Late Nite Billy

August 27th, 2009 → 6:04 am by


“Nothing makes you more tolerant of a neighbors noisy party than being there.” ~ American businessman Franklin P. Jones.

It’s four o’clock in the morning.

The building is empty. Fans at the event center cleared out over two hours ago, and the clean-up crew went home at three. The scene looks like an abandoned opera house, as participants have vacated the premises and carried their experiences out with them into the night. It was a killer show, and one people will be able to savor for years.

But not for one man.

His name is Billy Drewitz, better known across the globe as Late Nite Billy, owner of Late Nite Productions. While the band and crew have crashed for the night, preparing to continue their tour; and fans have filed out the doors and back to their respective after parties, Late Nite Billy is scrolling down the screen of his iPhone, corresponding with the next act, the next night, the next venue, the next week, and the next meeting, the next day. He never ceases to be at work.

“I had a friend of mine,” Drewitz says, chuckling, “who I hadn’t really spoken with for a few weeks, come up and give me a hug and just ask me ‘How many hours do you work Billy?’ And I had to think about it for a while and finally told him ‘Man, I don’t know, at least a hundred?'”

Such is the nature of Late Nite Billy. The man doesn’t go to work – he’s surrounded by it. He entered the entertainment industry at a very young age, putting together parties and shows for friends in his original home town of Arcada, Ca. With a work ethic that could rival a machine, and a passion for organizing and gathering people to entertain, Drewitz took Late Nite Productions from the ground level to the upper echelons of Northern California entertainment. Musical acts that schedule tours nowhere near South Lake Tahoe are often seen booked on the marquees up and down the strip and throughout town, begging the question: How the heck is [Insert Ridiculously Famous Entertainment Act Here] playing in South Lake?!

The Answer: Late Nite Productions.

Late Nite Productions is headquartered in South Lake Tahoe, and Drewitz maintains that South Lake Tahoe is truly like home to him. It has been the niche market he discovered and cultivated to allow Late Nite Productions to grow, and is still the one place on Earth that he feels at peace and at home.

“I’ve been really very lucky be able to know the people I know up here,” Drewitz says. “Tahoe has really been a home to me, and I truly enjoy having the professional relationships with the businesses in South Lake Tahoe. I’ve been fortunate to make a living doing what I do up here.”

Now, I know what you’re thinking. A big shot production company owner and promoter living in South Lake? Let me guess, he’s got an army of employees working around the clock organizing, handing out information, and that’s how he promotes his shows, right?

Wrong. Do not be surprised to be driving through South Lake Tahoe and seeing Mr. Drewitz himself standing out on a street corner, handing out fliers for one of his upcoming shows.

“I have no problem hitting the pavement and posting up on a street corner handing out fliers. It’s always always back to basics,” says Drewitz.

His client list is endless, and his resume competes with those in Los Angeles, New York, London, and all other major cities across the globe. He has promoted for various genres of music spanning from gangster rap and underground hip hop to country and folk. Drewitz remains versatile for two reasons: one – there are more than just two types of markets in South Lake Tahoe, and he wants everybody to enjoy the shows and two – he simply loves putting together events to help people have a great time. Simple as that.

Drewitz’ ascension into fame was not an easy one, as he is quick to point out two very different views on his life. As his career began to take off, so did his drug and alcohol abuse – a substance problem that had plagued his reputation for years. Many can recall the exploits of addict Billy, and Drewitz is humble in admitting that he did irreconcilable damage to friendships, partnerships, relationships and his own memory in the process.

“I honestly shouldn’t be here talking to you today,” Drewitz says. “I have been on the verge of death numerous times due to drugs and substances, and I really burned a lot of bridges because of it.”

Drewitz resides in a quaint lakeside home furnished with an office and back deck, filled to the brim with paintings, records, ticket stubs, fliers, pictures (most all of them autographed by the artist with “To My Friend Billy” written upon them) and a myriad of memorabilia from all of his experiences and life’s work. Each piece of artwork is original, either signed by the artist before prints were made or made exclusively for Drewitz himself. A music fan would be unable to pick their jaw up from the floor, and an artist could easily see that this is a man who is the epitome of passionate about his work and the culture he operates in.

However, Drewitz’ most prized possessions are mere symbols of what he’s been able to do. Kept in a little wooden box on his mantle are Sobriety Medallions, symbolizing five consecutive years of sobriety from drugs and alcohol.

“These are worth more to me than anything in the world,” Drewitz says.

After his second near-death experience due to drug and alcohol abuse, Late Nite Billy knew something had to happen, and checked himself into a well known rehabilitation center in Malibu, Ca.

“I know, Malibu. I was truly blessed to be able to go to rehab there,” Drewitz says. “I know there are so many people that have not been given the chance to rehabilitate on the ocean, and I truly am lucky to have been there.”

Upon returning to South Lake Tahoe, Drewitz employed the help of a celebrity life coach, and has maintained his sobriety, and plans to remain clean for the remaining entirety of his life.

Drewitz is a well-rounded individual with a pleasant disposition and a positive attitude, one he’s learned to have in dealing with celebrities and club owners alike over the years. He is a published writer, contributing to South Lake Tahoe’s Entertainer every month with a full-length monthly article entitled “Another Late Nite, by Late Nite Billy”, and will be bringing Mickey Avalon to South Lake September 5th.

SouthLakeTahoe.com will be your leading resource for upcoming Late Nite Productions, and will continue to chronicle the story of Late Nite Billy as we expand to cover all things South Lake.

For more information on Late Nite Billy and Late Nite Productions please visit www.LateNiteProductions.com