Popular Ohio banjo player and multi-instrumentalist Stacy Wilcox died on January 19 following multiple heart attacks suffered nine days earlier. He was 55 years of age.
A native of Benton, TN, Stacy had lived in Ohio for 22 years, but never lost his love for his home state, and visited often. He started out on banjo at 12 years old, and played with a number of local groups around east Tennessee. He remained passionate about the banjo for the rest of his life.
Over the years he worked with a number of professional bluegrass bands, primarily on banjo or bass. Stacy spent time with Larry Efaw & The Bluegrass Mountaineers, mostly on bass, though he filled in many times on banjo as needed. He also worked on bass with David Parmley & Continental Divide, and on banjo with Caney Creek, and also with Tim Graves. He was playing banjo with New Outlook at the time of his passing.
Stacy had been medically disabled since 2020, owing to kidney failure. After contracting COVID that year, he never fully recovered, and had been hoping to make it on to a transplant list, but it didn’t happen in time.
Before being disabled, he worked as Maintenance Supervisor for the Coventry Township local schools, though he stayed in bluegrass throughout.
In fact, he was at the Bluegrass in Superclass festival at the Maumee Bay State Park in Ohio when the heart attacks came. The festival is run by Stacy’s father-in-law, Larry Efaw, and his son, Chris Wilcox, plays guitar with Larry’s band, The Bluegrass Mountaineers.
Lori Lambert of New Outlook says that she spoke to him while at the festival, before the cardiac issues arose, and that he was having a wonderful time, catching up with lots of old friends.
Fortunately, there were emergency medical technicians on site, and they were able to provide the proper care, or he may have died right there. Unfortunately, he was hospitalized about two hours away from home, and he passed there after doctors tried a number of procedures to help him heal.
He leaves behind a loving family who miss him terribly, his wife Becky of 22 years, and three children, and a great many friends in the bluegrass community.
Brad Lambert, who manages New Outlook and is their guitarist and vocalist, spoke quite highly of Stacy.
“He truly was one of the greatest individuals I’ve known. If anyone had a bad word to say about Stacy Wilcox, it’s obvious that they are just morons.”
A benefit show is scheduled for February 21 at the Ashland Theater in Ashland, OH to help the Wilcox family with medical expenses. It had been set up to help with Stacy’s medical bills before he died, and will be held now in his honor. Eight bands will perform that day, starting at noon, with Lonesome River Band headlining. Raffles and a 50/50 drawing will be held to raise additional funds, in additional to the $20 advance tickets, $25 at the door.
There is also a GoFundMe campaign online for the same purpose.
Funeral services will be held on January 29 at the Schermesser Funeral Home in Akron, OH. There will be a showing on the 28th from 4:00-8:00 p.m., and again on the 29th at 10:00 a.m. The funeral will follow at 11:00.
R.I.P., Stacy Wilcox.
