The West Virginia Music Hall of Fame’s CD Tribute to Billy Edd Wheeler now available!
CD features WV musicians interpreting the songs of one of WV’s most acclaimed songwriters
Continuing its series of tribute CDs, The WV Music Hall of Fame’s latest release features the songs of Billy Edd Wheeler, one of West Virginia’s most prolific and successful songwriters.
The disc includes a baker’s dozen songs recorded by a “Who’s Who” of WV musicians: Tim O’Brien, Kathy Mattea, Larry Groce, Bob Thompson, Julie Adams, Susanna Robinson, Richard Hefner, Ron Sowell, Mark Cline Bates, Sarah Rudy, Annie Neeley, Todd Burge, The Sycomores, John Lilly, and The Carpenter Ants.
The tracks include “Jackson,” “Coal Tattoo,” “Blistered,” “High Flyin’ Bird,” “Coming of the Roads,” “Red-Winged Blackbird,” “A Baby Again,” “Hillbilly Bossa Nova,” “Chain Gang of Love,” “The Big Put On,” “They Can’t Put it Back,” “Ann,” and “Winter Sky.”
In addition, there are three bonus tracks; a live version of “High Flyin’ Bird” by The Tim O’Brien Band from “Mountain Stage”; “Nervous as an Outhouse Rat” (Billy Edd Wheeler’s spoken word intro to “The Rev. Mr Black”); and the finale of “The Reverend Mr. Black” from the WVMHoF’s tribute show at Carnegie Hall in 2018.
A poet, a playwright and a painter, Boone County native Billy Edd Wheeler is one of West Virginia's true Renaissance Men. But of his many gifts, his skill as a songwriter has gained him the greatest acclaim.
A partial list of artists who have recorded his songs is a testimony to the depth of his songwriting: Johnny Cash, June Carter, Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers, The Kingston Trio, Nancy Sinatra, Hazel Dickens, Neil Young, Richie Havens, and the Jefferson Airplane.
The CD is available from the WVMHoF’s website, at Taylor Books (downtown Charleston), at the WVMHoF’s office (304/342-4412) and store in the Charleston Town Center.
WVMHoF CD releases “Always Lift Him Up: A Tribute to Blind Alfred Reed” Various artists (2007) “The Nichols Family. A Cry From the Mountains” (2008) Alan Freeman and Robert Shafer. “Strangest Dreams” (2015) “The Rhinestone Hillbilly: A Tribute to Little Jimmy Dickens” Various artists (2017) “Courting the Muse: The Songs of Billy Edd Wheeler” Various artists (2020)
Reissues The Amazing Delores “Stop Messin’ With My Mind” (1994) Robert Shafer “Hillbilly Fever” (1997)