Nihilist Spasm Band performs at Museum London, September 18, 2015. Pictured (L-R): John Boyle, Bill Exley, Art Pratten, Murray Favro, John Clement
1939 – 2025
More than a teacher, performer, or cultural contributor, Bill Exley was force of creativity, intellect, and inspiration whose legacy continues to echo across generations.
As head of the English Department at Elmira District Secondary School in Southwestern Ontario for over 30 years, he shaped such young minds as bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell and New York Times media editor Bruce Headlam.
But Bill’s influence didn’t stop at the classroom door. For nearly six decades (1965–2024), he was the unmistakable voice of the Nihilist Spasm Band, one of London’s most iconic and unconventional musical groups. As a founding member, he performed alongside legendary artists like Greg Curnoe, John Boyle, and Murray Favro, taking their homemade instruments and boundary-pushing sound across North America, Europe, and Japan.
In 2021, we were honoured to have Bill participate in our 80th anniversary exhibition, where he reflected on a cherished artifact from our collection, Greg Curnoe’s Nihilist Spasm Band Megaphone and Stand (1966):
Greg Curnoe constructed this megaphone for me… so that people could hear the lyrics, not just the instruments. After the instruments became electronically amplified, a microphone usually replaced it. Its final appearance on stage was at Aeolian Hall in July, 2008 when the Band and others were invited to play in ‘Remembering James Reaney.’ Reaney had included the Band with the megaphone in one of its first appearances in ‘Down Wellington’ in July, 1966.
Bill’s voice—both literal and metaphorical—continues to resonate. During your next visit to the Museum, you’ll find his spirit woven into some of our current exhibitions: an instrument in London: A History, photos captured by Don Vincent in Fashion: Grit, Glamour and Guts, and Living Room Jam Sesh, a student-led tribute to the enduring influence of the Nihilist Spasm Band in London, now a designated UNESCO City of Music.
We’re grateful to Bill for his support and storytelling over the years, and extend our heartfelt condolences to his friends, family and community.