Happy Birthday 1954 (Robert) “Bo” Donaldson June 13 1954 Bo Donaldson - Billy Don’t Be A Hero 74 “Billy—Don’t Be a Hero” is a 1974 pop song that was first a UK hit for Paper Lace and then, some months later (with its title punctuated as “Billy, Don’t Be a Hero”), a US hit for Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods. The song was written and composed by two British songwriters, #MitchMurray and #PeterCallander. Because the song was released in 1974, it was associated by some listeners with the Vietnam War,