BILL JONES

Bill Jones, 87, of Norton, died Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at Oakmont at Gordon Park in Bristol, VA.

Bill was a community pillar in the Appalachian region of Southwest Virginia. He was born in Josephine, Va. (Norton) in 1935, and lived in Norton until 2005 when he moved as far as Duffield to get his wife, Nancy, “off the mountain.” If you asked him his birthday, you’d receive a story. “Well, I have two birthdays. My mama said I was born on February 18, 1935, and she was there. But Uncle Sam says I was born on February 19, 1935. You know, they didn’t have very good records in the mountains back then...” He was also a very proud Army Veteran who served in Korea after graduating from Norhi, which soon after his graduation became John I Burton High School in Norton.

During high school, he played basketball and baseball in Norton. He played semi-pro baseball on the Lonesome Pine League. He moved to Ft. Lewis, Washington and Korea to serve his country. He worked as a parts man at Norton Motor Inn and Carter Machinery, where he retired. Even though he was a hard worker who provided well for his family, his true passion was playing Country music. He fronted his own bands through the 1960’s and 1970’s, and he played/sang with bands at the Country Cabin in Norton from 1978 to 2021.

Flag Rock and The Country Cabin were the places he loved the most. He and his buddies/friends ran all over High Knob when they were young, and they often camped out there for days when they were a few years older. When Bill and his wife Nancy stopped playing music every weekend, they began to get involved with Appalachian Traditions in the Wise County area. Bill became the President of AT and ran the Country Cabin for 50 years. He loved the people of the Cabin as if they were family. 

Bill was a “stubborn ole mountain man”, but he was able to express his thoughts and passions for the region through his song writing. Over a span of 50-60 years; he wrote hundreds of songs, published dozens of songs, and had dozens of songs cut/recorded by various artists.  He has also written jingles and political songs for election officials over the years. Ya’ll might recognize the Wolfe Williams and Reynolds commercial on WCYB TV - “Daddy’s Dinner Bucket” sung by Ralph Stanley II. Bill and Roy Dockery wrote that song in the early 2000’s. If Bill were excited or upset about something or someone, he’d disappear into the basement for a little while and come out with a new song about the topic. Song-writing was always his way of processing.

Bill is survived by his two daughters and their husbands, Gena and Bill Prince, Beverly and Matt McGee; three grandchildren and their spouses: Will and Stacy Prince, Andrew and Nora Prince, Erin Nolin and Randle Baker; two great-grandchildren Alexis Kennedy and Emma Prince. 

The family will receive friends from 5:30-6:15 Friday, October 21, at The Country Cabin II in Norton. A celebration of life service will be at 6:15 pm with a celebratory supper following at 7 p.m. Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home of Norton is serving the Jones family.