 2019

30:22

As the investigation begins, iO explores Billy's journey to New York City.

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S2 [6] Amanda | The Ballad of Billy Balls

May 2nd, 2019

40:02

Amanda, a game-changing character, tells her story.

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S2 [4] Get in the Wind | The Ballad of Billy Balls

April 11th, 2019

23:41

iO explores a darker side of Billy - did it lead to his death?

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S2 [5] Those High-Powered Lawyers | The Ballad of Billy Balls

April 25th, 2019

35:12

Was there a conspiracy to murder Billy in order to keep him quiet? iO's search for an answer leads to a sobering reality.

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S2 [7] The Hunt for Paper | The Ballad of Billy Balls

May 9th, 2019

27:50

iO and Austin track down some concrete evidence.

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Introducing Gangster Capitalism

May 21st, 2019

6:20

Gangster Capitalism Season 1 is centered on the 2019 college admissions scandal that is exposing everyone from CEOs to celebrities. Award-winning …

S2 [8] Cops Tend to Shoot | The Ballad of Billy Balls

May 23rd, 2019

35:27

After months of anticipation, iO and Austin receive the biggest piece of evidence yet.

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S2 [9] Ophelia | The Ballad of Billy Balls

May 30th, 2019

36:18

Rebecca's grief in the years following Billy’s death leads her to an unlikely source of comfort, and a big surprise.

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S2 [10] Something Bigger Than Me | The Ballad of Billy Balls

June 6th, 2019

41:21

iO's upbringing pushes him to a life or death moment, and his path toward healing leads straight to Billy.

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S2 [11] There’s Someone Under This Ground | The Ballad of Billy Balls

June 20th, 2019

33:20

iO takes Rebecca on a trip 37 years in the making.

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S2 [12] The Guy in the Cowboy Hat | The Ballad of Billy Balls

June 27th, 2019

29:21

The elusive character at the center of the mystery is found, and iO gets his story.

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S2 [13] Life After Death | The Ballad of Billy Balls

July 4th, 2019

41:52

As the show comes to an end, iO tries to figure out what the wisdom of it is.

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S2 [BONUS] Leave a Message | The Ballad of Billy Balls

July 11th, 2019

31:12

In the afterglow of the season, we play some voicemails we've received from our wonderful listeners.

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S2 [BONUS] I'll Call You Back | The Ballad of Billy Balls

July 18th, 2019

33:05

iO returns some of the many compelling listener calls, while Austin checks in with old friends.

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Introducing Crimetown, Season 2

August 1st, 2019

9:05

From the same team behind The Ballad of Billy Balls comes Crimetown, Season 2.

This season, Crimetown heads to Detroit, Michigan. From its heyday as the Motor City to its rebirth as the Brooklyn of the Midwest, …

S2 [BONUS] The Lawslinger | The Ballad of Billy Balls

August 8th, 2019

32:02

iO and Austin pay a final visit to everyone's favorite lawslinger, Ron Kuby.

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S2 [BONUS] The Ballad of The Ballad | The Ballad of Billy Balls

August 15th, 2019

39:04

iO, Austin, and Zac sit down for a very special behind-the-scenes bonus episode.

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Introducing | Morally Indefensible

August 18th, 2020

4:05

1979 is the year that Ex-Green Beret Doctor Jeffrey MacDonald is convicted of the murders of his pregnant wife and two young daughters. It’s also the year he meets a new friend in famous journalist Joe McGinniss. Joe …

Introducing | Firebug

July 23rd, 2021

2:29

From the co-creator of The Ballad of Billy Balls, Crimetown and host of Morally Indefensible comes a new podcast, Firebug. In the early 1990s, a manuscript for a novel called “Points of Origin” lands at literary …

Farewell

February 22nd, 2024

0:39

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