Obituary of William Bill E. Lightfoot

Musician. Wordsmith. Scholar. Wildcat. Provocateur. Best Friend. Dr. William Bill Edwin Lightfoot was born on September 5, 1940 and died on November 29, 2016. He is survived by his three children, Daniel Levi Lightfoot, Sarah Lightfoot Cooley and Katharine Kate Lightfoot Mena; and two beloved grandchildren, Grace Elizabeth Cooley and John Johnny Lightfoot Cooley. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth Johnson Lightfoot. Dr. Lightfoot was a nationally recognized folklorist, noted for his research and knowledge of regional folklore; Appalachian folk narrative and humor; and old time Appalachian and country music. He completed the Ph.D. in Folklore at the Folklore Institute of Indiana University in 1976, part of a notable cohort of scholars of American folklore under the leadership of Richard Dorson. Lightfoots doctoral dissertation, Folklore of the Big Sandy Valley of Eastern Kentucky, established him as a leading expert on the study of regional folklore and led to a landmark essay on the methods of regional folklore study, published in Dorsons Handbook of American Folklore. He was a very productive fieldworker, interviewing important country music players and collecting local legends and jokes in the Appalachian region. Lightfoots extensive studies and reviews on musicians appear in a range of publications such as the Appalachian Journal, Black Music Research Journal, Bluegrass Unlimited, North Carolina Folklore Journal, Southern Quarterly, Journal of Country Music, and The Encyclopedia of Country Music. His music research uncovered important influences of African American musicians in country music and the roles of local individuals on the development of well-known figures. He was an expert on regional musicians such as Lulu Belle and Scotty Wiseman, Doc Watson, Dock Boggs, Etta Baker, and Merle Travis. Lightfoots final publication, an essay and list of representative Appalachian music in the special music issue of Appalachian Journal, is notable for his discerning choices, strong personal engagement, extensive citations, and witty style--and his commentary on other lists in that issue present a lovely connectedness to scholars and fans of Appalachian music. Lightfoot was an expert collector of Appalachian humor and local legends and a skilled joke teller himself. His fieldwork appears in W.K. McNeils Ghost Stories from the American South and Loyal Jones and Billy Edd Wheelers Curing the Cross-eyed Mule: Appalachian Mountain Humor. He was an important commentator on the local Jack Tale, publishing articles on the tales and on Ray Hicks in two editions of the UNC Press Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, and appearing in the film Ray and Rosa Hicks: The Last of the Old-time Storytellers. He taught American literature and folklore at the Ohio State University and, for more than twenty years, in the English Department and Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University, where he retired as Professor Emeritus in 2002. He was well-beloved by his students and colleagues, who enjoyed his wry sense of humor, personal engagement with folklore informants and professional contacts, and extensive knowledge of Appalachian narrative and music. A conversation with Dr. Lightfoot could expand into the perspectives and development of a professional paper, but always maintained a strong love of the human expressiveness and individuality of regional folklife and its tradition bearers, themes that also characterized his extensive fieldwork, teaching, and writing. A private family gathering will be held to honor Bills life. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes Bill stories for their collection, and contributions may be made toward his grandchildrens college funds. Please submit or mail stories to lightfootdl@gmail.com. Contributions may be sent to Daniel Lightfoot (Memo: Lightfoot Grandchildren) at 232 Pine Valley Drive, Boone, NC 28607. Online condolences may be shared with the Lightfoot family at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com. Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Lightfoot family.