Roanoke musician Joey Feazell remembered as “one of a kind”

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - It was hard to miss Joey Feazell, whether he was on stage playing music, in the classroom or just out and about in Roanoke.

“For people that didn’t know him, he was a big guy. He was, I think 6′5″, 6′6″, he was a bigger built guy, lots of tattoos, big beard,” said Joey’s brother Dallas Leamon.

Joey passed away unexpectedly May 13.

“It was pretty devastating for me and my family. My mother and father, my sister, very big surprise, he passed very unexpectedly.”

Since his passing, countless members of the Star City community have come out to share the mark he left on so many. Martin’s Downtown organized “An Evening for Joey Feazell” Thursday night which raised $3,700 for his funeral expenses and celebration of life.

“He loved everybody, he loves to socialize, he loved making music, he touched a lot of people with his music, and I think that’s why we’re seeing what we’re seeing come out of the Roanoke Valley right now.”

Dallas shared that Joey has had a gift with music since he was young and their mom got him guitar lessons. Dallas was able to see Joey play in northern Virginia just a few weeks before he passed.

“I reached out to him to help out with a benefit that we do in our little town where we live, and he was just up here about three weeks ago and played a benefit, him and his friend Drew Sprinkle came up with him. And they played one of our local breweries on Friday night just to play the gig and play for my friends and my husband and all my close friends here. And then he played the benefit on Saturday and so I was glad that I had that opportunity to see him and get to see him play. two days in a row before we lost him.”

Joey’s family is accepting donations to help with funeral expenses and his celebration of life, but once that goal is hit, the rest of the money will be donated to Rivermont School, where Joey taught.

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