Billy Edd Wheeler, 91, of Swannanoa, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, September 16, 2024. He was the son of Dutch Perdue and Mary Isabelle Wheeler Stewart. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Mary Bannerman Wheeler, his daughter Lucy Wheeler (Ted White) and his son, Travis Wheeler (Sarah Daubs). He is also survived by his brother Robert Stewart (Velra Stewart).
Mr. Wheeler was born in Whitesville, West Virginia. At the age of 16, a Presbyterian missionary visited the coal mining town of High Coal, where he was living and suggested he attend school in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Soon thereafter, sight unseen, Mr. Wheeler got on a bus with $1.00 in his pocket to travel to North Carolina. He graduated from the high school division of Warren Wilson College in 1951. Mr. Wheeler continued his education on the same campus, graduating from Warren Wilson Junior College in 1953 and then Berea College, in Berea, Kentucky, in 1955. He has said many times that he was born in West Virginia and re-born at Warren Wilson College. That Warren Wilson College saved his life. He possessed a God given artistic talent that was able to be nurtured and fortified on that special campus in the Swannanoa Valley. It was also the spot where he met his future wife and the love of this life, Mary Bannerman. Mr. Wheeler served in the Navy as a student pilot, then as the Alumni Director at Berea College, before enrolling in the Yale School of Drama, where he majored in playwriting. Mr. Wheeler was encouraged to enroll in the Yale School of Drama by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and novelist, Thornton Wilder. Mr. Wilder was visiting the campus of Berea College during the production of his own play, Our Town, when he met Mr. Wheeler.
Mr. Wheeler was blessed with an amazingly creative spirit and was a true artist in all its forms. While at Warren Wilson College, he learned to paint from his future mother-in-law, Lucile Patton Bannerman, wife of then president Dr. Arthur Bannerman. She would take him with her to paint en plein air in the rolling fields and pastures around Warren Wilson. His love of painting would continue throughout his life until his sight prevented him from doing so only a few years ago. His art has been displayed locally at locations including Blue Spiral Gallery in Asheville and the Red House Gallery in Black Mountain and at Berea College. Not to be incumbered by just one art form, Mr. Wheeler was also a talented wood worker and sculptor.
His creative spirit would lead to an award-winning writing career which spans decades. His writing talents were given life in many forms, from plays and musicals, to poetry, novels, humor books, a memoir and of course, song writing. Mr. Wheeler was the author-composer of a dozen plays and musicals, including the long running Hatfields & McCoys in Beckley, West Virginia, Young Abe Lincoln in Lincoln City, Indiana, and Johnny Appleseed in Mansfield, Ohio. His folk opera, Song of the Cumberland Gap, performed at the Cumberland Gap National Park, was commissioned by the National Geographic Society.
Mr. Wheeler’s poetry was first published in 1969 in his book, Song of a Woods Colt. That would be followed by another book of poetry in 1977, Travis and Other Poems of the Swannanoa Valley. Mr. Wheeler loved humor and was known for telling Dad Jokes before that became “a thing.” When his children were younger, the dinner table included many an evening of eye-rolling and groaning as he regaled them with yet another one of his jokes. So, it should not be surprising that he has authored or co-authored six books of humor, with Laughter of Appalachia celebrating a 13th printing in the early 2000’s. He debuted his memoir, Hotter than a Pepper Sprout, in 2018 to a standing room only crowd in Kittredge Theater on the campus of Warren Wilson. The event was moderated by two of his dearest friends, Doug Orr, President Emeritus of Warren Wilson College and the Grammy award winning singer-songwriter, Janis Ian.
In spite of all of this, Mr. Wheeler may be most remembered for his song writing ability. He has received 13 awards from The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for songs recorded by Judy Collins, The Kingston Trio, Jefferson Airplane, Jim Croce, John Denver, Neil Young, Florence and the Machine, Kathy Mattea, Nancy Sinatra, Kenny Rogers, and Elvis Pressley, to name only a few. His songs have been performed by at least 200 other artists and counting. Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash made his song, Jackson, iconic during their performances over the years. It was featured in the hit movie Walk the Line, where it was performed by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. Country Music Television voted Jackson one of the Ten Greatest Love Songs of Country Music. Coward of the County, recorded by Kenny Rogers, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1980. It was later made into a television movie in 1981. It went to number one on the Billboard Chart and spent six weeks at number one in Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Elvis Pressley recorded two of Mr. Wheeler’s songs, It’s Midnight and Never Again. The album, Promised Land, which included It’s Midnight, went to number one on the Billboard Charts. Mr. Wheeler himself recorded 13 albums and had the most chart success with his single, Ode to the Little Brown Shack Out Back, which made it to number three in 1964. His songs have now sold over 58 million units. He has been inducted in to the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame and the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. In 2014 he was the recipient of The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest award in the state of North Carolina conferred by the Governor. He has received honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees from Berea College in 2004 and then Warren Wilson College in 2011.
Mr. Wheeler was a generous soul, a renaissance man and true lover of life. His family was one of his greatest joys and he loved the simple pleasure of spending time with them. He enjoyed taking long walks and picking the guitar with his close friend Chet Atkins when they were both in Nashville, surf fishing at the Outer Banks with his good friend, Charlie Stafford, playing tennis with Teresa Tatham, playing golf with Rodney Lytle and Hugh Himan. He, along with Doug Orr and Richard Bellando, relished performing as Elvis impersonators in the world famous (in their own minds!) group called The Elvi. And of course, he loved his dogs that were always by his side, Bubbie, Gracie Pearl and Sheba.
Mr. Wheeler’s life story is an inspiration to so many. He will be dearly missed but never forgotten as his lifetime legacy of songs, plays, books and artwork will remain with us forever.
The Wheeler family would like to thank CarePartners Hospice for their loving care in the last months of his life and specifically, Rebecca, Tonia, Richard, Julia, Amber and Tammy. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Warren Wilson College.
A memorial service will be announced at a later date. ###
Country Music Hall of Fame listing, which includes a 90+ minute video, "Poets and Prophets: Salute to Legendary Songwriter Billy Edd Wheeler"
In my start at singing in the late '70s, in which the Judy Collins Songbook played a big role, his "Red Winged Blackbird" [Judy Collins recording on YouTube] and "Coal Tattoo" [Judy Collins recording on YouTube]were two that I memorized and hung on to, along with "Coming of the Roads" [video of Billy Edd Wheeler] and "Winter Sky" [interview about the song].