Name: Preston-Hanley Funeral Home & Crematory
Address: Pekin, IL

I am so sorry I never got to meet my uncle. My dads name was Bobby G. Vest. He passed July 8,1994(61yrs) I wish I could of met him. May you Rest In Peace.      Sandy Durkin

My grandparents Nellie and Charles Scurlock spoke often of Billy.  I would like to extend my deepest sympathy on the loss of your father.

Neal Scurlock family
Cathy Scurlock-Boatright

Dear Connie, I was so sorry to hear about Bill. May God be with you and your family during this time of sorrow.
 

TO THE WHOLE VEST FAMILY, YOU HAVE MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR FATHER. I WILL KEEP YOU IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.

So sorry for your loss.  It is not an easy road you and your family are facing with the loss of your father.  We lost my husband a couple of days after we saw you at the hospital in March while your father was in ccu.  Again, so sorry for your loss and you an your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Pee Wee our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you get through this very tough time.  

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.  I know how difficult is to lose a parent.  Always cherish the memories you have of him.  It will help you get through the difficult times.  

I'm so glad I was finally able to meet Bill recently. He and I shared a love of the Cardinals, and I see where Yvonne gets her feisty side. My thoughts are with you and your family.

Sorry to hear of your loss.  I will be thinking of you and your family.  God Bless.

Keith, sorry to hear of your loss man. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Doug

Keith;
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in hour of loss. May you find strength and peace in time of need. Our sincere condolences  

I loved BILL! He was so ornery, and told you how it was.  I can so see where Yvonne gets that from.  Yvonne you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.  Please know you have many friends that are here for you during this difficult time. If you need anything at all please don't hesitate to call.  Just think...Bill is up there probably giving Nellie heck right now...can you imagine those two together! Love ya - Staci

Tuesday morning I got a message from a lifelong friend. My very first guitar buddy to be precise. His name is Steve Ball. It was on Steve's little Kay acoustic guitar back in the very early 60's that I learned my first songs. Steve introduced me to a friend of his, a drummer named Rusty Vest. The three of us started our first real band back in 1965. It would be the nucleus of The Blues Feeling.

The very first place we got permission to practice at was the Vest house on Amanda street in Pekin, Illinois. Even with our dinky little set up - just two tiny amps and a set of Rogers drums - it could be loud and annoying, especially with a bunch of beginners like us, but there was never a problem or complaint from anyone at the Vest house. In fact, Rusty's mom and dad loved the band.

Eventually, Steve left the band and a few new guys joined in. We became The Blues Feeling, which I've always found amusing, since we didn't do any blues. But we were getting pretty damned good at what we did do. Naturally, The Beatles were an enormous influence on all of the bands at the time, but The Cryan' Shames were most certainly equal in their influence on us, and we did almost all of their songs at one point or another - at least the ones we could manage with our early skills. We loved the Shames so much it rubbed off on Rusty's dad Bill. He'd sit and watch us play and make suggestions to us to sharpen things up. His wife Evelyn did too. She once told me to let my voice carry a little longer and not stop notes so quickly. She was right.

We use to practice even the between song banter, so we'd know what to say. Many times we'd end a song and I'd say 'Now for our next song...' and Bill would cut in saying 'How about another one by the Cryan Shames!' 

Bill and Evelyn Vest hosted countless band practices at their house. It had a big effect on the parents of the other guys in the band, including mine. The Vests were proud to have us, and it made the other parents take note of us when they hadn't before. Soon, they were taking turns hosting us at their various houses and having the Vests over to watch. 

But it was at the Vest house that many of the really notable things happened. I learned my first lead guitar solo at that house on Amanda. We got our very first 'gig' at that house from some girls who were throwing a big house party. We got our very first bass player there too. Then our first keyboard player. 

The band needed a PA system to sing through, and we found a band who was selling their new Kustom PA off due to a few members being drafted into the service. It was 600 bucks. The band was The Daze Of Knight. They'd just backed The Buckinghams at Exposition Gardens in Peoria, Illinois. The problem was getting the money to buy it. 600 dollars was a lot of cash in 1966.

We talked it over with Bill Vest, mainly because he was the easiest one of our parents to talk to about such things. He understood. He suggested that each of us talk to our parents and ask to borrow our respective share of the cost. He told us to tell them that we was more than happy to loan his son Rusty his share. To cut a long story short, everyone was able to talk their parents into it but me. 

I don't recall whether or not dad had the money to loan, but in any case, I came up empty handed. I was devastated. That Kustom PA was a hot item back then, and we were getting a great deal on it. It was brand new. Bill could see how upset I was and asked me to stay over a bit longer after the band practice where I'd just broke the news. 

"How about if I loan you the money and you pay me back from what you make playing out?" Bill offered.

"My dad is really hard core about money lending or borrowing. I couldn't do it without his permission. I don't know if he'd go for it." I replied.

"Well, you go on home and talk to him about it and we'll see what we can work out." He assured me. Bill wanted us to have that PA.

As it turned out, Bill had called my dad as I was on the way home. He smoothed it over with dad for me. Dad agreed, and a payment plan was set up. Each time we played, I'd take my pay over to Bill and he'd mark it off the piece of paper we kept as a payment book. It was the first money I ever borrowed, and I paid it off just like we planned.

As you may already have guessed, I wasn't the average kid next door. I was a wild, imaginative renegade. Sometimes that didn't sit well at home. There were a couple of times I ran away from home, only to end up at the Vest's for a safe harbor. They never hesitated to take me in. Once, when my dad came looking for me they even lied to him to cover for me. Again, they understood.

The Vests remained firm supporters of the band as it evolved into a three piece powerhouse called The RATBAND. They stayed in our corner until I left the band to form The JETS in August of 1972. 

The message I got from my friend Steve was to say that Bill Vest had passed away Monday morning. There were only a handful of people in Pekin, Illinois that unflinchingly supported me no matter how crazy it got, and the Vest's were certainly in that number. I want them to know I haven't forgotten that. I never will as long as I draw a breath. 

God rest you Bill. May Jesus meet you at the gates my friend. If they ever let me in up there, you can count on 'another one by the Cryan Shames' as soon as I get there.

My heart goes out to the Vest family. I love you all.

From listening to you talk to your Dad Sun. night
near Beardstown, I  could tell how much you loved your Dad. We are all saddened and thinking of you and your family. Anything you need from us don't hesitate to call me.
Your friend.......Jim Arrowood

Yvonne and family. We were so sorry to hear of your dad's passing. Please accept our deepest sympathy.
Nancy, Staci and Nick.

I knew Billy through working with Yvonne and enjoyed seeing him tease Yvonne and the girls here at our office. He was a ball of fire and everyone liked him. My sympathy goes out to his family . Dawn Farris

Yvonne,

 My thoughts are with you at such a difficult time. May his memory make you smile.

RANDY AND FAMILY, MAY HIS PRECIOUS MEMORIES HELP YOU THROUGH THIS SADDEN TIME OF YOUR LIFES.......CHAR<a href="http://www.yescomments.com" title="MySpace Comments"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m282/pure100/com2/sympathy/sympathy030.gif" border="0" alt="myspace comments"></a>
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OBITUARIO

Billy W Vest

21 octubre, 1930 – 21 abril, 2008

Preston-Hanley Funeral Home & Crematory

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