‘The Prince of Madison’: Tennessee Rep. Bill Beck dies at 61

Tony GonzalezWPLN News (File)

State Rep. Bill Beck has died. The Nashville Democrat was 61.

Beck unexpectedly passed away Sunday after having a heart attack.

We are collectively mourning the loss of State Representative Carson “Bill” Beck who passed away from a heart attack earlier today. A widely respected attorney, Bill Beck was first elected to the House in 2014.

— TN House Democrats (@TNDemocrats) June 5, 2023

His district, 51, includes parts of downtown Nashville, East, Germantown, Inglewood, Madison, Old Hickory and portions of Donelson. Beck was first elected to the statehouse in 2014, where he served on several committees, including: Civil Justice, Transportation, Ethics, and Workplace Discrimination and Harassment.

Beck will lie in state at the Tennessee Capitol from 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursday. A funeral will follow at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.  

For 33 years, he was an attorney with his family’s firm Beck & Beck Attorneys at Law. Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, also a lawyer, said Beck was highly respected both in the courthouse and in the Madison suburb where he grew up.

“It was interesting though. I represented parts of West Nashville for eight years before I got redistricted. And you can walk down the street, and nobody knows who I was,” Clemmons said. “But if you go out with Bill Beck anywhere in Madison, everybody came up to Bill, and everybody knew exactly who he was. And that’s why I jokingly referred to him as the ‘Prince of Madison’ because he really was royalty.”

We will forever be grateful for the service of Representative Bill Beck. Let us lift his family in love and prayer as they endure this moment of grief. Let us cherish his memory by striving to embody those values that he lived by and fought for. pic.twitter.com/498cMwotoU

— Tennessee Democratic Party (@tndp) June 5, 2023

During his tenure in the General Assembly, Beck passed several bills, including expanding maternity and paternity leave for state employees and ensuring homeless students obtain a birth certificate and a picture ID. Many colleagues say Beck was successful because, as a Democrat, he was able to work with Republicans across the aisle.

His quick wit and unforgettable laugh could always lighten a committee meeting or the proceedings on the House floor. We express our sincere condolences and prayers to Bill’s family during this difficult time. Rep. Beck will be greatly missed.

— Speaker Cameron Sexton (@CSexton25) June 4, 2023

Gov. Bill Lee issued a writ of election Tuesday to set dates for the election to replace Beck. The primary will be held on Thursday, Aug. 3, the same day as the District 52 general election to fill the seat of expelled and temporarily reinstated Representative Justin Jones.