When Bill moved on to Junior High School his performing continued, playing school dances and splash parties at a local swim club. He also performed in many talent competitions, winning several awards and being voted "Most Talented" 2 out of 3 years in Junior High School. Bill played in several bands including "Delayed Reaction", "Savage" and "FTW" as a guitar player and vocalist. Bill also became involved in theater productions during the same time period. This would later become a driving force in his life. Bill continued to perform in both music and theater in high school. He competed in several "Battle of the Band" contests, winning one while in his sophomore year and appearing in a production of "Bye Bye Birdie". At the age of 16 Bill was forced to leave high school and went to work, first as a carpenter and later as shop foreman with a company that produced custom furniture. When the business ended Bill enlisted in the Navy in 1972.

He went to San Diego, California for boot camp where, on August 1, 1972, he contracted an unknown disease after receiving a Para Typhoid injection. Upon graduation from boot camp he returned home for leave and was placed in Philadelphia Naval Hospital for this unknown disease and spent the next 28 days in isolation. After recovering he was then stationed at the Groten Connecticut Submarine Station. Two weeks later he collapsed after the disease reoccurred and returned to the hospital for the next 30 days. He came home on leave while recovering and married his first wife on November 2, 1972. His hopes of submarine duty were dashed when the disease reappeared yet again. Bill was then transferred to Great Lakes Naval Center where he became a diesel mechanic after recovering once again. Following his training he reported to his first ship, the U.S.S. Kretchmer DER 329 in Key West, Florida. The disease continued to plague him and he ended up in the Key West Naval Hospital. The doctors there were confused and could not understand what was happening so he was transferred to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Bill spent the next 7 months and 16 days there having fluid drained from his lungs, receiving medication and undergoing a thoracotomy. After recovering once again, Bill was placed in a holding barracks while the Navy tried to find out what was happening to Bill. At this time they still had no idea what the disease was. His first son, Richard, was born on May 28, 1974. During this time Bill completed high school and received his GED. Because they could not come up with a true diagnosis at the time the Navy decided that Bill would be assigned to his second ship, the U.S.S. Spartanburg County LST 1192. It was not until 1977 that they finally determined, through the National Center for Disease Control, that Bill had Legionaire's Disease. While on board the U.S.S. Spartanburg County, Bill received his notification of discharge as the Navy finally deemed it appropriate to discharge him due to his disease. He received his Honorable Discharge on October 4, 1974 and his first marriage ended. Bill has thankfully been free of the Legionaire's Disease since.

Upon being discharged Bill attended Delaware County Community College majoring in Music Education. During this time Bill met his second wife. Bill became one of the charter members of the Delaware County Drama Company, performing in productions of "The Ladies Not For Burning" playing Hebel Tyson, "The Unexpected Guest" playing Angel, "Heroes" playing Superman and "The Contrast" playing Jesamy. He also worked on other major productions in stage management, props, scenery, costuming, lighting and sound. Before completing his degree he discontinued his education.
Bill went on and began working in a nursing home and then moved on to a locked unit of a state mental institution. Bill became certified in CPR, certified to pour medication and was certified in emergency medical treatment. It was then that his second marriage ended in divorce. Bill only play with one band, "Jade Forest", during this time and started to make his change over to keyboards. Bill opened a furniture and antique refinishing business and began playing with a band called "FREEWAY" as their keyboard player. After 4 years on a locked unit, playing full time music and running a business, Bill decided it was too much. It was at this time Bill met and married his 3rd wife. They had two children, Tiffany and Ryan. Bill became involved in a band called "Minute by Minute" in which he played in as their keyboard player from 1985 to 1991.

He was then approached by the drummer and was invited to join what became "Sudden Impact". It was then that his third marriage ended in divorce in 1987. Then, while working as a mechanic in 1992, Bill was injured on the job. This resulted in a very severe shoulder injury requiring 3 1/2 hours of arthroscopic surgery. The surgery triggered a disease called Primary Fibromyalgia. He spent the next 2 1/2 years in physical therapy to no avail. Bill was then told the disease was incurable, was not treatable and that he would live the rest of his life in constant pain.

It was at this point he took control of his life and entered college to get his degree in Computer Programming despite the disease. On January 24, 1996 Bill got his degree in Computer Programming, graduating with a 4.0 GPA, winning the Academic Excellence award and a Student of the Month Award in Local Area Networks.

Sudden Impact, struggling at first, continued on. The band became more and more popular. With only a few guitar player and female vocalist changes the band has remained together ever since. The band really began to take off in 1996 with bookings coming more and more easily. By the middle of 1997 the band had already booked all of 1998. Sudden Impact is now in its tenth year with no end in sight. The band members have become as close as family and their popularity continues to grow. They have now started taking bookings for 2000.