Irene Wells

Irene Wells, mayor of Bluff City, died Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, from complications with pneumonia at the age of 77. Wells was both the first black alderwoman and the first African-American woman to serve as mayor of Bluff City. Wells’ husband Billy Wells also served as mayor of Bluff City in the 1990s. The couple owned a print shop in Bluff City. In addition to her work on the Bluff City Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Wells was a member of numerous local charities and organizations as well as represented her city on a number of state boards and commissions.