Bill Dance

Biography

Bill Dance, one of the world’s most famous fishermen, planned to become a doctor like his father, grandfather and three other generations of Dance.

It was while driving home one evening while enrolled in medical school in Memphis, Tennessee, in the early 1960s, that he witnessed a horrific motorcycle accident. This horrible encounter changed his life.

“I was the first to arrive on the scene,” he recalls. “It was very traumatic and affected me deeply. At that moment, I knew I didn’t want to be a doctor anymore”.

What did he want to do?

“I’ve always loved fishing,” he explains in his Southern drawl.

And so he did. He started entering bass fishing tournaments, which he won, and found sponsorship from a lure manufacturer. The sponsor encouraged Bill Dance to launch a TV show to promote his product. Bill Dance Outdoors first aired on a Memphis ABC station in 1968, and has been growing in popularity ever since. Today, the show is broadcast nationwide and its host has become a celebrity among the country’s 45 million fishermen.

On top of an empire

From his home and production studio in Collierville, Tennessee (pop. 31,872), near Memphis, Dance oversees a fishing empire that includes his TV show, tackle promotion, seminars, his own magazine and a series of popular “blooper” videos, hilarious, self-deprecating takes on his shows.

“I have to be careful that this job doesn’t become work,” he jokes.

Dance, 67, and his team of three cameramen can spend up to four days fishing and filming to obtain the 25 minutes of edited footage needed for each of his 26 annual broadcasts. The half-hour programs are broadcast on NBC Sports, and the original programs are then rebroadcast throughout the year. Each episode shows Dance catching fish and chatting while explaining how he does it. He talks to viewers, to himself and even to fish. “Come here, big boy. Easy, now. What a belly you have! See you later… “All his holds are released.

“Bill has a special gift for connecting with his viewers,” says Tony Mack, Dance’s TV producer for 36 years. “It’s hard to explain, but everything he does works. People love it.

“He’s the nicest man I’ve ever known,” adds Carlton Veirs, who handles Dance’s personal appearances and promotion. “Bill has never met a stranger, whether on a small rural dock or at a big outdoor show in Las Vegas. He loves people and people love him. That’s the key to his success.

No trophy for “Best Fishing Show” or “America’s Most Watched Outdoor Show” graces his desk, mainly because no one in Dance’s organization has ever sought such designations. “The only ‘reward’ we care about,” explains producer Mack, “is seeing the show grow from a small local station to a statewide network with 18 million viewers.

“I’m really amazed by all this,” says Dance. “I’ve been very lucky and blessed to be able to earn a living doing what I love.

A gift for fishing

Dance developed his love of fishing as a child, wading with his grandfather in Mulberry Creek in Lynchburg, Tennessee (pop. 5,740). “I’ve always had a knack for fishing,” he explains. “I’ve always been lucky.

“There are lots of good fishermen and lots of fishing shows on TV, but there’s only one Bill Dance,” says fishing guide and tackle maker Jim Duckworth, who often shares a boat with Bill Dance. “What sets him apart from all the others? His personality and sense of humor. Bill likes to laugh – often at himself – and have fun. This reflects on his audience. He makes them feel like they’re right there with him, laughing, joking and having fun.”

Dance fishes for all species and films his shows all over the country. Sometimes he is forced to retire to private waters.

“Bill has become such a celebrity that it’s difficult for him to film on public lakes,” explains Duckworth. “As soon as word gets out that Bill Dance is here, it’s stormed. He’s such a celebrity. Don’t get me wrong, Bill loves people, he loves to socialize. But when he’s filming his show, he has to get away from the crowd.”

“It has a magical touch,” admits veteran outdoor writer John Sloan. “He’s an expert fisherman and likes to show others how it’s done. He sincerely wants people to be able to go out and catch fish, just like he does. And he’s so friendly while he’s doing it. There’s not a pretentious bone in his body. Everyone who knows Bill likes him. In his profession, there’s often a certain amount of professional jealousy, but not in Bill’s case. Everyone loves him.

“I’m content to be myself,” says Dance, whose Outdoors shots include footage of him falling off a dock, somersaulting out of his boat and banging his shin on a trailer hitch – falls and blunders that any fisherman can relate to. “I don’t put on airs,” he says. “I’m not trying to be elegant. If you pretend, people will notice. What they see is who I am.

His best grip

Dance attributes his success to the support of his wife, Dianne, whom he met on a blind date after his first date was cancelled. They have been married for 47 years and have four grown-up children, including Bill Jr. and Patrick, who help manage their father’s outdoor productions from Dance’s home and a 5,000 sq. ft. office next door.

“Back when I was struggling to get started, I could count on her unconditional support,” Dance says of his wife. “Think about it: a husband comes home one day and says, ‘Honey, I’ve decided to drop everything and try a career in fishing.’ How many wives would say, ‘Okay, I’ll support you’? Well, mine did.