West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, Class of 2007
Heritage & Legacy: Billy Edd Wheeler
Billy Ed Wheeler, born in Boone County, West Virginia, was called by many a true Appalachian Renaissance man. He was a singer-songwriter, a novelist, a music publisher, an actor, a playwright, a painter, a potter and a poet. Wheeler passed away in September of this year at the age of 91. His songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Kingston Trio, Bobby Darin, Hank Williams, Jr, Judy Collins, Florence & the Machine, Warren Haynes and many others.
In 2018 he published his autobiography, and the title sums of the man’s story this way: Hotter Than a Pepper Sprout: A Hillbilly Poet’s Journey From Appalachia to Yale to Writing Hits for Elvis, Johnny Cash, & More. He was the songwriter behind the monster hit “Coward of the County”, for Kenny Rogers, which peaked at number 3 on the national charts in 1979 and was later made into a movie.. Elvis Presley had a top ten Country hit with Wheeler’s “It’s Midnight” in 1974.
Wheeler’s most popular and notable song, “Jackson”, was first a hit for Johnny Cash and June Carter in the spring of 1967. It got up to number 2 on the Country charts and earned the duo a Grammy for “Best Country Duet”. In the summer of that same year, Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood took “Jackson” up to number 14 on the national Top 40 charts.
Billy Edd Wheeler’s productivity was amazing. As a composer, his songs were recorded by over 150 artists, selling over 75 million pieces of music. As a writer, he has written 21 plays, 4 outdoor dramas, a novel, two books of poetry and several books of humor. He also was a painter and a potter. His creative life was all important to Billy Edd.
For good measure, there are also the 15 ASCAP songwriting awards. This amazing life has earned Billy Edd Wheeler memberships in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and both the West Virginia, and North Carolina Music Halls of Fame(s).
In addition Wheeler received honorary doctorates of humane letters awarded by his alma maters, Warren Wilson College and Berea College.
There was always something special about Billy Edd Wheeler. Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young explained Wheeler this way:
“Billy Edd Wheeler was a songwriter who could pack an entire cinematic experience into a few short minutes. Perhaps it came from his West Virginia upbringing or his Yale Drama School pedigree, but whatever the case, Billy Edd had a narrative gift that enabled him to spin a silver screen-worthy tale of long simmering anger in “Coward of the County”, or a spicy story about a marriage in jeopardy that came to represent the playful, hot-blooded dynamic between Johnny and June in “Jackson”. Little wonder he also wrote novels and plays. His writing had the power to do what only the best creative works can: transport the listener.”
Proud West Virginian, Country & Western star, and host of public radio’s Mountain Stage, Kathy Mattea has said this of Billy Edd Wheeler:
“Billy Edd is a writer’s writer. A raconteur, with a sharp wit and a gift for introspection, with an unmistakable West Virginia accent to everything he does.”
Billy Edd Wheeler was born in the middle of coal mining country, in Whitesville, Boone County, West Virginia on December 9, 1932. He began playing guitar and writing songs at age 12. He left home at 16 to work his way through high school and Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina, graduating college in 1953. In 1955 he earned his university degree at Berea, Kentucky, then served two years in the US Navy as a student pilot. Following his discharge Wheeler worked in administration at Berea College as Alumni Director.
In 1958, teen idol Pat Boone recorded his “Rockin’ Boll Weevil,” his first taste of songwriting success. Around this time Wheeler also launched his recording career when he made two folk-music albums for the small Monitor label.
While at Berea College he had a meeting with the one and only Thornton Wilder that changed his life. Wilder was on campus to see a production of his famous play “Our Town”. The entire school was involved. Wilder visited campus to see the show, but he also was available to students for short, one on one meetings. Wheeler jumped at the chance to talk with such an accomplished playwright. Wilder encouraged him to apply to his alma mater, Yale. Billy Edd has said he would never have thought of going to Yale without Thornton Wilder recommending the school. He threw the dice and applied to the Yale School of Drama’s playwright program, and based on his accomplishments and financial needs he was given a full scholarship to Yale. Wheeler always added a coda to this story by saying he got to Yale as their “token Hillbilly”.
Meanwhile, in 1963, the superstar group The Kingston Trio made Wheeler’s song “The Reverend Mr. Black” a top 10 hit on the Pop charts. Later that year the trio had a Top 40 hit with Wheeler’s “Desert Pete”, and introduced his miner’s classic “Coal Tattoo”, which has been recorded by Jim Croce, Kathy Mattea, Judy Collins, and Warren Haynes.
Similarly, folk singer Judy Henske’s introduction of Wheeler’s “High Flying Bird” in 1963, over the years led to the song being embraced and recorded by Richie Havens, Jefferson Airplane, Neil Young, and the New Christy Minstrels.
Kapp Records signed him 1964, and the following year he delivered “Ode to the Little Brown Shack Out Back” as a top 10 country smash. The record also got up to # 50 on the Pop charts. This humorous little number was a “tribute to that vanishing Southern institution, the outhouse.” It became his biggest success as a performer. Two years later he recorded a sort of sequel with, “The Interstate is Coming Through My Outhouse”.
He had an even bigger hit as a songwriter when Johnny Cash & June Carter released “Jackson” as a duet in 1967. Four months later Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra had a top 15 pop chart hit with the same song. In 2005 the song was recorded by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon for the Oscar winning movie Walk the Line.
Billy Edd Wheeler moved to Nashville in 1968 to become the manager of United Artists Music. He later returned to North Carolina and made a lifetime home for his family in Swannanoa.
He published books of poetry in 1969 and 1977. Wheeler also continued his work in the theatre. As a playwright he was behind more than a dozen musical and dramatic productions.In 1970, The Hatfields and McCoys premiered as an outdoor drama written by Wheeler and performed near Beckley, WV. It ran continuously for over forty years. Wheeler’s Young Abe Lincoln outdoor drama premiered in Indiana in 1987, and his Johnny Appleseed premiered in Ohio in 2004.
Country stars Johnny Darrell (“I Ain’t Buyin’”) and Hank Williams Jr. (“A Baby Again”) succeeded with his tunes in 1968-69. Johnny Cash scored a top 10 country hit with Wheeler’s 1969 composition “Blistered”. Jerry Reed had a country hit with a great version of Wheeler’s “Gimme Back My Blues” in 1978.
“Coward of the County” was co-written with Roger Bowling, who became a steady songwriting collaborator. In 1980 the team had a top 25 country hit with Roy Clark’s “Chain Gang of Love”.
Another regular songwriting collaborator was fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member Chet Atkins. Wheeler commemorated their friendship with his 1995 album Songs I Wrote with Chet.
Beginning with Laughter in Appalachia in 1986, Billy Edd Wheeler published six books of country humor. His debut novel Star of Appalachia was published in 2004. In addition Wheeler became an accomplished painter, sculptor, wood worker and potter in his later years.
As I’ve said, more than 150 artists have recorded the songs of Billy Edd Wheeler. I’ve dropped a few of those names in this piece already. Here are just a few more I wanted to highlight to show the diversity of musicians who have recorded his music:
John Denver, Glen Campbell, Merle Haggard, Wanda Jackson, R.E.M., Stephen Stills, Lone Justice, The Human League, Flatt & Scruggs, George Strait, Hazel Dickens, Carly Simon and The Chipmunks.
Billy Edd Wheeler passed away peacefully at his home in North Carolina. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Mary Bannerman Wheeler, and their 3 children.
In his memoir, Hotter Than a Pepper Sprout, Wheeler says,
“I had to leave Applalachia to see it better. My path often took me to New York and I found that New Yorkers are no different from Appalachian mountaineers. Their slang is just different.”
Authors Note:
SOURCES.
- Hotter Than a Pepper Sprout- Billy Ed Wheeler – 2018.
- Billy Edd Wheeler.com
- WV Music Hall of Fame
- Country Music Hall of Fame
Photo Sources: Discogs | American Songwriter | Songwriters Hall of Fame | Warren Wilson College| The Valley Echo | The New York Times| MusicRow.com
RECOMMENDED LISTENING – by the author
- Johnny Cash & June Carter – “Jackson”. In 1967 this was a top 10 country hit. Cash and Carter also won a Grammy that year for this song in the “Best Country Duet” category. Most country duets at the time were about love, romance, and family. For this song, Wheeler wrote it as an argument between a husband and wife, who keep pushing each other’s buttons. I love the way June Carter tears into this song. She really gives him “the business”. Also in 1967 Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood had top 20 hit on the Top 40 charts with a tamer version of this song.. Jackson
- Elvis Presley – “It’s Midnight”. This song came out in 1974 as the flip side of “Promised Land”. Country DJs turned that song over and played “It’s Midnight”, and the song found it’s way up to #9 on the Country & Western chart. Jerry Chestnut was Wheeler’s writing partner on the song. It’s Midnight
- Billy Edd Wheeler – “Coward of the County”. This is Billy Edd Wheeler’s recording of the song he wrote with Roger Bowling, which was later recorded by Kenny Rogers. That song was a #3 hit on the Top 40 charts, and later became the source and theme song for a TV movie. Coward of the County by Billy Edd Wheeler
- Kathy Mattea – “Coal Tattoo. This stirring version of my favorite Billy Edd Wheeler song was on Mattea’s Coal album. This video was shot at Joe’s Pub in New York City with KM putting on a great performance. Kathy Mattea, Coal Tattoo
- Tim O’Brien – “High Flying Bird”. This song has been recorded by Neil Young, the Jefferson Airplane and many others. I am a fan of this version done by West Virginian Tim O’Brien. Kathy Mattea, Coal Tattoo
- Billy Edd Wheeler – “Ode To The Little Brown Shack Out Back”. This humorous novelty song was the biggest hit Wheeler ever had under his own name. In 1965 it went to #3 on the Country & Western chart, and made a dent in the Top 100 pop chart, reaching #50. This was recorded live at the WV Arts & Craft Festival in Ripley, WV. Part of that year’s entertainment was a full scale “Hootenanny”. Wheeler’s record company, Kapp Records, didn’t want to release a song about an outhouse, but when Wheeler played this tape for them, with all of the crowd laughter and applause they rushed to release it. Wheeler came back with a sort of sequel in 1966 called “The Interstate is Coming Through My Outhouse”. It faded quickly. Ode To The Little Brown Shack Out Back
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