Edward "Chet" Cheshire Moon

The Celebration of Life Service for Mr. Moon will be live streamed on the Facebook Page of Fisher Memorial Funeral Parlor.

FACE MASKS ARE STRONGLY URGED!!!

Edward Cheshire Moon was born on January 2, 1950 in Beckley, WV as the fourth child and third son of the late Rev. James L. Moon Sr. and Lakie Reamey Moon. The family moved to Gary, WV, then Bristol, VA where his father was pastor of John Wesley (United) Methodist Church and his mother was the pianist/organist and choir director.

Edward’s early education was at Douglass School in Bristol; Langston School in Johnson City, TN; Stinson Elementary and Genoa Jr. High School in Bluefield, WV. As a child he exhibited a wide variety of interests and talents including music and craftsmanship, making his first “guitar” from a cigar box; he continued to explore other instruments, including the piano, flute, and saxophone.

When the family relocated to Nashville, TN in 1965 Edward continued his education at Cameron High School, graduating in 1968. During this period, he became proficient in playing the acoustic/string bass and electric bass guitar, along with his other instruments. He enjoyed playing in the Marching Band and Symphonic Band, stage bands (including a band formed with his brothers), summer theater orchestras, and the Nashville Youth Symphony. He went on to earn both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music from Tennessee State University. He traveled internationally as part of a USO tour of Germany and Switzerland in 1970, and followed his mentor, Dr. W.O. Smith, as a bassist in the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. He performed and recorded professionally in a variety of genres, including jazz, blues, R&B/soul, gospel/inspirational, stage/theater, advertising/commercial, and educational music settings.

During his time in Nashville, TN, Edward taught strings/music with the Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County Public Schools and was active in professional organizations, including the American Federation of Musicians, the Music Educators National Conference, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the National Association of Jazz Educators, and the National Association of Music Merchants.

In the late 1970s, Edward relocated to Durham, NC to become an adjunct music professor at North Carolina Central University; in later years, he returned to Europe with their jazz ensemble to perform at the Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festival. In Durham he met, performed with, and eventually married Constance Prince on December 25, 1982. Their union produced three children- Cheshire (Greensboro, NC); Najja (Miami, FL); and Imani (Raleigh, NC), who lovingly supported their father throughout his illness.

Edward continued his music career after relocating to Cary, NC. He served as an adjunct music professor at St. Augustine’s University and Shaw University, while concurrently teaching music and strings courses in the Wake County (NC) School system until his retirement. In his spare time, he performed and recorded with numerous and notable music artists, groups, choirs, and ensembles, including his own Ed Moon Trio.

Music was always a family affair, and Edward loved to collaborate with his siblings. For over 10 years, he served as a strings/music teacher with several of them at the Norman Jordan African American Arts and Heritage Academy in West Virginia. He maintained a lifelong commitment and connection to God through the United Methodist Church, with memberships and music ministry in VA, WV, TN, and NC congregation. He was affiliated with New Creation United Methodist Church at the time of his transition.

In addition to his parents, Edward was preceded in death by his sister Joy Lianne Moon, stepmother Dorothy Sawyer Moon, sister in-law Carolyn Heath Moon, and two nieces, Thema Evoughn Moon and Kamilah Aisha Moon. Edward is survived by his loving children, Cheshire, Najja, and Imani, his siblings, William (Paulette) Moon, Linda (Rev. James) Ealy, James L. Moon, Jr., M.P. Moon, Rev. Fletcher (Marilyn) Moon, Rev. Shirley Renee (Victor) Franklin, Melva Lisa (Michael) McGee, and Jessica Lynne Moon, as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

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