Billy Ed Wheeler

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: DougR
Date: 05 Nov 00 - 02:00 AM

Billy Edd is alive and well and living in Swannanoha, N.C. He and Chet Atkins also wrote some songs together that I have a tape of. I don't think any of them became hits though. Some are very funny. Chet Atkins sang one of the songs one night on the Opry. Something about a dog, but I can't remember the name of the song.

DougR

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: Allan C.
Date: 05 Nov 00 - 12:36 AM

Yes, Ely. That's the one. I believe that Mr. Wheeler also wrote "Sassafras". This was a real surprise to me when I was told. I had learned the song in the folk tradition when I was a child and thought it had been around for at least a century!

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: Hedy West (current membership)
Date: 04 Nov 00 - 04:20 PM

I think "Hilda, the Hillbilly Hippie" also comes from Billy Ed.

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: Ely
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 08:52 PM

Is Red-Winged Blackbird the one that goes "Oh, can't you see that pretty little bird/Singin' with all his heart and soul/He's got a blood-red spot on his wing/and all of the rest of him's black as coal"? My band used to sing that but we didn't know where it came from.

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: GUEST,mkebenn
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 11:47 AM

Great to hear he's still with us. got turned on to him 35 years ago researching coal tattoo after hearing John Stewart do it with KT3.. Don't forget Desert Pete. One of my most prized possesions is a copy of his first alblum I found in a flea market 20 years ago.. Mike Bennett

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: GUEST,Bill in Alabama
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:56 AM

other great ones by BEW:
Little Brown Shack Out Back
Anne
Give Me Back My Blues
Sister Sarah
Gee-Haw Whimmy-Diddle

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: Stewie
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:42 AM

High Flyin' Bird

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:22 AM

Still singing "Coal Tattoo" and "Red winged blackbird" after all these years. "Red winged blackbird" is my all time favorite coal mining song.

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: Mike Regenstreif
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:09 AM

Off the top of my head:

The Coming of the Roads Red-Winged Balckbird The Reverend Mr. Black Winter Sky

Mike Regenstreif

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: Fortunato
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:03 AM

I've been singing Coal Tattoo a long time, but I confess that's the only BEW song I know. What else is there?

regards Chance

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: Mike Regenstreif
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 09:56 AM

Billy Edd Wheeler is still alive. He's about 68 years old.

The promo material that I got with the recent album by Johnny Staats included a letter from BEW congratulating Johnny on his version of "Coal Tattoo."

Mike Regenstreif

Subject: RE: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 09:42 AM

I haven't heard that name in many moons. It will be interesting to see if anyone has any info.

Subject: Billy Ed Wheeler
From: mkebenn
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 08:28 AM

Does anyone know if Mr. Wheeler is still alive or is he "singin in the angel's band"? Newbie Mike Bennett