Bill Reynolds, the leader of the Independent Silver Band, has an extremely colorful life, full of excitement and close brushes with fame. In the early days of his career, he and his wife Jeanne Gieszelmann Reynolds were the proprietors of the Reynolds Family Circus. Later they teamed up with other units to broaden their territory. Bill was the band leader and Jeanne was a performer in the ring.

Bill has also appeared as an extra in a number of Civil War movies: “Class of ’61”, “For honor and Glory”, “Tecumseh” and “Gettysburg.” He was Custer’s bugler in “Crazy Horse” and appeared in some documentaries for the National Park Service. The most recent movie appearance was “Letters Home” released in 2022.

We’re looking forward to seeing Bill and his band again at VBF 2026. There are bound to be more stories that we haven’t yet heard!