Will It Play in Peoria

About the Book

This is a whirlwind journey through the tumultuous 1960s—hippies and yippies, sex, drugs, rock and roll, peace, love, war, harmony, and rage. This is a look back at that period of time, how the events of those days changed the world and changed the people who lived through it, and how those changes continue to affect the world even today. This is the life story of the Reverend Billy Williams, who experienced all of it, from Woodstock to Vietnam. He was there for the protests and the parties from coast to coast. He was an active participant in the events of those days and a keen observer of the action who recorded those events in his daily journal. He experienced the good and the bad, and he tells it like it was. The 1960s was a unique time in history; it could be compared to an earlier renaissance, where the ideas and actions of a generation had a profound effect on the human experience. This is the history and the philosophy of those days, all wrapped up in a rousingly good tale that is Billy’s and his fellow hippie friends’ true life experiences. Those were the days, and here they are to be lived again.

About the Author

The Reverend Billy Williams established a ministry where he served the inner-city poor for a quarter of a century, bringing hope and help to all who entered the sanctuary. All were welcome regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. A student of philosophy and theology, he strived to make sense of this world we all share. He came of age during the 1960s, and the ideals of those days would, firstly and lastly, affect all his thoughts and decisions, as told in his autobiography. As a practicing humanist, he respects the beliefs of all faiths, from Allah to Zen, and hoped all he met would also be accepting of others’ beliefs in order that we might together build a citadel of harmony and cooperation on this earth.