Later, in 1941 and 42, Johns son Alan recorded a number of versions during his own field recording trips for the Library of Congress. Here was a Black man who did what he wanted, did it solely in his own interest, and tolerated no insults. A dedicated online siteThe Definitive List of Stagger Lee Songsnames 426 distinct singers who have put the song on wax or vinyl. Honorees included Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor Billy Crudup with celebratory toasts to Ken Greiner, Chair, [] That bad man, oh, cruel Stack O Lee. 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. 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. The Macks were not just 'urban strollers;' they presented themselves as objects to be observed. didi cascais -- Portugal. 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. Press Esc to cancel. He was paroled in 1909,[1] but was imprisoned again two years later for assault and robbery. Billy "Spacey" Lyons is an Actor, Musician, Tattoo Artist and Motorcycle Enthusiast. What actually precipitated the fatal confrontation between Stack Lee Shelton and his erstwhile friend, Billy Lyons? She hasnt remained central to the story the way Billys family did, but Mrs. Stagolee haunts early versions of the song. Cedric is the grandson of legendary bluesman R.L. He died in incarceration in 1912. The story was first covered in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat on December 28th, 1895. William Lyons, 25, a levee hand, was shot in the abdomen yesterday evening at 10 o'clock in the saloon of Bill Curtis, at Eleventh and Morgan Streets, by Lee Sheldon [sic], a carriage driver. Amazingly enough, the song may be the most re-recorded in history, with well over four hundred separate recordings to its name. 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. Lee was arrested, tried, andafter two trialssentenced to twenty-five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. Half a dozen other homicides occurred in the city that Christmas night, and Stack Lees killing of Billy Lyons didnt rate more than a few column inches in the next days papers. I recall when Stackalees mother died, he says, pronouncing recall with a long e. The guard from the Missouri Penitentiary brought Stackalee, whose name was Lee Shelton, to his mothers funeral, at the Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church, which was at 2625 Morgan Street., David, who sounds a little like Jim Henson, doesnt try to conceal his excitement. It was not unheard of, in other words, for the days news to pass from fact into folklore almost instantaneously, trapping many authentic details in the amber. Stagger Lee has been sang about nearly countless times. He was a native Sacramentan, born April 18, 1946, and son of Kenny and Catherine Lyons. He's a proud member of AEA. Billy was the best of the best at Sac PD. EP17: Billy "Spacey" Lyons - Actor, Musician, Tattoo Artist and Motorcycle Enthusiast. Lee belonged to a group of pimps known as macks. You done stole my Stetson1 hat, Im bound to take your life Upon Sheltons arrival in St. Louis he will at once report to Mr. James D. Anderson. It never came to that. Paulo Anes Poet Lisboa. June 4, 2022 Episode #17 of the Motorcycle Knuckle Busters podcast. The next day, I drove the archive from her house to the nearest hotel, where I spent the evening bouncing back and forth between those boxes and my laptop. Interestingly, a single news item from 1896 includes the name of Stack Lees girlfriend, and its Lillie Moore. Over the course of 19 tracks, The Clash goes careening through rockabilly, reggae, soul, R&B, ska and Phil Spector pop. 2023 Missouri Life Magazine. He visited so many nursing homes, his widow told me. Neil Robert Stuke (born 22 February 1966 in Deal, Kent) is an English actor best known for his role of Matthew in the TV sitcom Game On and more recently for playing Billy Lamb in the BBC legal drama Silk . [1]:37 He later worked as a carriage driver in St. Louis, Missouri, where he gained a reputation as a pimp and gambler, and evidently served as a captain in a black "Four Hundred Club," a political and social club with a dubious reputation. Billy was one of the best. To be honest, though, I'd never read too much . Apparently, Billy was a Republican. Its a heartbreaking story, but also a testament to Davids love of the legends and his determination to get as close to their sources as possiblea doggedness that makes all my laptop sleuthing look like dilettantism. [4], Lyons eventually died of his injuries. It surfaced as the theme of a major work, Staggerlee Wonders by noted poet James Baldwin, and is the subject of the book Stagolee Shot Billy by Cecil Brown. See full bio Known For Treaty Live Jim Spillane 2022 Hide all | | Edit Filmography Hide Actor (1 credit) 2022 Treaty Live (TV Special documentary) Jim Spillane Getting Started | Contributor Zone Contribute to This Page Edit page Clear your history However, as raised up by more than a century of popular culture, the righteous killer Stagger Lee has become an icon to generations, who see in the folk character a defiance of authority, pride of self, and strength in the face of adversity. At five-foot-seven, he was a relatively small man with a crossed left eye. Prayers for his family. But more importantly, he had the kindest soul of anyone I've ever known. In the past several decades, artists of all genres and background have taken to the song. 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. 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. Stack O Lee killed Billy de Lyon about a five-dollar Stetson hat With the growing flood of immigration of poor Southern blacks in the decades following the Civil War, the black sections of town quickly began to overflo . Billy Crudup photographed by Bronwen Sharp Vineyard Theatre Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern and Managing Director Suzanne Appel are pleased to release photos from the 40th Anniversary Gala hosted at The Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street). The feud between Stagger Lee and Billy Lyons is as legendary as the one between the Hatfields and the McCoys; a truly American folk tale, retold countless times, about Stagger shooting Billy Lyons over, varyingly, a Stetson hat, a woman, a gambling debt, politics, or simply because Stagger was that mean of a man. He told me when we were young that some day he would be a Sac PD police officer just like his Dad. You son of a gun! he says. There's even a love song, "Train In Vain," which the group cut on its . 1991-present. actor at billy lyons Greater Dublin. Angela Discon. She is beloved for her sweeping Wolf Hall trilogy, for which she won two Booker Prizes. [15], Lloyd Price recorded the song as "Stagger Lee" in 1958, and it rose to the top of both the R&B and US pop charts in early 1959. Another version was recorded later that year by Frank Westphal & His Regal Novelty Orchestra, and Herb Wiedoeft and his band recorded the song in 1924. The story endures in the many versions of the song that have circulated since the late 19th century. In his 2003 book Stagolee Shot Billy, based on his earlier doctoral dissertation on the subject, scholar Cecil Brown recounts the story of how the real "Stag" Lee became an iconic figure in . "Stagger Lee", also known as "Stagolee" and other variants, is a popular American folk song about the murder of Billy Lyons by "Stag" Lee Shelton, in St. Louis, Missouri, at Christmas 1895. The murder received significant exposure and political scrutiny, and resulted in a hung jury trial, after Stagger Lee had hired one of the most prominent lawyers in the state. Permission required for reprinting, reproducing, or other uses. Directed by Simon Stone Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification Produced by Music by Stefan Gregory Cinematography by Mike Eley Film Editing by Jon Harris Casting By Lucy Bevan Production Design by Maria Djurkovic Art Direction by Costume Design by Alice Babidge Makeup Department Production Management For all of us who know and love him, it's our turn to . In bars, barbershops, and prisons, he remained the baddest n who ever lived, the antihero of profane epics and rhyming toasts whose exploits offered a fantasy of freedom from lifes indignities. [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. Lyons died of his injuries, and Shelton was charged, tried, and convicted of the murder in 1897. 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. Experience actor . Lee threatened to shoot Billy unless he returned the hat forthwith: Billy refused. In a number of variations, even death itself is not the end for Stagger Lee. Here they tak. According to an article in the Post-Dispatch from January 22, 1913, a huge steel vault was blown open by Government experts and found to contain more than 200 pounds of raw opium. If he and Lillie were indeed married at the time, they were no longer close. Oh dat man, bad man, Stagolee done come. Lyons is a graduate of Ithaca College (BFA Acting) and has performed both regionally and Off Broadway. In 2007, Samuel L. Jackson played Stack-O-Lee in the movie Black Snake Moan, backed by Cedrick Burnside and Kenny Brown. Gentleman at all times! Police officer, how can it be The song continued to capture the imaginations of singers and poets everywhere until 1958, when Lloyd Price released a version simply called Stagger Lee. The historical Lee Shelton was an African American man born in 1865 in Texas. The historical Stagger Lee was Lee Shelton, an African American pimp living in St. Louis, Missouri, in the late 19th century. 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. For such men as Stack Lee Shelton, however, business was booming. David interviewed them extensively and found documentary support for their claim. Its hard to draw any confident conclusions from all this. He is very active and popular in several social networking sites. Lee Shelton may have had a wife of his own. Both parties, it seems, had been drinking and were feeling in exuberant spirits. 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.. Actor, director, writer. Xinha Saldanha -- Portugal. Soon, the musical, mythical iteration of Stack Lee supplanted the man himself, as black America cultivated and nurtured a heroic outlaw to admire. Still, in 1887, the paper had noted the marriage of a Wm Lyons to Lizzie Ware. Lee Sheldon is also known as 'Stag' Lee. However, practically all the various iterations of the song have Stagger Lee executed for his crime: Judge stood in the courtroom, Nonetheless, Stagger Lee spread with extraordinary speed, beginning shortly after the actual killing. Bill was same person when we were young always showing concern for his friends R.I.P. [10] The earliest versions were likely field hollers and other work songs performed by African-American laborers, and were well known along the lower Mississippi River by 1910. Stack Lee was also well connected, which may further explain his having gotten away with so much for so long. But they dont know much about the event itself beyond whats popularly remembered, or misremembered. Hilary Mantel, one of Britains most revered novelists, died last year at the age of 70. You can rest everybody but cruel Stack O Lee Christian evangelist, minister, and author Billy Graham may be best known for his large rallies, radio sermons, and television appearances. The next year, legendary Library of Congress musicologist John Lomax received a partial transcription of what was called The Ballad of Stagalee, from a woman in Texas. The songs play up the importance of Stagolee's Stetson hat as a symbol of manliness. The origins of this tale begin with a Christmas Eve bar fight in Saint Louis in 1895. . That bad man, oh, cruel Stack O Lee, What I care about you little babies, your darlin lovin wife? Because no one knows where that song really originated! He tells McKinney that even Nathan Young, the dean of St. Louis folk historians, hadnt heard of the real Stagolee: I said, Was he a real person? And he said, Oh no, he was a folklore character.. Lee was our captain. On Christmas night in 1895, Shelton shot William "Billy" Lyons in a St. Louis saloon following a dispute. [13] Also in 1924, the first version with lyrics was recorded, as "Skeeg-a-Lee Blues", by Lovie Austin. 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. Stack Lee died of tuberculosis on March 11, 1912, five days shy of his 47th birthday. 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. September 8, 2019. 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 . 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. When his victim fell to the floor Sheldon took his hat from the hand of the wounded man and coolly walked away. Not surprisingly, segregation was alive and wellin the hotels, theaters, churches, and schools. [citation needed], Damon Runyon references the song in his 1920s short story Broadway Financier, where the song is called Stacker Lee.. Hi, my name is Billy. See full bio More at IMDbPro Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro Known For It Takes a Lunatic Producer (2019) Missed Connections Live Law Student Love Interest (2011) Lost Bohemia Self (2010) O how I wonder what theyll do In John Russell Davids papers I found whats almost certainly the oldest published sheet musicStack-O-Lee (A True Story From Life), copyright 1910, by the cringe-worthily named Three White Kuhns. He was Bridgewater's brother-in-law, and had been attacked at Curtis' before. Principal photography began in April 2015 in Georgia.The film is a co-production between the United States, the . He owned one of the tenderloins more notorious nightspots, the Modern Horseshoe Club, and presumably used his job as carriage driver to direct white visitors emerging from Canal Streets Southern Railroad Station to his nightclub, the local bordellos, or directly to girls whose activities he personally oversaw. And here is the tape of David interviewing Ed McKinney, an elderly musician with an encyclopedic knowledge of St. Louis history. September 14, 2019. Ma Rainey recorded the song the following year, with Louis Armstrong on cornet, and a notable version was recorded by Frank Hutchison in 1927. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globes including this year's Best Actor in comedy television series for The Kominsky Method, an Emmy and the AFI Life Achievement Award. The participants were two black men, a levee hand named William Billy Lyons and a part-time carriage driver and full-time pimp named Lee Shelton. Bill was an old school cop but also had a gentle kindness along with a spirit of intent to help people. In 1896, the political scene was extremely tense, and with Saint Louis being one of the largest cities in the country, it was necessary for politicians to get every vote, including the black vote. The quartet included Hugh Bradley, Marty Hale and Bill Lyons. Date: December 25, 1895 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Victim: William "Billy" Lyons Cause of Death: Gunshot Accused: "Stack" Lee Shelton Recording: "Stack O'Lee Blues" - Mississippi John Hurt "Staggerlee" - Lloyd Price Synopsis: Stack Lee Shelton was the owner of a St. Louis saloon/brothel called the Modern Horseshoe Club and was a well-known figure in the black neighborhood of Deep Morgan. "Billy Lyons" redirects here. [8] The name was quickly corrupted in the folk tradition. The murder, reportedly motivated partially by the theft of Shelton's Stetson hat, made Shelton an icon of toughness and style in the minds of early folk and blues musicians, and inspired the popular folk song "Stagger Lee." Name was quickly corrupted in the past several decades, artists of all genres and background have taken to floor... The quartet included Hugh Bradley, Marty Hale and billy lyons actor Lyons is not the end Stagger! 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