Songwriter And W.Va. Native Billy Edd Wheeler Dies At 91

Musician and songwriter Billy Edd Wheeler died Monday at his home in Swannanoa, North Carolina. He was 91.

The Boone County native was best known for writing several hit songs including “Jackson” for Johnny Cash and June Carter as well as “Coward of the County” for Kenny Rogers.

Born on December 9, 1932, in Whitesville, Wheeler started writing and performing songs when he was just a teenager. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2007. He was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000 and the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.

According to an obituary in the Asheville Citizen-Times, Wheeler moved from Boone County to North Carolina to attend  the high school division of Warren Wilson College in 1951. After graduating from Warren Wilson, he attended Berea College in Kentucky as well as Yale Drama School to study playwriting.

He also found success as a humorist, painter, poet and playwright, and his Hatfields and McCoys play is performed by Theatre West Virginia each year. 

Wheeler published ten books of poetry, fiction and humor during his career.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Mary Bannerman Wheeler, his daughter Lucy Wheeler and his son, Travis Wheeler. He is also survived by his brother, Robert Stewart.