Joseph "Joey" D Eberline

Joseph D. Eberline, born on June 10, 1947, in Burlington, Iowa, passed away on June 8, 2024, in Daytona Beach, FL. He was raised in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and graduated from high school in 1965.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years Leslie Voyce Eberline, his son Christofer Eberline (Katherine), daughters Anna Coccio (Ramon) and Stacia Aman (Andrew), his brothers Mike Willman, Mark Willman, and Larry Willman, his sisters Janet Willman and Annette Casad, and his 7 grandchildren. He is predeceased by his adoptive parents Jerry and Pauline Eberline and his birth parents Jake and Agnes Willman.

Joey was a very accomplished person. He played drums with Bob Hope during his Vietnam USO Tour along with many other musicians including Jack Jones, Peggy Lee, Diana Ross, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, and also Steve Miller. He proudly served in the United States Air Force from 1965-1969. In 1973 he graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA double major in Letters and Music. He and his wife Leslie settled in the Clermont, FL area for 40 years, where he established South Lake Academy of Music (SLAM). Joey and Leslie’s band Baby Blues & The No Attitude Band was a staple at many venues in Central Florida and surrounding areas. They moved to Nashville, TN for 4 years where the Baby Blues & No Attitude Band was voted best local band in Nashville in 2011. While in Nashville, he was also inducted into the Iowa Music Hall of Fame.

Aside from his music career, he was well-known for his philanthropy raising money for handicapped children and others in need.

Joey’s legacy lives on through the beautiful melodies and successful careers of his students. Joey will be sorely missed by his family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. May his memory forever be cherished in our hearts.

In Lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made directly to Joey's wife Leslie in care of The Oaks; 400 Nut Tree Drive; DeLand, FL 32724. A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.

This was written as a tribute to Joey by Arnaud Temporel

“I am so angry, it's always like this when the people I love leave us when we still had so much more to share together. But one day I will join you and we'll settle the score, watch out! Not a 30-year friendship, but we instantly connected. You are one of the stars of the music world, you played with greats on huge stages in front of hundreds of thousands of people, in dozens of countries. But you never looked down on playing with the little guys, like me. I never saw you act pretentious or use your experience to glorify yourself or put others down, just observing with humility and reflecting. And you had so many stories from the business to tell, I was hoping for one at my next show! With that, a life force and soul that made you welcome each new day as a gift, after the tragedy of your accident - a powerful life lesson you demonstrated. And you know what?... One of the rare ones to share humor. Smart, cool, experienced, lovely boy - that's how I appreciate heroes. You will live on forever in my heart. Send all the necessary strength to your magnificent Leslie who is surely the most inconsolable!”

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