Michael Bea Lilly was born on Dec. 5, 1921, in Clear Creek, Raleigh County, W. Va., a son of Emory Burton "Burt" Lilly and Estella Frances "Stella" Stearns Lilly. Bea Lilly, 83, died on Sept. 19, 2005, in Duxbury House Nursing Home, Duxbury, Mass., after a lengthy illness.
Bea and his brother Everett are recognized as a major influencers in the field of bluegrass music.
About his name: his birth record originally had his name "Micheal Bert Lilly." (Note: Michael is misspelled in record.) There is a handwritten notation: "Michael Bea – Added from D.V.S. 7/31/57." (West Virginia Vital Research Records online. https://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_bcdetail.aspx?Id=2215836 )
In a 2005 article, his brother Everett said: "Once asked about his unusual middle name, 'Bea' explained it was just an initial that stood for his father, Burt, but for some inexplicable reason, he spelled it as 'Bea,'…" (Late Bea Lilly 'responsible for what bluegrass is today,' by Mannix Porterfield, The Raleigh-Register, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005, Page 2A.)
Bea and brother Charles Edwin "Everett" Lilly performed together as The Lilly Brothers. In 2002 The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover were inducted by The International Bluegrass Music Association into Bluegrass Hall of Fame. (A full biography by Fred Bartenstein is online at the Hall of Fame site: https://www.bluegrasshall.org/inductees/the-lilly-brothers-don-stover/michael-burt-bea-lilly/#additional ) Don Stover, a banjo-playing neighbor from Clear Creek, played with the Lilly Brothers.
In 2008, The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover were inducted into The West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. (https://www.wvmusichalloffame.com/hof_lillystover.html )
According to The Raleigh-Register article, the Lillys musical career began with the sale of a calf. Their mother used the money to buy Bea a guitar. Then their father bought Everett a mandolin. Everett said the genre was termed "bluegrass" by Bill Monroe in honor of Monroe's home state of Kentucky. But Everett said it was actually "American Folk Mountain Country Music."
The 2015 obituary of their sister, Flossie Lilly Williams, said she sang and played with The Lilly Brothers during their early years.
Bea Lilly's obituary says he played for 70 years. He enjoyed fishing and baseball.
Mr. Lilly was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Joan Salvi Lilly and their sons Monty and Mitchell Lilly; a brother, Vivan (also seen as Vivian) Paul Lilly and a sister, Strawsy Ethel "Strossie" Lilly Toney.
He was survived by four children, seven grandchildren and several great-grandchildren; sisters Ella Maude Lilly Taylor, Zettie Dorothy Lilly Maynor, and Flossie Lilly Williams; and brother Everett Lilly.
His funeral service was held at the Prophett Funeral Home, Bridgewater, Mass. His body was cremated. The funeral home, when contacted in 2022, did not have information about the disposition of the remains.
Bea and his brother Everett are recognized as a major influencers in the field of bluegrass music.
About his name: his birth record originally had his name "Micheal Bert Lilly." (Note: Michael is misspelled in record.) There is a handwritten notation: "Michael Bea – Added from D.V.S. 7/31/57." (West Virginia Vital Research Records online. https://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_bcdetail.aspx?Id=2215836 )
In a 2005 article, his brother Everett said: "Once asked about his unusual middle name, 'Bea' explained it was just an initial that stood for his father, Burt, but for some inexplicable reason, he spelled it as 'Bea,'…" (Late Bea Lilly 'responsible for what bluegrass is today,' by Mannix Porterfield, The Raleigh-Register, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005, Page 2A.)
Bea and brother Charles Edwin "Everett" Lilly performed together as The Lilly Brothers. In 2002 The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover were inducted by The International Bluegrass Music Association into Bluegrass Hall of Fame. (A full biography by Fred Bartenstein is online at the Hall of Fame site: https://www.bluegrasshall.org/inductees/the-lilly-brothers-don-stover/michael-burt-bea-lilly/#additional ) Don Stover, a banjo-playing neighbor from Clear Creek, played with the Lilly Brothers.
In 2008, The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover were inducted into The West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. (https://www.wvmusichalloffame.com/hof_lillystover.html )
According to The Raleigh-Register article, the Lillys musical career began with the sale of a calf. Their mother used the money to buy Bea a guitar. Then their father bought Everett a mandolin. Everett said the genre was termed "bluegrass" by Bill Monroe in honor of Monroe's home state of Kentucky. But Everett said it was actually "American Folk Mountain Country Music."
The 2015 obituary of their sister, Flossie Lilly Williams, said she sang and played with The Lilly Brothers during their early years.
Bea Lilly's obituary says he played for 70 years. He enjoyed fishing and baseball.
Mr. Lilly was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Joan Salvi Lilly and their sons Monty and Mitchell Lilly; a brother, Vivan (also seen as Vivian) Paul Lilly and a sister, Strawsy Ethel "Strossie" Lilly Toney.
He was survived by four children, seven grandchildren and several great-grandchildren; sisters Ella Maude Lilly Taylor, Zettie Dorothy Lilly Maynor, and Flossie Lilly Williams; and brother Everett Lilly.
His funeral service was held at the Prophett Funeral Home, Bridgewater, Mass. His body was cremated. The funeral home, when contacted in 2022, did not have information about the disposition of the remains.
Michael Bea Lilly was born on Dec. 5, 1921, in Clear Creek, Raleigh County, W. Va., a son of Emory Burton "Burt" Lilly and Estella Frances "Stella" Stearns Lilly. Bea Lilly, 83, died on Sept. 19, 2005, in Duxbury House Nursing Home, Duxbury, Mass., after a lengthy illness.
Bea and his brother Everett are recognized as a major influencers in the field of bluegrass music.
About his name: his birth record originally had his name "Micheal Bert Lilly." (Note: Michael is misspelled in record.) There is a handwritten notation: "Michael Bea – Added from D.V.S. 7/31/57." (West Virginia Vital Research Records online. https://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_bcdetail.aspx?Id=2215836 )
In a 2005 article, his brother Everett said: "Once asked about his unusual middle name, 'Bea' explained it was just an initial that stood for his father, Burt, but for some inexplicable reason, he spelled it as 'Bea,'…" (Late Bea Lilly 'responsible for what bluegrass is today,' by Mannix Porterfield, The Raleigh-Register, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005, Page 2A.)
Bea and brother Charles Edwin "Everett" Lilly performed together as The Lilly Brothers. In 2002 The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover were inducted by The International Bluegrass Music Association into Bluegrass Hall of Fame. (A full biography by Fred Bartenstein is online at the Hall of Fame site: https://www.bluegrasshall.org/inductees/the-lilly-brothers-don-stover/michael-burt-bea-lilly/#additional ) Don Stover, a banjo-playing neighbor from Clear Creek, played with the Lilly Brothers.
In 2008, The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover were inducted into The West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. (https://www.wvmusichalloffame.com/hof_lillystover.html )
According to The Raleigh-Register article, the Lillys musical career began with the sale of a calf. Their mother used the money to buy Bea a guitar. Then their father bought Everett a mandolin. Everett said the genre was termed "bluegrass" by Bill Monroe in honor of Monroe's home state of Kentucky. But Everett said it was actually "American Folk Mountain Country Music."
The 2015 obituary of their sister, Flossie Lilly Williams, said she sang and played with The Lilly Brothers during their early years.
Bea Lilly's obituary says he played for 70 years. He enjoyed fishing and baseball.
Mr. Lilly was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Joan Salvi Lilly and their sons Monty and Mitchell Lilly; a brother, Vivan (also seen as Vivian) Paul Lilly and a sister, Strawsy Ethel "Strossie" Lilly Toney.
He was survived by four children, seven grandchildren and several great-grandchildren; sisters Ella Maude Lilly Taylor, Zettie Dorothy Lilly Maynor, and Flossie Lilly Williams; and brother Everett Lilly.
His funeral service was held at the Prophett Funeral Home, Bridgewater, Mass. His body was cremated. The funeral home, when contacted in 2022, did not have information about the disposition of the remains.
Bea and his brother Everett are recognized as a major influencers in the field of bluegrass music.
About his name: his birth record originally had his name "Micheal Bert Lilly." (Note: Michael is misspelled in record.) There is a handwritten notation: "Michael Bea – Added from D.V.S. 7/31/57." (West Virginia Vital Research Records online. https://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_bcdetail.aspx?Id=2215836 )
In a 2005 article, his brother Everett said: "Once asked about his unusual middle name, 'Bea' explained it was just an initial that stood for his father, Burt, but for some inexplicable reason, he spelled it as 'Bea,'…" (Late Bea Lilly 'responsible for what bluegrass is today,' by Mannix Porterfield, The Raleigh-Register, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005, Page 2A.)
Bea and brother Charles Edwin "Everett" Lilly performed together as The Lilly Brothers. In 2002 The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover were inducted by The International Bluegrass Music Association into Bluegrass Hall of Fame. (A full biography by Fred Bartenstein is online at the Hall of Fame site: https://www.bluegrasshall.org/inductees/the-lilly-brothers-don-stover/michael-burt-bea-lilly/#additional ) Don Stover, a banjo-playing neighbor from Clear Creek, played with the Lilly Brothers.
In 2008, The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover were inducted into The West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. (https://www.wvmusichalloffame.com/hof_lillystover.html )
According to The Raleigh-Register article, the Lillys musical career began with the sale of a calf. Their mother used the money to buy Bea a guitar. Then their father bought Everett a mandolin. Everett said the genre was termed "bluegrass" by Bill Monroe in honor of Monroe's home state of Kentucky. But Everett said it was actually "American Folk Mountain Country Music."
The 2015 obituary of their sister, Flossie Lilly Williams, said she sang and played with The Lilly Brothers during their early years.
Bea Lilly's obituary says he played for 70 years. He enjoyed fishing and baseball.
Mr. Lilly was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Joan Salvi Lilly and their sons Monty and Mitchell Lilly; a brother, Vivan (also seen as Vivian) Paul Lilly and a sister, Strawsy Ethel "Strossie" Lilly Toney.
He was survived by four children, seven grandchildren and several great-grandchildren; sisters Ella Maude Lilly Taylor, Zettie Dorothy Lilly Maynor, and Flossie Lilly Williams; and brother Everett Lilly.
His funeral service was held at the Prophett Funeral Home, Bridgewater, Mass. His body was cremated. The funeral home, when contacted in 2022, did not have information about the disposition of the remains.
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