Stagolee
Stagolee (also known as Stagger Lee, Stackolee) is the quintessential 'bad man' of African American folklore, based on the historical Lee Shelton, a St. Louis pimp who shot William 'Billy' Lyons on Christmas night 1895. In the folk tradition, Stagolee is larger than life — a man so defiant that even Hell could not hold him. After being hanged for murder, he arrived at the gates of Hell still wearing his Stetson hat and carrying his .44 pistol, challenged the Devil himself, kicked him off his throne, and took over the running of Hell. The ballads and 'toasts' about Stagolee became foundational