Bill Kehoe (left) and his daughter, Mary Clare Tanner (right). Photo by Courtesy Mary Clare Tanner
Bill Kehoe, an important part of Jackson and its music scene, passed away at St. Dominic's Hospital Wednesday afternoon. Born William Dunstone Kehoe Jr. on Thanksgiving Day in 1948, he was the original drummer for Jimmy Buffett's band, The Upstairs Alliance, which became famous for its three-part harmonies and Beatles covers. He also played with Fingers Taylor, Sam Carr, Willie Foster, Son Thomas, Billy Gibson, Johnny Sansonne, George Jackson and Johnnie Whittington.
Kehoe was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, and moved around a lot as a child due to his father's job. He attended Archbishop Rummel High School and the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned a bachelor's degree in communications.
Kehoe and his wife, Julia McMullan, recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. They have five children: Erin Rose Boland, Mary Clare Tanner, Kathleen, Will and Andrew. Kehoe has five grandchildren with a sixth due this spring.
He worked for the state as deputy director for the Department of Human Services during Gov. Ray Mabus' term and was a lobbyist for the Mississippi Hospital Association, the Mississippi Healthcare Association and the Mississippi Association of Educators for many years. Kehoe served as the executive director for the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI) and was working on a program to support the mental-health system in the Jackson metro area. On WLEZ 103.7 FM, Kehoe wrote the weekly 60-minute radio program, "Deuce McAllister's Talk of the Town."
Some of Kehoe's many honors include being state president of the Public Relations Association of Mississippi in 1986 and a voting member of the Recording Academy, which produces the Grammy Awards. Being active in the community, he often helped the United Way, St. Richard's Special Kids program, and the Misissippi Blood Services, and he served on the board for the Mississippi Memorial Firefighters Burn Association. He also was the Jackson Free Press' Most Under-Appreciated Jacksonian in the 2011 Best of Jackson.
His visitation is today at St. Richard Catholic Church at 4 p.m. with a wake, prayer service and music at 5:30 p.m. A funeral mass is Saturday at 1 p.m. with visitation beginning at noon.
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