Meet Ruthie & Billy “Derian” Blair | ‘B2 Media Group’ Founders/Producers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ruthie & Billy “Derian” Blair and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ruthie & Billy “Derian”, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
My wife Ruthie B. & I decided to pursue a creative career with strong emphasis on fair business and equitable share for artists. Its felt like every successful music group and solo artist had some horror story about getting burned by “the man” or management/agency reps. The sad truth is that having biz folks represent you is a “necessary evil” of exposing your craft to the world….but often comes with the ole “selling your soul” vibe. We wanted to avoid that with our company “B2 Media Group”. We treat ourselves as a member of the band, with equal compensations (or less) than the players who are out there pouring their heart out to the audience.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Currently we are branding and building a world-class Bee Gees Tribute act (www.beegeesfeverusa.com) designed to bring all the fun of the 70’s disco era back to a new demographic. Ruthie & I both have been in music, TV, production, design and are true creatives at heart. Somewhere along the way we realized that many of the most prolific artists struggle with business acumen, deal making and monetizing themselves. Typically great musicians are so critical of their work, they do not see clearly what value it has in the marketplace. The value of making people smile, laugh, cry and dance during a show is immense and ultimately contributes to the mental health of entire societies…imagine the world without live stage plays or music..ugggggg cannot imagine what weekends would feel like. We looked at what our “creative selves” wanted from management and production and we implemented those things missing from most teams. We have always said we are the band mates who don’t get to see the audience from the stage. Often our players call us the band “mom and dad”….titles we are flattered to carry.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ahhhh a week in So Cal!
For those who have comfy shoes and the guts..this is what we would recommend:

I think walking downtown and seeing how diverse the neighborhoods are..seeing how some folks living in the streets are true survivors, how clever and industrious they can be..really get into the nitty-gritty of the city. That’s a start.

Check out the Northern counties, Ventura beaches, historic Santa Barbara missions and realize that within 30-50 miles there are literally different worlds.

FOOD IS ENDLESS….Eat Sushi & mochi in lil Tokyo, eat Pilaf & Kabob in Lil Armenia, eat Korean BBQ in K-town..the ethnic food is fantastic here. We are the true melting pot.

End the trip with the world’s greatest doughnuts (IMO) freshly made in a small locally famous, freestanding building called “THE ROLLING PIN” in unassuming Camarillo California (home of the Outlet malls). Then take your sugar rush home and dream of coming back next year!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We have a bit of a wider view than most on who gets credit for the talent we bring to the masses. It starts with nurturing parents and teachers, mentors of those lil kids who show strengths in the arts…the kid who hates math but plays piano by ear…the lil boy who loves designing period piece costumes…the young girl who wants to play guitar like Eddie Van Halen….those magical qualities show up early and it takes the adults to recognize and nurture these skills/talents. It all starts with strong encouragement and goes from there. So let’s give standing ovations to the moms, dads, teachers who helped create the artists we flock to for our fun and stress-relief.

Website: https://www.beegeesfeverusa.com

Instagram: @beegeesfeverusa

Facebook: @beegeesfever

Image Credits
Photo Credits:
“B2 Media Group’