Today in Wheeling History: January 30--Wheeling College student and future country music star Lionel Cartwright headlines the Jamboree U.S.A. show at the Capitol Music Hall (1982).
Born in Gallipolis, Ohio, and raised in Glen Dale, West Virginia, Lionel Cartwright began his musical journey early, joining the Jamboree USA staff band in 1978 at age 18 after graduating from John Marshall High School. His talent was immediately evident when, during his first performance, a power outage forced him to accompany all performers on piano using only the light from audience members' green glow sticks. This impromptu showcase earned him a permanent position in the band, where he performed with country music legends like Buck Owens, Tanya Tucker, and Jerry Lee Lewis. While performing at Jamboree USA, Cartwright also attended Wheeling College, making the dean's list in fall 1981. After moving to Nashville in the mid-1980s, he signed with MCA Records in 1986 and achieved significant success, including three BMI Million-Air Award songs: the Billboard #1 hit "Leap of Faith," "I Watched It All On My Radio," and "Give Me His Last Chance." Beyond performing, Cartwright has composed music for over 100 television and film projects across platforms including Netflix, Apple TV, and Discovery. He maintains strong connections to his Wheeling roots, returning periodically to perform at the Capitol Theatre and even serving as the keynote speaker at his alma mater John Marshall High School's 2018 commencement.
To learn more: Wheeling Sunday News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/bdeuxtbn) (https://tinyurl.com/4jauudaz) (https://tinyurl.com/23fha839), Wheeling University Historical Timeline (https://shorturl.at/3y1yD), Weelunk (https://shorturl.at/2pYGU) (https://shorturl.at/CNatz) (https://shorturl.at/jABUP), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://shorturl.at/pqI4b)
Photo credits: Wheeling News-Register, Weelunk
Born in Gallipolis, Ohio, and raised in Glen Dale, West Virginia, Lionel Cartwright began his musical journey early, joining the Jamboree USA staff band in 1978 at age 18 after graduating from John Marshall High School. His talent was immediately evident when, during his first performance, a power outage forced him to accompany all performers on piano using only the light from audience members' green glow sticks. This impromptu showcase earned him a permanent position in the band, where he performed with country music legends like Buck Owens, Tanya Tucker, and Jerry Lee Lewis. While performing at Jamboree USA, Cartwright also attended Wheeling College, making the dean's list in fall 1981. After moving to Nashville in the mid-1980s, he signed with MCA Records in 1986 and achieved significant success, including three BMI Million-Air Award songs: the Billboard #1 hit "Leap of Faith," "I Watched It All On My Radio," and "Give Me His Last Chance." Beyond performing, Cartwright has composed music for over 100 television and film projects across platforms including Netflix, Apple TV, and Discovery. He maintains strong connections to his Wheeling roots, returning periodically to perform at the Capitol Theatre and even serving as the keynote speaker at his alma mater John Marshall High School's 2018 commencement.
To learn more: Wheeling Sunday News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/bdeuxtbn) (https://tinyurl.com/4jauudaz) (https://tinyurl.com/23fha839), Wheeling University Historical Timeline (https://shorturl.at/3y1yD), Weelunk (https://shorturl.at/2pYGU) (https://shorturl.at/CNatz) (https://shorturl.at/jABUP), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://shorturl.at/pqI4b)
Photo credits: Wheeling News-Register, Weelunk
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