Stewart Billy spent his early years on the Navajo Nation and moved there when he was a child. Learning the family trade from his father, he became a Navajo silversmith and tufa cast artist, traveling the country selling pumpkin flowers, bolo ties, and concho belts. He was 21 when he gave birth to his first son, Lestat Standing Bear, and he remembers that at the time he was “the busiest man I know.”
In 2004, our second son, Unity, was born. And when his sons were still young, Stewart became a single father. Realizing that he needed to devote more time to his family, he moved his sons and their father, Watson Billy, back to the family’s land in Nahodishguishu, New Mexico.
Billy and his family outside their home in Nahodishguishu, New Mexico on July 26, 2024. Written by Jo Corona of StoryCorps.
As city kids, Lestat Standing Bear and Unity initially didn’t like the tranquility of Nahodishgish. And it wasn’t until the spring of 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, that the area became quiet. Their schools were closed and activities on the reservation ceased.
Lestat Standing Bear, Stewart Billy, and Unity Billy near their home in Nahodishguishu, New Mexico, circa 2023. Photo courtesy of Brandon K. Morgan Photography.
In an attempt to combat the palpable fear in the air, the family decides to start a heavy metal band. Stewart became the drummer, Lestat the lead singer and guitarist, and Unity the bassist. They named their band Narbona, after a Diné chief.
Stewart and Lestat came to StoryCorps to talk about their relationship and how they started the band.
Lestat Standing Bear, Unity Billy and Stewart Billy attend a metal concert in Albuquerque, New Mexico on May 3, 2019.
Photo above: Lestat Standing Bear and Stewart Billie during a StoryCorps interview on July 26, 2024 in Nachodishguishu, New Mexico. Written by Joe Corona of StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
It originally aired on NPR’s Morning Edition on October 4, 2024.
