Jim……..

I have a bunch of thoughts regarding Wheeler….

I READ YOUR PIECE ON Jackson….

Had to immediately go here….






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I had several encounters with Billy …all of them…. Close but no cigar…

First off … I know that George got to know him pretty well ….

I’d say it was in 1963 … in my home town of Lexington, Kentucky ….shortly after the Trio did their show there that’s on the CD I recorded …..

Billy Ed did a show at Transylvania College….

I went … and it was nothing like a Trio show….

But, what was?

I didn’t go backstage after the show to meet him ….. because it was during a very bad time for me…my little world had just fallen apart…. It happens every now and then…

It’s amazing after nearly 80 years … how difficult it can be to keep track of your own life…

OK …

Now I remember… from 1985 to 1990, we lived in Greensboro, North Carolina….

During this time … Billy had moved to North Carolina and was living in a tiny town that was not far from the interstate that we drove to return to Kentucky for regular visits….

Every time we returned to Kentucky … I told myself that we’d stop and see Billy…but myself never followed my wishes….

Now … fast forward to 1995….

I was publishing Max Magazine …..

At the same time… J. Peterman … of Seinfeld fame is operating his company in Lexington and is publishing his great catalogues..


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I needed an artist for my magazine and I hired his best artist…..

A gal named “Jen.”

We got to be good friends…..

She was from Berea, KY and her husband’s father, Richard Bellando (mentioned in his obit) , was Billy’s roommate at Berea College.

Every year…. Billy came to his birthday party and they sang together….

We got invited to one…. But had a conflict and couldn’t go.

Jen was into music and I had an old Gibson guitar that I bought from a guy in my dorm my last day there after I graduated….. for $12.00

Jen wanted that guitar real bad and I gave it to her…..

I hate to tell you what it’s worth today ….


Here’s my favorite Wheeler song: