Every town has its stories, and Richmond, Kentucky, certainly has more than its share. Some are about the places we went, the music we listened to, and the people we met along the way. But occasionally, you come across someone whose life connects several of those memories. Billy Luxon is one of those people.

Warmly illustrated portrait of Billy Luxon in a red jacket

Long before J. Sutter's Mill became a familiar name in Richmond's college nightlife, Billy was helping create another piece of local history. In 1963, he was among the founding members of a young Richmond rock-and-roll group that would eventually become known around the world as Exile. What started as a group of Kentucky musicians chasing a dream grew into a remarkable musical journey that took them far beyond their hometown. Billy spent twelve years with the group, playing trumpet, singing background vocals, and experiencing firsthand the excitement, struggles, and occasional madness of life on the road.

Billy Luxon playing trumpet during his years with Exile
Color archival photograph of The Exiles performing onstage, with the drummer behind the vocalist
Color version of a Columbia Records promotional portrait of The Exiles

Key moments in Billy's story

Richmond · music · homecoming
The beginning1963A young Richmond group begins its story.
On the road12 yearsBilly's time playing and touring with Exile.
Back in Richmond1975Billy returns to Richmond and helps establish J. Sutter's Mill.

After leaving Exile in 1975, Billy returned to Richmond and helped establish J. Sutter's Mill, which began as a white-tablecloth, sit-down restaurant before becoming a familiar part of Richmond's college nightlife. For those of us who remember Richmond during those wonderful college years, places like Sutter's were much more than businesses. They were gathering places where friendships were made, relationships began, music filled the air, and ordinary evenings sometimes turned into stories we'd still be telling fifty years later. And while the buildings and businesses may have changed, those memories have a way of sticking around.

J. Sutter’s Mill, remembered

A Richmond place with an earlier story

Historic black-and-white photograph of the storefront at Richmond’s first Kroger
A note on the locationThe original location of J. Sutter’s Mill was Richmond’s first Kroger.
Illustrated J. Sutter’s Mill emblem over a mill building
Illustrative rendering of a J. Sutter’s Mill brick storefront

Billy eventually decided to tell another story that deserved to be remembered. His book, Exiled: The Climax and Surrender of Jimmy Stokley, takes readers back to the early days of the band and the extraordinary journey of its original lead singer. It's a story about young musicians with big dreams, the friendships and sacrifices that came with chasing success, and the complicated, sometimes heartbreaking realities behind the music. At its heart is Jimmy Stokley, whose voice and stage presence helped define Exile's early identity. Billy offers something especially valuable: the perspective of someone who wasn't just watching history unfold but was standing right there in the middle of it.

Hear Bill Luxon talk about Central Kentucky music

A conversation with Randy Westbrook about Billy's years in music and the stories behind the songs.

Two songs from the Jukebox

Choose a song from Billy's Richmond music story.

Select either song to start the player.

Visit the Jukebox

One of the things that makes Billy's story so special is how closely it connects to Richmond itself. Think about it… a group of young musicians from our little Kentucky town set out to make music, and the band they helped create eventually topped the national charts. One of those founding musicians then came home and helped create a place that became part of Richmond's own social history. That's a pretty remarkable journey, and one worth celebrating.

The purpose of our Richmond Old School Bars Museum has always been about more than remembering old signs, buildings, and businesses. It's about preserving the people and stories behind them. The musicians, bartenders, owners, students, and regular customers who helped make downtown Richmond such a lively and unforgettable place. Billy Luxon's story belongs here because it reminds us that some of the most interesting chapters of our town's history were written by people we knew, in places we visited, often without realizing at the time just how special those moments would become.

We're delighted to recognize Billy's contributions to Richmond's musical and nightlife history and to introduce visitors to his book. If you remember J. Sutter's Mill, grew up listening to Exile, or simply enjoy a good story about Kentucky people doing remarkable things, this is one worth discovering.

And Billy… thanks for helping give Richmond a few more stories worth telling.

Richmond Old School Bars Museum … Preserving the places, the people, and the memories that made us who we are.