Slim Lehart, ‘The Wheeling Cat,’ Dies at 88
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WHEELING -- Slim Lehart -- known far and wide as "The Wheeling Cat" and whose country music stylings were an Ohio Valley staple for decades -- died this past weekend at age 88.
Family members confirmed Lehart's passing Sunday evening, but declined further public comment.
Lehart, born Richard Hartley in Marshall County in 1935, moved to Wheeling at age 15. At age 17, he joined the United States Navy and served in the Korean War. Upon returning from service, he turned to country music and the legend of Slim Lehart began.
Lehart made his first appearance for the Wheeling Jamboree at the Rex Theater in 1965. For decades afterward, his towering presence was felt for both the Wheeling Jamboree and Jamboree USA, opening almost every Saturday concert.
He shared the stage with countless country music legends. In a 2021 interview, he recalled one of his fondest memories in 1966, when Johnny Cash opened for him in Nashville.
His moniker, "The Wheeling Cat," came from his signature song. Other notable songs included "Love Loses Power," "Gotta Put A Little Sunshine," "Sunshine In My Soul" and "Just Before Goodbye."
Lehart made sure audiences got their money's worth with his energetic performances.
"My style was active, very active," he said in 2021. "I was off the stage and doing all kinds of stuff. I was doing a show."
Lehart and the Capitol Theatre became synonymous. He was among those pushing for the venue to reopen its doors when it closed.
And when Lehart got to perform at the theater after it was resurrected, he knelt down to kiss the stage. He also had the honor of setting the Capitol Theatre's mortgage papers aflame after that mortgage was paid off.
In Lehart's later years, the Capitol Theatre remained an important part of his life. When the City of Wheeling celebrated "Slim Lehart Day" in 2021, that honor was bestowed in front of the theatre's entrance. It was in front of that venue in 2014 where Lehart was awarded his own star on its "Walkway of Stars." It was the first addition to the walkway since 1983.
Music remained a part of Lehart's life, too. In past years, he had invited some of his Jamboree USA compatriots to his house for an informal jam session and an opportunity to swap stories and recall memories.
Lehart had many other connections to the Ohio Valley, owning an interest in a Wheeling nightclub, Club Madrid, running his own bar, the Trade Winds, in Marshall County and spending 36 years as a Marshall County commissioner.
Funeral and memorial arrangements have yet to be announced.