2024 inducted Industry contributor

Denis Lafleur

Life years: Jan 24, 1939 – Feb 19, 2014, Age 75

Bus years: 1980 – 2006

Denis (pronounced D-knee) Lafleur was born in 1939 and raised in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. After high school he worked as a mechanic. In 1980 he began employment at Prevost as Repair Shop Manager. Through the years he moved on to Prevost Warranty Systems, Service Training & Seminars, and Project Manager of New Products. As he ended his career, Denis was Sales Manager, Entertainer Division. It was through this position that he regularly worked with entertainer company owners all over North America, selling Prevost bus shells prior to interior conversions. 

Upon retirement in March 2006, Denis resided in Sainte-Henedine, Quebec, Canada. But when he passed away on Feb 21, 2014, he was residing in Clemont, FL where he spent his winters.

Wade C. Staley

Life years: 1948 – Present

Bus years: 1962 – Present

Wade was born in 1948 in High Point, NC. At the age of 14 he started working for the local bus charter service cleaning the buses when they returned from a trip. As he became a little older, it was not unusual for the drivers there to let him slip behind the wheel on occasion. That was the beginning of a love of buses that still exists today. His first real job was working for a local funeral home that also had the ambulance service. When the county took over the ambulance service, he stayed with the county and became one of the first EMT’s in North Carolina. Wade also had a love of music, especially country and gospel. In 1968 he started a record label named Ace Records and moved to Nashville. He took a young female artist and charted with the first single. He eventually sold the record label and returned to his hometown. He also promoted gospel music throughout the Southeast. His love of music never left him so in 1977, he decided to return to Nashville and get back into the music industry. While there, he decided to stop by to visit Joel Hemphill. The story goes that when he walked in, the secretary took him back to Joel’s office where Joel was on his knees praying for a driver for a tour. Wade took the job driving Firefall and never looked back. During his years in the industry, he has driven for various lease companies including Joel Hemphill, Thrasher Brothers, Jerry and Jack Calhoun and many more. He later came off the road and started Staley Custom Coach where he leased buses and did his own conversions, including one of the first entertainer coaches with a recording studio in the rear lounge. In 1996 he closed this business and went back on the road with Florida Coach. In 2000 he left the road for good and opened Staley Coach and Sales, currently Staley Sales, LLC where he sells coaches for the majority of the lease companies and individuals as well. Wade has been involved with the coach industry in every way, driving, building conversions, leasing and selling. Over the years in the industry, some of his clients were Waylon Jennings, Michael Jackson, The Commodores, The Temptations, BJ Thomas, Brenda Lee, AC/DC, The O’Jays, Lavert, Toto, Motley Crue, ZZ Top, Reba McEntire, Tayor Swift, Dolly Parton, Johnny Lee, Lassie the dog, and many others. His favorite quote is “Do work you love and you will never work a day in your life”. This is true of his life’s work.