Joe Bonamassa can now have the best pick of vintage guitars, as William "Bill" Singleton passed away on April 16, 2026, at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola. FL.

Bill was a true gentleman, a scholar, and a world traveler with a great appreciation for the diversity and cultures of the many places he lived throughout his life. Born on October 4,1952 in Bristol, VA, Bill lived as a child in Eastern Kentucky, Southwest Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and, of all places, Venezuela. His ties to Appalachia manifested in his heartfelt passion for bluegrass country music, his excellent horsemanship skills, and his unwavering loyalty to the Tennessee Volunteers.

After graduating from Boyd County High School in 1970, Bill, despite being a hippie, was drafted to go to Vietnam in 1972 and served honorably in the United States Navy for 20 years. As a sailor, Bill wandered the world extensively, made friends, explored new places, raised hell, and broke hearts across Italy, the Philippines, Iceland, Mexico, Australia, and Kenya. After retiring from the military, Bill’s adventurous spirit took him on work assignments in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, UAE, and Kosovo, along with R&R trips to Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Italy, Turkey, Greece and Georgia.

In spite of his “tip-of-the-spear” military career as Naval Air Traffic Controller, Bill was a pacifist keenly aware of the tragic consequences of war. He had a true interest in people and reached across cultural divides to get to know them beyond the newsworthy stereotypes. As an avid reader and a critical thinker, Bill had a disdain for cruelty, prejudice, and injustice, rivalled only by his dislike for the Michigan Wolverines, pickled herring, and Donald Trump.

Bill loved all sports, appreciated all genres of music, savored delicious food, enjoyed a cold drink, hearty laughter, and deep, meaningful conversations with friends and family. He will be sadly missed and forever remembered by his loving sons Nathan and Adam Singleton; their wives, Jennifer and Shannon; his grandsons, Colt and Parker; his brothers, Arlie, Ben, Joseph, and Josh Singleton, along with their families; and by a host of friends all over North America, Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

Being irresistibly charming and inheriting his good looks from his late parents, Rita Witten and Jim Singleton, Bill was married three times (to Donna Brittenham, Ingrid Norberg, and Candace Currier) before finding happiness with his fourth wife, Margarita Kim, whom he loved, cherished, and listened to almost as much as Mr. Paul Finebaum. After years of travel and adventure, in 2025, Bill returned to Pensacola, FL, his last port of call, to be surrounded by loving family in his final hours. He is now free of pain and suffering, in a better place - hopefully sharing a street food meal and a beer with Anthony Bourdain and taking guitar lessons from Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Bill’s interment will take place at 1:00pm Friday, May 22, 2026, at Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola Naval Air Station. For those wishing to attend, a funeral cortege will depart Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel at 12:30pm sharp. A private reception for family to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the World Central Kitchen in honor of Bill’s commitment to peace and humanitarian relief.