Songwriter Billy Ed Wheeler was born December 9, 1932 in Whitesville, West Virginia. While he is best know for writing the song “Jackson” (which won Johnny and June Carter Cash a Grammy for best duet in 1967), Wheeler’s song “Coal Tattoo” has been recorded by dozens of musicians ranging from the Kingston Trio to Kathy Mattea. As a result, “Coal Tattoo” has become a classic coal mining song. This song tells the story of the millions of mining families that left the Appalachian region during the 1960s to look for work in the factories of the Midwest.
Scroll down for additional versions of the song by Kathy Mattea and fellow Hazel Dickens.
Coal Tattoo by Billy Ed Wheeler:
Kathy Mattea:
Hazel Dickens: