Dat same ole fohty-fo. He was paroled in 1909, but returned to prison in 1911 for assault and robbery. The simplest answer may be racism. Billy has 1 job listed on their profile. Keith has been like a brother to me for almost 40 years. There was no lack of carnal opportunity in Lee Sheltons part of town. The prolific Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent's cause of death was revealed after he passed away on Saturday (February 25), at the age of 92. These are the bare bones of the case, upon which have been piled countless folk tales, legends, and outright lies, ultimately giving rise to what has become one of the most popular American murder ballads as well as one of the most widely adapted song in our national history. The origins of this tale begin with a Christmas Eve bar fight in Saint Louis in 1895. Bill was The Best! Billy "Spacey" Lyons is an Actor, Musician, Tattoo Artist and Motorcycle Enthusiast. The scholar John W. Roberts says that such figures exist more as a projection than a role model, providing an expression of wish-fulfillment a safety valve or release. Into this historical moment strode Stack Lee Shelton, a notorious bad man with a memorable name who would leave your children fatherless if you tried to steal his Stetson hat. British. Lyons died from his wound shortly afterwards. Before he could be released, the infamous Stack-O-Lee died in prison of tuberculosis. Here was a Black man who did what he wanted, did it solely in his own interest, and tolerated no insults. You can check Billy out in the film John Nieto: An American Spirit Walk, he also has a part in the new release "Rough Boys". David Lyons, currently appearing as Billy Walters in Billy Wonderful at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool until 4 April. In the summer of 2010, Stuke was featured on Celebrity MasterChef, where it was discovered that he was not a very good chef, despite his claim that he was. In 1892, after he was detained for robbing a woman with whom hed been living, the Globe-Democrat called him notorious. The denizens of the Bloody Third probably just called him a bad man.. Heres the original arrest warrant. The story endures in the many versions of the song that have circulated since the late 19th century. . Slums were the natural result, and by the 1890s, 85 percent of the citys black population occupied only 2 percent of its space. Stagger Lee, alternately known as Stagolee or Stackalee, has been reinvented innumerable times as a work chant, field holler, blues, rag, jazz, rock, and folk song. Sheltons case was retried in 1897, and Stagger Lee was found guilty of murder and sentenced to the notorious Jeffersonpenitentiary in Jefferson City, Missouri. Directed by Billy Lyons, Kim Ferraro and Seth Isler, this 2019 film splits its focus between Handman's work as artistic director there and as an acting teacher. [10] In his version, as in all such pieces, there are many (sometimes anachronistic) variants on the lyrics. . I think the answer to this question (and to the related question of what Stagolee tells us about how legends and folklore are passed down) may lie in the social function that Stagolee serves. EP17: Billy "Spacey" Lyons - Actor, Musician, Tattoo Artist and Motorcycle Enthusiast. She is beloved for her sweeping Wolf Hall trilogy, for which she won two Booker Prizes. When his victim fell to the floor Sheldon took his hat from the hand of the wounded man and coolly walked away. But maybe that was the error. Privacy Policy, In 1928, Mississippi John Hurt recorded a definitive 1928 version of Stagolees story, Eric McHenrys annotation to the murder ballads oldest known lyrics, https://theamericanscholar.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/mchenry_audio.mp3, Hilary Mantel, one of Britains most revered novelists, died last year at the age of 70. We deeply regret the situation into which our unfortunate brother has fallen.. William and Lena Lyons, the childrens parents listed on the baptism record, were not present. Uncharacteristically, David included no footnote, although the heavily hand-edited page is clearly not from a final draft. Shared with Public Grid view Feed View 3 Connect with Billy Lyons on Facebook Log In or Create new account I've heard of the Billy Lyons case. Judith was nearing 80 and trying to downsize when I contacted her two summers ago. A graduate of Ithaca College (BFA Acting), Billy has performed both regionally and Off-Broadway at the Irish Rep. Log In or Sign Up Billy Lyons See Photos Billy Lyons See Photos Billy Lyons See Photos Billy Lyons See Photos Billy Lyons See Photos Billy Lyons See Photos William Lyons (Billiam) Bill Lyons Executive Editor at BBC TV Greater Bristol Area, United Kingdom 508 followers 500+ connections Join to connect BBC Vision Oxford & Sheffield Universities Activity So as I think about. New York, New York, United States. Billy is an actor, director, teacher, and producer living in midtown Manhattan, where hes trained with and been the close assistant to Wynn Handman for many years. Lyons was also a member of St. Louis' underworld, and may have been a political and business rival to Shelton. The earliest versions were likely field hollers and other work songs performed by African American laborers. Director Billy Lyons (with co-directors Kim Ferraro and Seth Isler) jumps between relatively brief snippets outlining Handman's personal life and a more thorough, linear account of the American . Later, in 1941 and 42, Johns son Alan recorded a number of versions during his own field recording trips for the Library of Congress. Hes a junk dealer.. And Stack answers, with an almost imperceptible smile, Yes. The William Lyons who failed to attend his kids baptism in 1894a year and a half before the Stack Lee murdermay have had the excuse of already being dead. Actor. The bad boys from Bayonne, Doc and Mike Gallagher were one of the all time great tag teams. Lee hit him on the head with his pistol, which was actually a .44-caliber Smith & Wesson. Copyright 2021 A version by Lloyd Price reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. As Cecil Brown puts it in his book Stagolee Shot Billy, One reason Stagolee has survived so long is that any performance of it grants the participantsperformers and audience aliketime out from the pressures of life in a racist American society.. A legendary actor with 50 celebrated years of film, television, theatre and producing experience, Michael Douglas, has shown an uncanny knack for projects that reflect changing trends and public concerns. Lifestyle Your Next Spotify Playlist Might Be Curated with Wine Pairings in Mind. The bad man emerged in their stories and songs as an alternative to more wholesome folk heroes like John Henry. Reluctantly, I admit to having doubts about their great-grandfathers being that Billy Lyons. Odum. That bad man, oh cruel Stack O Lee, Gentlemans of the jury, what do you think of that? Lauren Lyons Casting. Handy wrote that explanation in 1926, "Stack O' Lee" was already familiar in United States popular culture, with recordings of the song made by pop singers of the day, such as Cliff Edwards. That year, musicologist John Lomax received a partial transcription of the song,[11] and in 1911, two versions were published in the Journal of American Folklore by the sociologist and historian Howard W. Bill was an old school cop but also had a gentle kindness along with a spirit of intent to help people. In other words, there was a Black man named William Lyons with an adult stepdaughter named Estella living in central St. Louis around the time of the Stack Lee killing. $25. It was soon being sung in various forms by workers on the levee, convicts on chain gangs throughout the South, saloon and street singers, and even school children. Stack Lee was also well connected, which may further explain his having gotten away with so much for so long. Billy Lyons actor at billy lyons Dublin e Regio. In a number of variations, even death itself is not the end for Stagger Lee. At one point, David asks Myles when she first heard the family story about Stack Lee and Billy, and she says, Well, a song came out. When he invites Johnson to share the familys version of the legend, Johnson singsin a beautiful, mournful voicethe lyrics to Lloyd Prices number-one hit. [6] The Killer Blues Headstone Project raised money to place a stone on his unmarked grave, and on April 14, 2013, a marker was laid during a public ceremony. Several of them knew their lineage as far back as Florence Lyons, but not her fathers famous name. The discussion grew increasingly heated, and fueled by a significant intake of spirits, Lee dented Billys derby, whereupon Billy grabbed the Stetson from Lees head. But more importantly, he had the kindest soul of anyone I've ever known. Its no coincidence that Stagolee faded from African-American folklore just as a new wave of well-dressed bad muthafuckas arrived on the scene, also rolling Cadillacs. RIP Officer Lyonsyou will be missed! Mr. William Hunter "Billy" Lyons, a native of Mobile and resident of Spanish Fort, died Tuesday, June 8, 2021, of complications from a stroke. A Caring Friend. [12], The song was first recorded by Waring's Pennsylvanians in 1923 and became a hit. He visited so many nursing homes, his widow told me. Annie I. Bang/Invision, via Associated Press. That year, musicologist John Lomax received a partial transcription of the song,[9] and in 1911 two versions were published in the Journal of American Folklore by the sociologist and historian Howard W. Through every generation and nearly every musical style, Stagger Lee has made an appearance. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Mississippi John Hurt, Cab Calloway, Woody Guthrie, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, and Beck are among the hundreds who have sung a version of Stagolees story. He was paroled in 1909, but returned to prison in 1911 for assault and robbery. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Born November 16, 1956 Add to list Photos 13 Known for Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure 6.9 Billy the Kid 1989 Tron 6.7 Ram Popcorn Co-Worker 1982 Black Moon Rising 5.5 Billy Lyons For such men as Stack Lee Shelton, however, business was booming. 244 West 54th Street, 10th Floor Actor; Teaching Actor American Place Theatre 2006 - Present17 years Performer of APT's Literature to Life adaptation of Tim O'Brien's novel, The Things They. Press Esc to cancel. To be honest, though, I'd never read too much . Billy Lyons was the brother-in-law of Henry Bridgewater, an influential saloon owner and by some accounts the wealthiest Black man in St. Louis. [10], The song was first recorded by Waring's Pennsylvanians in 1923, and became a hit. In the 1920s, a number of varieties of Stagger Lee began to be recorded. Lyons and Sheldon were friends and were talking together. Lee. 22 February 1966 (age 57) Deal, Kent, England. June 4, 2022 Episode #17 of the Motorcycle Knuckle Busters podcast. The only remaining option for the deceased killer is hell, and again Stagger Lee asserts himself, this time for control over the Devils domain: Even in death, the larger-than-life figure of Stagger Lee triumphs. Billy Lyons is an actor, known for Treaty Live (2022). That night, a man died and a legend was born. Billy Lyons will celebrate 158rd birthday on a Thursday 16th of March 2023. [5] Subsequently, Shelton shot Lyons, recovered his hat, and left. This was increasingly relevant because the republicans were losing their stronghold, and because Shelton was a democratic organizer, and Lyons a Republican one, according to StaggerLee.com. When his victim fell to the floor Sheldon took his hat from the hand of the wounded man and coolly walked away.. By the time his first trial ended in a hung jury, Shelton was already the subject of a popular prison ballad. Gosh almighty. He died in incarceration in 1912. Occupation. 1,431 likes. It only took until 1902 or 1903, depending on the source, for the first printed lyrics referring to the Stagger Lee murder. In this variation, he is the embodiment of a tough black man; one who is sly, streetwise, cool, lawless, amoral, potentially violent, and who defies white authority. In January 1896, according to a Post-Dispatch item that escaped the notice of earlier researchers, a young woman named Stella Casey took her own life by swallowing a box of rat poison. In addition to being a sporting circle, it strongly supported the citys Democratic Party. On attempting to enter heaven, he is rebuffed at the gates by St. Peter: Says turn around, go down the other way, we dont. The folk versions are much more dramatic. Keith's Cancer Fund. In November 1894, he beat a man with a revolver, fracturing his skull and inflicting five severe scalp wounds. Less than two months later, he fired a shot without effect at Thomas Gibson. He then hit Gibson over the head with the butt of the gun. Upon Sheltons arrival in St. Louis he will at once report to Mr. James D. Anderson. It never came to that. [3], Further details are preserved in trial accounts. Lee Sheltons signature and fingerprint from his penitentiary records (from the papers of John Russell David), In the refrain of his definitive 1928 version, Mississippi John Hurt sings, That bad man, oh cruel Stack OLee. That the word bad is a versatile one, especially in African-American vernacular English, has allowed the tone of the songs to shift over the course of the 20th centuryfrom disapproving to approving of Stagoleewithout their essential vocabulary ever changing. So there are actually two plausible narratives in which Billy Lyons left behind a wife and kids. As a born-and-bred Oklahoman, the scene immediately caught my attention. The personal traumas that allegedly drove her to do it included the recent slaying of her step-father, William Lyons, by Lee Sheldon [sic]. The shoddiness of 19th-century journalism makes me skeptical of anything reported only once. It was to Lower Morgan Street that the urban white people from the citys more upscale sections would go slumming, then to their respectable homes before daylight caught them out. Handman is survived by daughters Laura Handman and Liza . Now, the journalism of the day was appallingly poora hodgepodge of hack reporting, rumor, speculation, and opinion, seasoned liberally with racism. Honorees included Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor Billy Crudup with celebratory toasts to Ken Greiner, Chair, [] We spoke to David Lyons about his role as newcomer Detective Billy Aames, and returning cast members Ron Cephas Jones (who plays Poppy's father, "Shreve" Scoville) and Mekhi Phifer (who . Gentleman at all times! Nonetheless, Stagger Lee spread with extraordinary speed, beginning shortly after the actual killing. [4], Lyons eventually died of his injuries. Apprised of Sheltons terminal condition, Missouri Governor Herbert S. Hadley had approved a mercy parole, upon condition, however, that he in the future conduct himself in all respects, as a law-abiding citizen. Because somebody wrote a catchy song, its tempting to say. Hi my name is Mindy Lyons. Lee Shelton (March 16, 1865 March 11, 1912), popularly known as "Stagolee," "Stagger Lee," "Stack-O-Lee," and other variations, was an American criminal who became a figure of folklore after murdering Billy Lyons on December 25th, 1895. [15][16], Within thirty years of Shelton's death, Benjamin Botkin records stories among the superstitious of his having been born with a caul over his face (signifying one with the power to see spirits and destined for trouble), or of having sold his soul to the Devil (in exchange for the hat, said to be magic, over which he killed Billy Lyons). The story was first covered in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat on December 28th, 1895. [1][5], Shelton is buried at the historic Greenwood Cemetery in Hillsdale, Missouri. Other notable pre-war versions were recorded by Duke Ellington (1927), Cab Calloway (1931), Woody Guthrie (1941),[10] and Sidney Bechet (1945). (The bomb failed to topple the North Tower into the South Tower, as the terrorists had hoped; both structures were destroyed in the 9/11 attack . Danny Masterson, 44, was charged with three counts of rape by force or fear. Unable to get parole, he died in the hospital of the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City on March 11, 1912, from tuberculosis. Who was Stagger Lee, who goes by different names depending on the storyteller;Stagger, Stack-O-Lee, Stackalee, etc.? The events of the murder were fairly commonplace; two friends, Billy Lyons and Stagger Lee Shelton, were drinking at Bill Curtiss saloon and became enthralled in a conversation about politics. Lincoln in the Bardo features a myriad of charactersdead and alive, historical and imaginary who offer perspective and input on the story as it unfolds. Additional fantastic legends credit him with the ability to transform himself into animals, of having caused the San Francisco earthquake, and of having fought a duel with Jesse James.[17]. Various versions of the encounter have been sung about . In Davids taped interviews, Myles and Johnson seem confident that their great-grandfather died in Curtiss saloon that Christmas night. He was 80 years old. Stack Lee passed away in the prison hospital, wasted by his illness to less than 100 pounds. In honor of Mantels enormous contributions to literature, dive back into her Tudor world with Penelope Rowlandss essay about one of the key power dynamics Mantel explored: that between Cromwell and Sir Thomas More. Billy Lyons is a producer and director, known for It Takes a Lunatic (2019), Missed Connections Live (2009) and Lost Bohemia (2010). The factory was guarded by two vicious bulldogs., Sheltons parting gesture, in other words, was to will his meager possessions to the biggest drug kingpin in St. Louis. Because that need for vicarious freedom never went away, Stagolee then stuck around for a century, with an occasional aftermarket modification to reflect the tastes of the day. Stagolee haunts the prose of Richard Wright and Toni Morrison; James Baldwin worked on a novel about the character and late in his life published a long poem called Staggerlee Wonders., Scholars of African-American studies generally agree that both the pimp protagonists of 70s blaxploitation films and the self-mythologists of gangsta rap are Stagolees direct descendants: mononymous, fearless, and fastidious about their name-brand apparel. Click To Watch Free 'NAACP Image Awards 2023' Live Stream. Billy "Spacey" Lyons is an Actor, Musician, Tattoo Artist and Motorcycle Enthusiast. [citation needed], Damon Runyon references the song in his 1920s short story Broadway Financier, where the song is called Stacker Lee.. September 14, 2019. The story of bad Stagger Lee has continued to capture Americans, and then the worlds, imaginations for over 100 years. Punk, Hawaiian, HeavyMetal, Disco, Rock, Blues, Folk, Bluegrass, Country, and Soul have all seen recorded versions, often with great popularity and by names as wildly famous as Elvis and the Isley Brothers. When shes given a name, its often either Lillie or Nellie Sheldon. Odum. In 2007, Samuel L. Jackson played Stack-O-Lee in the movie Black Snake Moan, backed by Cedrick Burnside and Kenny Brown. From 1982 to 1984, two masked professional wrestlers were billed as Stagger Lee in the Southern US; Sylvester Ritter, better known as Junkyard Dog, played him first in Mid-South Wrestling and James Ware, who became Koko B. Ware, followed suit in the Continental Wrestling Association. [1]:35 The 1995 version by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds paints Stagger Lee as a sociopathic, bisexual, sexual predator who forces a foe to perform fellatio on him before shooting the man to death. 133 followers 134 connections. Hi, my name is Billy. Theres also Billys stepdaughter to consider. This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 12:46. The historical Lee Shelton was an African American man born in 1865 in Texas. Somewhere in his youth, Lee Shelton had acquired the nickname Stack Lee, presumably after a steamboatthe Stack Lee which was then plying the Mississippi River. A Johnson `64 classmate who will be missed by all of us. The film begins in Hugo, Oklahoma. Ive tried to refrain from any mythologizing of my own, but I cant help conjuring a scene: a prison official asks Stack Lee, bedridden and skeletal, if the friend into whose care hes being paroled is a respectable citizen who makes an honest living. She claimed thatthis song is sung by the Negroes on the levee while they are loading and unloading the river freighters. In 1911, Shelton broke into a mans home, murdered him, and was sent to prison, but by 1912, Shelton received yet another pardon from another governor, apparently due to political pressure. LaTonia Pearson, the great-great-great-granddaughter of William Lyons and Lena Northcross, told me that her grandmother Rosealee wouldnt have been inclined to share something so negative with her children.. Lyons is a graduate of Ithaca College (BFA Acting) and has performed both regionally and Off Broadway. In 1987, retirement called and the two leased the restaurant for 25 years to a new owner, while retaining ownership of the . Sponsored by Phi Beta Kappa Learn How rich is She in this year and how She spends money? George M. Eberhart, probably the most meticulous Stagolee scholar, calls this a slander on Lee Shelton. Burnside, who also sang popular versions of Stagger Lees song. BY Billy Lyons. Lee Shelton himself, armed with a pistol and buoyed by drink on that Christmas night more than 120 years ago, certainly had no inkling that his rash act of violence would elevate him to the pantheon of mythical Americans. According to Cecil Brown, on the night Lee killed Billy Lyons, he wore a black dress coat, high-collar embroidered yellow shirt, elaborately patterned red velvet vest, and gray striped slacks. Its hard to draw any confident conclusions from all this. Author and music critic Greil Marcus explicitly ties the Stagger Lee archetype to Sly Stone and his album There's a Riot Goin' On in his book Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music. According to the lines in the song, it was over a game of chance: In fact, if the local newspapers are to be credited, the altercation was political in nature. Sacramento police Officer Billy Lyons, known for compassion for the down and out, dies By Sam Stanton. Nov 2020 - Present2 years 4 months. [14] By the time W.C. But over the past several years, through services like Newspapers.com and Ancestry.com, huge caches of relevant documents have become broadly availableand, crucially, keyword-searchablefor the first time. Despite the tendency of folktales to grow taller, the canonical Stagolee story has remained impressively stable over the years: Stagolee is a bad man who objects to Billy Lyonss stealing his Stetson. www.shodavision.com. Mr. Lyons (1945), Palm Springs . To find a largely comprehensive documentation of 420+ Stagger Lee recordings, see StaggerLee.com. He has also been a panellist on several episodes of the topical discussion series The Wright Stuff. I havent been able to track down the surviving documents he apparently saw. [7], Shortly after the event, the murder became the subject of folk song tradition, known as "Stagolee," "Stagger Lee," and other variants. Less than a year later, Andersons ramshackle brick house was raided by police, who discovered what an IRS agent called the largest cocaine and opium distribution plant in the United States. Prayers for his family. In 2006, Image Comics published the graphic novel Stagger Lee, written by Derek McCulloch and illustrated by Shepherd Hendrix, examining the historical murder of Lyons by Shelton, and the folklore that came out of it, in the framing setting of a fictionalized version of the African-American community in Saint Louis. You son of a gun! he says. According to an account of the incident in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, an argument was started between the heavy-drinking hotheads, the conclusion of which was that Lyons snatched Sheldons [sic] hat from his head. Angela Discon. [11] Also in 1924, the first version with lyrics was recorded, as "Skeeg-a-Lee Blues", by Lovie Austin. After a century of vilification, its time to separate Lee Shelton the man from Stackolee the myth., A few Newspapers.com searches, however, reveal that Lee Shelton was indeed a serially violent man, even by the standards of the citys Bloody Third district. For all their stylistic and thematic variety, the songs are nearly unanimous that Billy Lyons had a wife and kids. Shelton was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in the state penitentiary. He's very sick, cannot work, and really needs help with his bills and medical expenses. In a 1911 article in the Journal of American Folklore, the sociologist Howard W. Odum presented several versions of the song, which hed been collecting throughout the American South: Stagolee killed a man an laid him on de flo, A slander on Lee Shelton was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to years! More importantly, he had the kindest soul of anyone I 've ever.. Explain his having gotten away with so much for so long Shelton was an African American man born 1865. Of town such pieces, there are actually two plausible narratives in which billy Lyons had a and. Beta Kappa Learn How rich is she in this year and How she spends?. 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