06/13/2026
Greg James – “Richwood’s Mr. Lumberjack,” has died...
Today, the Richwood community, Nicholas County Schools, and thousands of musicians whose lives he shaped stand in solemn silence.
Greg James, the beloved Band Director of Richwood High School and the heart of the Lumberjack Express, has passed from this life. With his departure, a chapter of extraordinary dedication, passion, and service closes, one that spanned more than fifty years and touched countless young lives across the hills of West Virginia.
Mr. James was a Gilmer County native who graduated from Glenville State College in 1976 and answered the call to teach music in Nicholas County.
He began by traveling to elementary schools, nurturing young talent, and assisting with the high school band. In 1984, he stepped into the role of Band Director at Richwood High School, a position he held with unwavering commitment for more than four decades.
Under his leadership, the Lumberjack Express grew from a local ensemble into a nationally renowned marching band. With an average of 130 members in a school of roughly 400 students, he turned band into a way of life for nearly a third of the student body, an extraordinary testament to his ability to inspire.
His bands performed on some of the most prestigious stages in North America. Places like the Gator Bowl, the Kentucky Derby, Walt Disney World, Niagara Falls, the Indianapolis 500, and pre-game shows for Major League Baseball teams including the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Washington Nationals.
They graced the Grand Ole Opry stage as recently as 2024 and were chosen by four different West Virginia governors to perform at the annual “Joyful Night” tree-lighting ceremony on the steps of the State Capitol.
These achievements were not mere performances; they were the visible result of Mr. James’s relentless belief in his students and his refusal to let financial barriers stand in the way of participation. Through fundraisers and assistance programs, he ensured every student who wanted to march had an instrument and could join the journey.
Greg received well deserved recognition for his excellence, including the West Virginia Outstanding Teacher Award in 2002, 2012, 2018, and 2023.
Yet those who knew him best understood that his greatest reward was never the plaques or the applause. It was the young person who found confidence in a difficult passage, the shy student who stood taller in uniform, and the graduate who carried the lessons of discipline, teamwork, and excellence Greg had taught them into every walk of life.
To his family, friends, colleagues, and the generations of students who now mourn him, we share in your profound sorrow.
Mr. James devoted more than half a century to the young people of Richwood. He didn’t just teach music, he taught character, resilience, and the beauty of striving for something greater than oneself.
The echoes of the Lumberjack Express will continue to resonate through the mountains long after today, carried forward by every life he touched.
Rest in peace, Mr. Lumberjack. The band you built with love and sacrifice will never forget its director. Your legacy lives on in every note played, every step marched, and every heart that beats a little stronger because you believed in it.
May the Lord grant comfort to all who grieve, and may the memory of Greg James continue to inspire us to serve with the same quiet, steadfast devotion he showed every single day.
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