Y'all Magazine – October 2005 by Yall Magazine

JEFF FOXWORTHY | ROBIN ROBERTS | COLLEGE MARCHING BANDS | SOUTH 101 | DAVE RAMSEY OCTOBER 2005

LEWIS

GRIZZARD + Y’ALL’S NEWEST COLUMNIST A TOAST TO THE LIFE OF A LEGEND

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005

Rising Southerners

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ʼall

THE M AGA ZINE OF

Y’

SOUTHERN PEOPLE Volume 3 | Number 5

this-n-that Y’all? 9 Where Capturing hot Southern stars, from Dollywood to Hollywood.

Just Grizzard -ALL NEW

On the Money

Max’d Out

Wine Down South

Blue Collar

Money man Dave Ramsey gets you prepared for a Total Money Makeover. Pigskins are in the air, and Max has his picks for the South’s college elite. Doc Lawrence breaks out the good fall wines for Y’all. Jeff Foxworthy is no psychologist, but he’s got just the cure for middle-aged depression. Go buy a tractor and a bushhog!

Southern 72 What Women Know Ronda Rich’s dose of Dixie wisdom.

Gazing 73 Star Joe LoCicero reports from Hollywood,

with pointers on how to fix your pad.

(BOTTOM) WARNER BROS.(TOP)PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS ROADHOUSE

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Rising Southerners

GRITS

Cajun Humor

In Memoriam

“Ms. Grits” Deborah Ford takes us back to school. Lawd have mercy, dat Tommy Joe Breaux dun brought a nodder humorous look at life down in Breaux Bridge, La. Remembering Southerners who have passed to the Great Beyond.

South 82 Festive The leaves are turning, and that means festivals galore. Find out the fall fests to which you need to journey.

THIS PAGE: ABOVE & L TO R- CARLO ALLEGRI/GETTY, CRAIG JONES/GETTY, FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY NEXT PAGE: ABOVE & L TO R: COURTESY OF THE GRIZZARD FAMILY, PHOTO BY LAURA MCELROY, PHTO B COURTESY OF “RAIDERS’ ORG.,

Legendary Southern columnist Lewis Grizzard may be gone, but his words will live forever in a new column for Y’all Magazine.

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Y’all of Fame Lewis Grizzard

Since his passing in 1994 Lewis Grizzard and his legacy endure. Find out the incredible and humorous story behind this fascinating Southerner.

28 COVER: BY ARTIST, STEPHEN J. ENZWEILER

features

Cemeteries of New Orleans With Halloween just around the corner, there’s no better place to venture to for a beautful, yet eerie, touch of Southern graveside artwork.

Indy Filmmaker “Raiders” Touched by the Harrison Ford thriller Indiana Jones, a trio of Mississippians cranked out their own indie salute.

Southern Studies Academia Universities across Dixie are putting an emphasis on studying the history and influence of the South.

southern sounds

The South has some hot new music to listen to as you get ready for that fall leaf-viewing trip. Mississippi Girl Faith Hill has a new CD, Texas Music is saluted, and O Brother Where Art Thou stars The Peasall SIsters have their sophomore album in stores. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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inside

PLUS:

St. Louis Cardinals All-Star slugger David Eckstein. > ROBIN ROBERTS

MARCHING BAND SPECTACULAR

Find out if your favorite Southern college marching band hits the field in this showcase of the finest deep-fried sounds of fall. We’ve got the “Human JukeBox,” “Marching Southerners” and “Marching Chiefs” ready to play.

FOOTE: FREDERICK M. BROWN-GETTY

Y’all of Fame Part II Shelby Foote

Novelist and Civil War historian Shelby Foote passed away June 27, 2005 in Memphis. Y’all remembers the great Southerner.

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> DAVID ECKSTEIN

Coach JOHN MCKISSICK

The winningest football coach of all time is a Southern Gentleman from Summerville, S.C. With over 500 wins, John McKissick is still collecting “W’s.”

L TO R: COURTESY OF FSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPT, COURTESY OF JOHN MCKISSICK

Millions of Americans wake up each morning and watch ABC’s Good Morning America co-host, Mississippian Robin Roberts.

ROBERTS: JAMIE SQUIRE-ALLSPORT, ECKSTEIN:DAVID MAXWELL/GETTY

inner VIEW

76 Blue & Grey Education Society The ashes from the South’s Civil War battlegrounds continue to smolder. A Virginia native is doing his part to keep the flame of the war’s story lit for generations to come.

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yʼall

10 ISSUES STRONG

™

THE M AGA ZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE ™

President & Publisher Jon Rawl jon@yall.com Managing Editor Molly Fergusson molly@yall.com

VP & Associate Publisher Keith Sisson keith@yall.com

Art Director Carroll Moore carroll@yall.com

Circulation Director Rachel Thompson Twiford rachel@yall.com New Media Andy Young andy@yall.com Art Assistant Maria Augustine Photographer Chad Mills Asst. Managing Editor Meredith Dabbs Copy Editor Dianne S. Fergusson Illustrators Stephen J. Enzweiler Don Maters Contributing Writers Lewis Grizzard Deborah Ford Ronda Rich Kristin Gravatt Tommy Joe Breaux Jeff Foxworthy Doc Lawrence Dave Ramsey Joe LoCicero Max Howell Brian Ferguson Mark Cook Matthew Heermans Annabelle Robertson Audrey Bourland Jeffery Rhea Mitchell Stephen J. Enzweiler Ginger Weston Easley Macey Lynd Edmondson

Account Executive Meredith Dabbs

meredith@yall.com

(662)236-1928 Alabama Bureau Paula Sullivan Dabbs alabama@yall.com Arkansas Bureau Jason Nall arkansas@yall.com Florida Bureau Mark Cook florida@yall.com Georgia Bureau Laurie Stieber georgia@yall.com Kentucky Bureau Colleen Cassity kentucky@yall.com North Carolina Bureau Jason “Pig” Thompson northcarolina@yall.com Oklahoma Bureau Lee Cartwright oklahoma@yall.com Tennessee Bureau Joshua Wilkins tennessee@yall.com Texas Bureau Matt Heermans texas@yall.com Virginia Bureau Clay Reynolds virginia@yall.com Publishing Consultant Samir Husni

Y’all is published bimonthly by General Rawl Media, LLC (September/ October 2005), Volume 3, Number 5. Editorial and advertising offices at 1006 Van Buren, Suite 211, Oxford, MS 38655-3900. Mailing address: P.O. Box 1217, Oxford, MS 38655. Telephone: 662-236-1928. Basic subscription rate: 6 issues, U.S. $19.95; Canada $32.69. 12 issues, U.S. $34.95; Canada $45.80. Entire contents copyright 2005, General Rawl Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Products named in these pages are tradenames or trademarks of their respective companies. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect that of the publisher. For subscriptions, queries, and customer service, please visit www. yall.com Y’all Magazine Business phone: 662-236-1928. E-mail us at: mail@yall.com Subscriptions: Toll-Free 1-800-935-5185 Application to mail at Periodical Postage Rates is Pending at Oxford, Mississippi and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Y’all, c/o Magazine Processing Center, P.O. Box 0567, Selmer, TN 38375-9908. Printed in the USA.

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If you happened to be around a newspaper in the 1980’s and early ‘90’s, you couldn’t help but read the hilarious anecdotes of columnist Lewis Grizzard. He shared stories of his beloved homeland. No other contemporary Jon Rawl on the red carpet at humorist knew the South so well, loved it the 2005 CMT Music Awards. so passionately, or wrote about it so vividly. When Grizzard died in 1994, the world was left without his remarkable talent. Luckily, Lewis will now live on in the pages of Y’all with a regular column. Thanks to his widow Dedra, Y’all will feature many of the thousands of Grizzard originals, giving his old fans and new fans alike a glimpse of his talent. I’m sure Lewis is looking down on us with a big ole grin right now. Another great Southern writer passed away in recent weeks, Shelby Foote. Three years ago, I had the great fortune to visit with Mr. Foote a few times at his Memphis residence. Foote, and his classic antebellum voice, was a Southern treasure. His The Civil War: A Narrative trilogy will keep the story of the War Between the States alive for eternity. Discover more of this Southern original in his Y’all of Fame feature on page 78.

Circulation

Editorial Assistants Matthew Bandermann Tabatha Gardner

This September-October 2005 issue marks the tenth issue of Y’all Magazine. Can you believe it? Time doesn’t just fly by; it does it at supersonic speed. Thank y’all for the two years of loyalty and devotion to this Magazine of Southern People™. We are doing great things with Y’all, and we thank you for that. But we would love your help to make our magazine even better in the months to come. Please share with friends and family this publication, so that they, too, can be aware of this exciting, informative read. It would be mighty Southern of you.

Thank you for reading Y’all. Southernly yours,

Jon Rawl

Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE

8/10/05 9:03:05 PM

where y’all?

ESPY Awards

MENDES, MANNING, WINFREY: KEVIN WINTERS/GETTY, DENTON: MARK MAINZ/GETTY

An award ceremony jam-packed with Southern star-power packed the 13th Annual ESPY Awards at the Kodak Theatre on July 13 in Hollywood, Calif.: Eva Mendes of Houston, Texas (above), Peyton Manning (right); and Nashvillians Oprah Winfrey and Jamie Denton were presenters (l-r).

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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where y’all? Seven-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong cruises to victory in Paris on July 24 (left). After crossing the finish line, the Austin, Texan celebrated on the podium with his children Luke, Isabella and Grace. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images-at left and JOEL SAGET-AFP-Getty Images-at far left).

Y’all Magazine hit Country Music‘s Fan Fair again. Stars and fans alike stopped by the Y’all booth at the Nashville event. American Idol alum Carmen Rasmusen put up her guns while showing off her new “I Love Y’all” pink t-shirt (left). Mississippi was well-represented, with rising stars Shelly Fairchild (Clinton, Miss.) and Jeff Bates (McComb, Miss.) signing autographs at the booth.

Look who’s on MTV’s Total Request Live in New York City. New mom Courteney Cox chats with VJ Damien Fahey during her appearance on the show (left), while Billy Bob Thornton appears with VJ Vanessa Minnillo during his visit. (at left by Evan Agostini/Getty & above by Scott Gries/Getty) ym8-15.indd 10

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where y’all?

Red Carpet Roundup Right: Nashvillian Reese Witherspoon arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere of the Broadway musical Wicked at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, Cal. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Left: Sullivans Island, S.C., boy Josh Lucas arrives at the Premiere of Columbia Pictures Stealth at the Naval Air Station North Island, 2005 in Coronado, Calif. (Photo by Mark Mainz/ Getty)

Below: Lucas and Terrell, Texas, native Jamie Foxx at the Premiere of Stealth. (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty)

Lower Right: Russell Crowe and Texas Girl Renee Zellweger (Mrs. Kenny Chesney) attend Universal Pictures premiere of Cinderella Man at the Loews Lincoln Square Theater in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

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Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE

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“Frat Pack” members Owen Wilson, a Texan, (at left) and Vince Vaughn arrive at The Wedding Crashers world premiere in London. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty)

Kentucky and Florida native son Johnny Depp strikes a pose while promoting his latest film Charlie And The Chocolate Factory at Claridges in London, England. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

Tim McGraw, of Delhi, La., and wife Faith Hill, of Star, Miss., arrive at the 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Illinois Yankee-turned-Nashville “Redneck Woman” Gretchen Wilson arrives at the ACM Awards. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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music:

reviews peasall sisters

home to you

For the Peasall sisters, it all began with an unexpected opportunity to sing on the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack. This led to their first album, First Offering, (2002) which went platinum. It now continues with their second album on their label Peace Hall Records, Home To You. These young girls manage to sing beautifully and maturely about love, life and death. Sarah Joyce, 16, plays guitar and sings alto; Hannah Grace, 12, plays mandolin and sings soprano; Leah Faith, 10, plays fiddle and sings tenor; while Michael Peasall plays upright bass. The girls’ voices blend harmoniously, whether in a fast-paced tune, a sad slow song or a lighthearted toe-tapping beat. Their songs are full of deep spirituality and faith, and a sunny outlook on life and death. Though several of the songs deal with death, the sisters’ uplifting voices and positive outlook on such a serious subject matter reflect their deep faith in God. The title track is a sweet love song, and its appealing sound may lead the listener to think the Peasall sisters are just another Nashville singing group, but the rest of the album will showcase their immense talent as singers and instrument players. “Freight Train Blues” is a fast-paced song that has the sisters singing in a style which has their

voices imitating that of a train. The very next track, “Logtown,” is an acoustic song accompanied by soft, hushed vocals. “Angel Band” and “I Never Will Marry” continue with slow and laid back tunes about sorrow and death. With a quicker beat, “The Old Church Yard,” is filled with fiddle and mandolin sound backed by sweet, Southern-accented lyrics. The most innocent and sweet melody, “Fair and Tender Ladies,” warns Southern belles of the dangers of falling for a man. The most moving song in this excellent arrangement of touching tunes is ”Where No One Stands Alone.” The Peasall sisters sing a capella, showcasing that their talent is beyond studio mixing and heavy instrumentals: it’s about three rising stars with deep faith and limitless possibilities.

Faith Hill’s Fireflies is her first studio album in three years. The Star, Mississippian’s leadoff single, on this her sixth studio album, is a self-reflection, “Mississippi Girl,” which was co-written by Big & Rich’s John Rich. This album finds co-producer Hill teamed with longtime production collaborators Byron Gallimore and Dann Huff on 15 tracks, including “Like We Never Loved at All,” opener “Sunshine & Summertime,” “Good Ole USA” and “Stealing Kisses.” Hubby Tim McGraw guest stars on one of the album’s tracks. Also included is a cover of “I’m Not Lisa,” a big hit in 1975 for Waylon Jennings’ widow, Jessi Colter. This CD is a distinctive, welcome return to the Magnolia beauty’s country roots.

faith hill fireflies reviews by Kristin Gravatt and Jonathan Craig 14

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Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE

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music:

reviews

Any Southerner knows that a good drink is best enjoyed accompanied by an equally enjoyable song. So, if you are in the mood for any sort of alcoholic beverage, pick up a copy of this album and you are guaranteed to have plenty of drinking songs to enjoy. Brewed in Texas Volume 2 has an array of Texas musicians singing their favorite drinking songs. It contains seven previously unreleased songs, and also has songs from Billy Joe Shaver, Charlie Robison, Asleep at the Wheel and Kevin Fowler. The album provides a wide array of country music styles, from classic heartache songs and bluegrass beats to mixtures of rock and rap. Each artist or songwriter’s approach to the music and lyrics is unique, providing an overall album sound that never gets boring and appeals to many musical tastes. The lovelorn drinkers have five songs dedicated to them. For melancholy tunes, Randy Rogers Band covers Gary Stewart’s “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinking Doubles),” Rick Trevino of Los Super 7 croons “Another Six Pack Under,” and Billy Joe Shaver sings “Drinkin’ Back.” Asleep at the Wheel provide a capturing mixture of male and female vocals with “The Letter (That Johnny Walker Read),” and the one upbeat love lost song can be found in “Bar Exam” with “a Ph.D. in Heartache and Misery and a BS in Barstool Philosophy.” The Derailers’ song will bring a smile to even a lonely face. On the serious side is Texas singer-songwriter legend Ray Wylie Hubbard, singing “The Way of the Fallen is Hard.” But just listen to Honeybrowne’s “Julie at the Bar” for a tune that may start slow but will end up rocking with harmonica jams. In contrast, Charlie Robison’s “Barlight” starts sounding like the childhood rhyme “Star light… star bright…” but revs up to a fast-paced drum and guitar based best. Kevin Fowler provides laughs on “The Lord Loves the Drinkin’ Man,” saying God “sent honky-tonk 16

angels to the promise land” and he wants to start the “Church of Hank Williams.” In a live format, Roger Creager and Radney Foster present “I Say When I Drink What I Think When I’m Sober,” a laid-back tune with funny drunk dialog mixed into the song. Townes Van Zandt has a shorter live story-song, “Talking Thunderbird Blues,” a hilarious story about a first experience drinking Thunderbird. Guy Clark also provides a humorous tale of drinking in “Out in the Parking Lot.” Another unreleased track has Bob Schneider talking hillbilly fast and accompanied by kazoo and whistling sounds in the track “Lubricate the Death Machine.” The two lone female-vocal dominated songs are more rock than country. Old 97s’ “Nightclub” sounds almost punk and is heavy on the Shaver electric guitar, while Trish Murphy has an upbeat rock tune, “Scorpio Tequila.” The biggest surprise is in the unreleased rap tune, MuzikMafia member Chance’s “I Came To Drink.” It mixes beats from a nightclub rap style to a classic hoedown tune. If you like drinking, if you like good drinking music, and if you love combining the two, this album is for you.

COURTESY OF COMPADARE RECORDS

brewed in texas vol. 2

Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE

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Can you imagine...

a world without children?

At St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, we can't. That's why we are working every day to find cures for life-threatening diseases that strike children everywhere. Diseases like cancer, pediatric AIDS, and sickle cell. And we won't stop until every child is cured, and every disease is defeated.

Because we can't imagine a world without children...can you? Call 1-800-996-4100 or log onto www.stjude.org to learn how you can help.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 â&#x20AC;˘ Yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ALL

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Cemeteries of New Orleans by Jonathan Craig

In a new book on Cemeteries of New Orleans, the author/photographer team of Jan Arrigo and Laura A. McElroy team up for an interesting look at the final resting places of hundreds of the city’s citizens. Historic cemeteries such as St. Louis No.1, 2 and 3, Holt, Greenwood, St. Patrick’s, St. Roch, Cypress Grove, Metairie, Odd Fellow’s Rest, and the city’s Jewish cemeteries

PHOTOS BY LAURA A. MCELROY/COURTESY OF VOYAGEUR PRESS

reviews

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(facing page) Metairie Cemetery (left) Saint Patrick’s Cemetery (below) The processional blessing at Saint Roch takes place each year on All Saint’s Day, November 1.

are showcased in individual chapters; providing a look into “The Crescent City’s” diverse history. Since New Orleans lies below sea level, the graveyards of the city are a unique tourist attraction. With coffins placed inside monuments above ground, there are many

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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reviews

cases of coffins floating away in heavy rains. In Cemeteries of New Orleans, A Journey Through the Cities of the Dead, Arrigo shares unusual tales about corpses, coffins and crypts. The magnificent imagery of Atlanta photographer McElroy “comes alive” on the pages of this eerie, yet artistic keepsake.

PHOTOS BY LAURA A. MCELROY/COURTESY OF VOYAGEUR PRESS

(right) This Angel sculpture, entitled “Grief,” is illuminated by windows of blue stained glass, patterned after those in a mausoleum for Queen Louisa of Prussia. (below) Fans of the cult film Easy Rider seek out this St. Louis No. 1 Italian Society tomb, which was featured in a key scene.

Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE

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(above) A husband and wife buried in Hebrew Rest. (right) This grave sadly points to a child buried in Holt Cemetery.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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rising south

RAIDERS I

by Ginger Weston Easley

n the Summer of 1981, theater-goers across America were captivated by the newest action hero on the big screen, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones. Young boys in back yards across the nation cast aside their light sabers in favor of fedoras and bull whips, but none was more committed to recreating the fantastical journey of the iconic character than 11-year-old Chris Strompolos of Biloxi, Mississippi. Like every boy his age, Chris was mesmerized by the movie’s magic, and he soon conceived a plan to stage his own remake of the $26 million film and cast himself in Harrison Ford’s starring role as “Indiana Jones.” Eleven-year-old Eric Zala, a kid who borrowed Chris’s Indiana Jones comic book on the school bus, was recruited to direct the remake and to reprise Paul Freeman’s role as “Dr. Rene Belloq,” but when the two were later unable to conquer the task of creating a film-worthy corpse, they called on 12-year-old Jayson Lamb, another student who was infatuated with magic and horror films and had created gory effects for a classroom project. Jayson was intrigued by rumors about the amateur recreation of arguably the greatest action-adventure film in American cinema history, and he just

Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE

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S Photos courtesy of Chris Strompolos/indyexperience.com

couldn’t resist the opportunity to get involved. Eric had been studying video production in school, and he storyboarded more than 600 scenes in a single summer, but one summer turned into two, and then three, and the trio toiled away at their ambitious project for seven long years, recreating hundreds of shots and special effects from the film, crafting all their own costumes and choreographing each fight scene with a precision that far exceeded their experience. Coastal rivers and swamps became far-away jungles, and on Sundays, when Gulfport’s business district was empty, its alleyways became the streets of Cairo. The three often speak of the inter-accountability that held them together for the seven long years of production, and they attribute their perseverance to, more than anything, the countless people who doubted their ability to complete such an ambitious project. While the goal was a shot-for-shot remake, some modifications were unavoidable. The mischievous monkey, for instance, was clearly difficult to come by in the Deep South of the early 1980’s, but Chris’s puppy, “Snickers,” stood in for the playful primate and is said to steal every scene in which he appears. Although the boys made a few substitutions, nearly all of the original scenes are perfectly recreated, including “Indiana Jones’” narrow escape from the crushing force of a rolling boulder, his stunt-filled scene dangling from a speeding truck, and the action-packed brawl in Marion’s bar, which erupts in flames. While the three architects of the new cult hit insist that their parents were supportive of their incessant

“Eric had been studying video production in school, and he storyboarded more than 600 scenes in a single summer.” JULY/AUGUST 2005 • Y’ALL

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“Chris Strompolos now lives in Los Angeles, where he works as a writer and an independent ﬁlm and music producer.” infatuation with the remake, they admit that production came to an abrupt halt when one mom caught a glimpse of Eric’s flaming back in the bar scene; but insist that their parents permitted them to resume filming after they staged a pyrotechnics demonstration and recruited an adult chaperone, who turned out to be more daring with fire than even the boys. When, at long last, the project was completed in the summer of 1989, the three friends screened it for family and friends before returning to college, leaving behind the venture that largely defined their childhoods. The result, shot entirely on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and now known as Raiders of the Lost Ark: the Adaptation, drifted in relative obscurity for more than a decade after the local premier, but it recently celebrated a world premier at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, where the three creators, now in their thirties, enjoyed a standing ovation. Strompolos now lives in Los Angeles, where he works as a writer and an independent film and music producer. Zala has returned to Ocean Springs, Miss., where he and Strompolos established their new production company, Rolling Boulder Films. Lamb is polishing an upcoming screenplay and working on a documentary called, When We Were Kids, which chronicles the years that he spent as part of the trio now known as “The Raiders Guys.” Composed from twenty-three hours of outtakes from the 1980’s, Jayson insists that the documentary will feature footage even more outrageous than the edited movie. The Adaptation has become an underground film festival phenomenon, and while Chris insists that he is still surprised every time viewers “cheer and laugh and hoot and holler,” the cult hit has catapulted 24

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the trio into the national spotlight. Vanity Fair featured their story, they’ve made appearances on NBC’s Today and CBS’Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn, and their life stories have been purchased by Hollywood heavyweight Scott Rudin (The Hours, School of Rock) for a major motion picture depicting the lives of three Mississippi boys who recaptured the magic of the Lucas-Spielberg classic. Oscar-nominated screenwriter Daniel Clowes, who is currently working on the Rudin-Paramount project, saw the remake at a crowded screening and said that he’d “never seen a better response to any film, from Citizen Kane to The Godfather to Star Wars.” Chris describes the Adaptation as a story of “love, friendship, inspiration…three kids coming of age in a small town and the creative passion they exhibited in its purest most unaffected form,” and the passion and commitment that he and his friends poured into their project was not lost on director Steven Spielberg, whose letters to the trio said how impressed he was with their “loving and detailed tribute.” Thanks to silent nods from Spielberg and Paramount Pictures, the Adaptation is still being screened around the world, but only for charitable purposes. Upcoming Southern screenings of the film include the Third Annual Oxford Film Festival, Sept. 6-11 2005, in Oxford, Mississippi.

JULY/AUGUST 2005 • Y’ALL

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yʼall

of fame

Lewis Grizzard (1946-1994)

by Mark Cook

“Lewis had always wanted to be a father, and although Jordan wasn’t his blood, he accepted her as his own and she felt the same way towards him.’’ — Dedra Grizzard

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF DEBRA GRIZZARD

On the morning of March 20, 1994, following his fourth and final heart surgery, doctors at Emory University Hospital turned off the machines that were keeping Lewis Grizzard’s physical body alive. Moments later a Southern icon was gone. Now, 11 years later, his memory and spirit live on in the words he wrote and speeches he made, still inspiring young journalists and amateur jokesters alike.

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a future Y’all of Famer

Lewis McDonald Grizzard, Jr. was born October 20, 1946, in Fort Benning, Ga., to parents Lewis Grizzard, Sr. and Christine Word. As the son of a career military man, he spent the first few years of his life moving from town to town. As he was entering the second grade, his parents separated and Lewis and his mother moved to her hometown of Moreland, Ga., to live with her parents. His grandfather Charles Word became young Grizzard’s primary father figure, but the aching for his real father was a source of pain which lasted for years to come. On the first day of second grade in 1953 a shy seven-year-old Grizzard walked through the front doors of Moreland Elementary and met another boy who would grow to become one of his best friends and subject of many columns, Dudley Stamps. “Lewis and I hit it off real well,’’ Stamps recalls. “A lot of people ask me if Lewis was always funny and I tell them not exactly. He really grew into being funny. Lewis was very focused though. In fact in seventh grade Lewis told me and the rest of our friends he was going to be a sportswriter. We all laughed, heck we were just in the seventh grade; nobody has any idea or cared at that point what we were going to be. But Lewis did.” In fact Grizzard’s journalism career began the following summer. “We had started a local baseball team and played other teams in nearby towns and the local paper wanted to get a small story to go with the standings,” Stamps says. “Well Lewis heard this and told them he would do it.” Lewis’ first byline from the Newnan-Times Herald read as follows: Brilliant Moreland right-hander Lewis

“Lewis told me and the rest of our friends he was going to be a sportswriter. We all laughed, heck we were just in the seventh grade; nobody has any idea or cared at that point what we were going to be. But Lewis did.” —Dudley Stamps

Grizzard, in his first start in organized baseball, baffled the visiting Macedonia Baptist nine Saturday with a no-hitter. Dudley Stamps, in a lesser role, had three home runs in the 14-0 romp.” Grizzard’s ambition of writing never wavered throughout his school career and in the fall of 1964 he entered the University of Georgia to major in journalism. It was there he met a person who would become a steering force in his career, Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC), Executive Sports Editor Jim Minter. “I was looking for a young writer to cover college sports and I asked University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley if he had a name of any young writer that impressed him,’’ Minter remembers. “He gave me the name of Lewis Grizzard. I met with Lewis and the first thing I needed to know was his draft status. This was during the Vietnam War

23 he was promoted as Executive Sports Editor when Minter was promoted to the Journal’s Managing Editor Position. After a few years of moving up the ladder at the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Grizzard decided he was ready for a new challenge. He left the Journal and became a freelance writer. Soon thereafter the Georgian began missing the challenge of the day-today newspaper operation and in 1975 he was hired to take over the fledgling sports department for the Chicago Sun-Times. “Lewis did a great job in Chicago and really turned that paper’s sports section around,” Minter says. “They were grooming him for a Managing Editor position but after a while he had had his feel of Chicago and was ready to come home.” Grizzard called his old friend Jim Minter and asked for a job. At the time Minter was looking for a columnist and mentioned it to him. He an rd Jo asked to have a shot. Minter had d Lewis an on ti ca va his reservations but told him to on submit some samples and he would consider it. “I knew Lewis wouldn’t do a bad job,” Minter says. “But I had no idea he would be a great columnist.’’ “I figured we would get him back down here and get him back as an editor. That of course never happened.’’ As Grizzard’s popularity as a columnist soared, he was soon syndicated nationwide. In 1979 his first book, a compilation of and I didn’t want to end up hiring popular columns, was published. Kathy Sue somebody that was going to be shipped off Loudermilk, I Love You was an instant hit. Grizzard’s fan base grew and he was soon. Lewis told me that he was ineligible in demand making speeches at local civic for the draft due to a heart murmur but organizations. As the crowds grew so did that doctors had told him it was nothing to his fee for his speaking engagements. worry about.’’ In 1982 Grizzard’s “heart murmur” He soon proved his abilities to the became serious. Later that year Grizzard Journal’s upper management and at age

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Lewis was wheeled into surgery and just before departing for the emergency room the hospital staff asked him if he needed anything else. In true Grizzard fashion he asked, “Yeah, when’s the next bus to Albuquerque?”

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF DEBRA GRIZZARD

Dedra and Lewis

had his first of four heart surgeries. His book They Tore Out My Heart and Stomped That Sucker Flat, a chronicle of his ordeal, was released in 1982. In the late 80’s, on a trip back from the Soviet Union, Grizzard’s heart again became a source of trouble. The valve had become infected and by the time Grizzard reached the United States, he was near death. The valve was again replaced and Grizzard’s routine continued. By this time his popularity had risen far from the reaches of his local roots and Grizzard was a national name. He was making up to 100 personal appearances a year and his column was syndicated to over 450 newspapers nationwide. Throughout the late 80’s and 90’s, Grizzard appeared on The Tonight Show twice, was a guest on Larry King Live numerous times and also made several appearances on the CBS hit comedy Designing Women. Grizzard meet Steve Enoch at a golfing event in South Carolina in 1989. “Lewis and I played in a golf tournament and became friends. After I explained my background in finance, he asked me to review his financial situation,’’ Enoch says from his Atlanta office. “I came to Atlanta and Lewis asked me if he wanted to leave town in the middle of the night and put all his money in a brown paper sack, how much would he have? Lewis soon asked me to become his business manager and I moved to

Atlanta and we worked on developing other outlets to generate revenue. From that time until his death we were best of friends and we spent thousands of hours together.” In 1990 Grizzard and Enoch were on a double date at a local Atlanta restaurant, and while Grizzard’s date for the evening was in the ladies room, Dedra Kyle caught Grizzard’s eye “Lewis and I started dating and it didn‘t take long to figure out why he had been married three times,” says Dedra, who later became Dedra Grizzard. “He could make me so insanely mad and then seconds later he had me in tears with Lewis laughter.’’ Their relationship continued to grow; but as it did Grizzard’s health worsened. In 1993 Grizzard again went under the knife to replace the valve. Grizzard’s surgery went fairly well, but in recovery Grizzard’s heart failed to start beating. For six days Grizzard was in a coma and kept alive by artificial means. When Grizzard’s heart finally started beating on its own, his family, friends and millions of fans millions breathed a sigh of relief. “Lewis really struggled after that surgery,’’ Dedra remembers. “He was weak and in a lot of pain. Most people never realized what a rough time he had the last year of his life.’’ Grizzard’s personal physician Randy Martin agrees. “I had become acquainted with Lewis as his doctor the last couple of years of his life,’’ Martin says. “And we grew to become good friends. I watched his struggles and pain throughout an incredible ordeal and really admired his courage and ability to keep up his good humor.’’

One bright spot for Grizzard was finally an opportunity to be a father. Dedra’s daughter from a previous marriage, Jordan, and Lewis became inseparable. “They really developed a special relationship,’’ Dedra says. “Lewis had always wanted to be a father, and although Jordan wasn’t his blood, he accepted her as his own and she felt the same way towards him.’’ In March of 1994 Grizzard’s health again took a turn for the worse. While in Florida on a golf outing, Grizzard suddenly became ill and was flown by private jet back to Atlanta. Doctors soon determined Grizzard was again in need of surgery. “He was scared,’’ Dedra says. “His doctor told him it was a very risky surgery. We spent a lot of time talking and crying.’’ “Lewis and I were engaged and he wanted to immediately get married in case something happened to him. I didn’t want to talk about the chance of him dying, but he was very adamant about getting married. So a few days before the surgery we were married in the hospital. It was a beautiful service, but also very bittersweet considering what was to come.’’ The day before his surgery Grizzard asked his Aunt Una Coutee to bring him a home cooked meal. “Lewis didn’t care for the hospital food at all and asked me to bring him some home cooking,’’ Coutee says. “I took him fried chicken and others of his favorite foods. He was so weak, but he’d

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GRIZZARD: Gone but not forgotten sit up and take a bite then lay back and say, ‘Marvelous, just marvelous.’’’ The next day Lewis was wheeled into surgery and just before departing for the emergency room the hospital staff asked him if he needed anything else. In true Grizzard fashion he asked, “Yeah, when’s the next bus to Albuquerque?’’ After the surgery Grizzard’s doctors held a news conference and were cautiously optimistic. When he failed to wake the next day, Dr. Randy Martin had an uneasy feeling. Grizzard was transported to CAT scan and Martin’s worst fears were confirmed. At some point during the surgery a piece of debris had broken loose and traveled to Grizzard’s brain causing a massive stroke. Lewis McDonald Grizzard, Jr., described by some as our generation’s Mark Twain, had no chance for recovery. Dedra and Dr. Randy Martin made the painful decision to turn off the respirator and at age 47 he was gone. “As the machines were turned off, I flashed back to our times together,’’ Dedra says. “I went back to the first time we met. I saw him smiling at me. I saw him being wheeled away to the operating room.’’ “I held his body and cried and the nurses in ICU cried with me. I sat with him a very long time.’’ Since Grizzard’s death, Dedra has spent the past 11 years keeping his memory alive. “I have been able to get the rights back to all of his books and we are currently seeking a publisher,’’ she says. “Moreland has the Lewis Grizzard Museum [phone 770-3041490], and we also do a tribute show that travels the country with a wonderful actor, Bill Oberst, who portrays Lewis. So we are trying to keep his work out there for his fans. Lewis, if he were here today, would still call himself a newspaperman, but he was so much more. A husband, a father and in my opinion a master storyteller. There will never be another Lewis Grizzard.’’

While Lewis Grizzard may be gone, he is certainly not forgotten. Fans can still catch of a glimpse of their hero as actor Bill Oberst travels the country portraying the late columnist in the one-man reenactment Lewis Grizzard: In His Own Words. “When we were approached about doing a tribute, Dedra and I initially didn’t think it was a good idea,’’ longtime Grizzard friend and business manager Steve Enoch said. “But after an actor was found and we saw how well it could be done, we jumped aboard. No one can ever replace Lewis, but for the people who never saw him live, this is a great chance to go back in time. It has worked out real well and I think Lewis would be proud.’’ For more information on the show’s schedule visit www.lewisgrizzard.com

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grizzard Put Some South in Yo’ Mouth

Look Away, Look Away, and Watch What You Say

by Lewis Grizzard

Lewis Grizzard (1946-1994) penned thousands of columns during his journalism career. Y’all Magazine is proud to showcase the late legend’s work in each issue. For more on Grizzard, log on to www.LewisGrizzard.com

As soon as Bill Clinton was elected president, along with his running mate Al Gore, I knew “y’all” would be thrust upon the public like white on grits. Clinton, of course is from Arkansas and Gore is from Tennessee. I don’t count either man as having all the characteristics of a true Southerner, since both passed up their state universities for Georgetown and the Ivy League. But both obviously understand “y’all” and use it often. “Y’all” is, to be sure, a Southern thing that most people living outside the South don’t understand. I have long been involved in y’allism. I find it a charming word that is pure Southern, but because it is often misunderstood, I thought it would be wise to discuss ‘y’all’ at some length. The biggest mistake people from outside the South make in the y’all area is they don’t think we say “y’all” at all. They think we say “you all.” A Southerner visiting the North surely will be mocked the first time he or she opens his or her mouth and out comes a Southern accent. Northerners will giggle and ask, “So where are you all from?” I answer by saying. “I all is from Atlanta.” For some unknown reason, Northerners think Southerners use “you all” in the singular sense. How many movies have I seen where a Northerner is trying to do a Southern accent, failing miserably, saying you all, while addressing one other person? Southerners rarely use “you all” in any situation but they never, never, ever, ever, use it when addressing just one person. If you were in my home and I offered you a cup of coffee I would say, “Would you like a cup of coffee?” If you and your brother-in-law and your cousin were in my home, then I’d say, “Would y’all like a cup of coffee?”

“

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“Y’all” is, of course, a contraction of “you all,” and most Southerners use it in all verbal situations involving more than one person. And another thing: Northerners also tend to think Southerners say the following when bidding a farewell to a visitor: “You all come back now, you heah?” Maybe the Clampetts said that, but very few real Southerners do. We might say, “Y’all come back to see us when you can,” or “If y’all can’t come, call.” But this “you heah” business is the concoction of some Yankee scriptwriter trying to be cute. I rarely get into a punching mode, but I was in New York doing a tape version of a book I had written and the producer had hired an actor to speak some of the lines. “Can you do a Southern accent?” I asked the actor. “Would you all like to hear me?” he answered. “I’ve already heard enough,” I said. Then I turned to the producer and said, “This man isn’t going to be on my book tape because I will not have the Yankee version of a Southern accent in or on anything that bears my name.” The actor became enraged and said he could, too, do a Southern accent, and I replied, “If you can do a Southern accent, pigs can fly.” We got into each other’s face, but before we came to blows, the producer fired the man and ordered him out of the studio and the script was altered so I would be the only one speaking on the tape. I take the Southern accent and the preservation of its purity quite seriously. And if you don’t like it, just keep it to yourself, you heah? From Southern by the Grace of God.

The biggest mistake people from outside the South make in the y’all area is they don’t think we say “y’all” at all. They think we say “you all.”

”

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on the money Debt Myths Continued

The Downfall Of Relationships And Money

by Dave Ramsey Dave Ramsey is a financial counselor, host of the popular syndicated radio show “The Dave Ramsey Show,” and author of the New York Times bestseller The Total Money Makeover. His columns appear regularly in Y’all.

Hundreds of callers to my radio show have told stories of relationships falling apart after they loaned money to a friend or relative. You know the old joke, if you loan money to your brother-in-law and he never talks to you again, was it worth the investment? MYTH: If I loan money to friends or relatives, I am helping them. TRUTH: If I loan money to a friend or relative, the relationship will be strained or destroyed. We have all experienced loaning someone money and finding an immediate distancing in the relationship. In one particular call, Joan was complaining about how a loan had ruined her relationship with one of her best friends at work. She loaned the lady, a broke single mom, $50 until payday. Payday came and went, and her friend – someone she used to talk to at lunch everyday, someone who was her confidante and sounding board – now avoided her. Shame and guilt had entered the scene with no provocation. We don’t control how debt affects relationships; debt does that independently of what we want. The borrower is servant to the lender; and you change the spiritual dynamic of relationships when you loan loved ones money. Joan was really torn up about losing this friendship. I asked her if the friendship was worth $50. She gushed that it was worth many times that, so I told her to call her friend and tell her the debt was forgiven, a gift. The forgiveness of the debt helped her remove the master-servant dynamic from the relationship. Of course, it would be better if that dynamic had never entered the scene. I also suggested two stipulations to the forgiveness of the debt: first, that the friend agrees to help someone in need someday; and second, that she never loan friends money. Let’s break the myth chain. In Joan’s case, the myth chain of loaning a friend money will be broken only if they both learn their lesson. The lesson is that while it is fine to give money to friends in need if you have it, loaning them money will mess up relationships. I have dealt with hundreds of strained and destroyed families where well-meaning people loaned money to “help.” Parents loan the twenty-five-year-old newly married couple the down-payment money for the first home. It all seems so noble and nice until the daughter-in-law catches the disapproving glances at the mention of the couple’s upcoming vacation. She

knows the meaning of the glances, that she should check with these well-meaning, noble parents-in-law before she buys toilet paper until the loan is repaid. A lifetime of resentment can be born right there. MYTH: By co-singing a loan, I am helping a friend or relative TRUTH: Be ready to repay the loan; the bank wants a co-signer for a reason they don’t expect the friend or relative to pay. Think with me for a moment. If debt is the most aggressively marketed product in our culture today, if lenders must meet sales quotas for “loan production,” if lenders can project the likelihood of a loan’s going into default with unbelievable accuracy – if all these things are true, and the lending industry has denied your friend or relative a loan, there is little doubt the potential borrower is trouble just looking for a place to happen. The lender requires a co-signer because there is a very high statistical chance that the applicant won’t pay. Why do we co-sign knowing full well the inherent problems? We enter this ridiculous situation only on emotion. Intellect could not take us on this ride. We “know” they will pay because we “know” them. Wrong! Parents co-sign for a young couple to buy a home.

“

Why do we co-sign knowing full well the inherent problems?

”

Why do they need a cosigner? Because they couldn’t afford the home! Parents co-sign for a teenager to buy a car. Why would parents do this? “So he can learn to be responsible.” No, what the teenager has learned is, if you can’t pay for something, buy it anyway. Brian emailed me about his girlfriend’s car. It seems he co-signed for a $5,000 car for his sweetie. Well, sweetie took off with the car, he can’t find her, and, surprise, surprise, she isn’t making the payments. Now, either his credit shows him as a deadbeat, or he makes payments on a car he can’t find for a girl he doesn’t want to find. That sums up co-signing: broken hearts and broken wallets. That’s how co-signing usually goes, so unless you are looking for a broken heart and a broken wallet, don’t do it. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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South 101: T

Studying the Land of Y’all By Matt Heermans

he American South is heaven on earth. It is a place with mountains as well as beaches. We’ve got cowboys here and we’ve got French speaking Cajuns. From the Gulf Coast of Texas to the Atlantic seaboard of Virginia, the South spans nearly one third if the United States’ overall land mass as well as being home to a third of our nation’s population. Yes, the Land of Cotton is a large place, and in certain areas, a very diverse place as well. Modern day Dixie is a progressive and growing region that looks to the future without regret, but simultaneously holds tight to the unique traditions and culture that have set us apart from the rest of America through the years. It is a mix of old and new – and the concoction seems to be enticing to many non-Southern immigrants from elsewhere in the country as well as several expanding corporations.

self-contained schools of Southern thought and research, there are several other universities across Dixie that add their own little piece to the Southern academic pie. Here are some major points of interest regarding both the programs at Ole Miss and UNC, and some other uniquely Southern academic fi xtures. Ole Miss’ Center for the Study of Southern Culture: ■ Dedicated to strengthening the University of Mississippi’s humanities program through the exploration and documentation of the American South’s complex and diverse cultural traditions. ■ A committee of the school’s faculty and administrators began planning the Center for the Study of Southern Culture in 1975. ■ In 1978 William Ferris was named director of the Center, and under his 20-year tenure, The University of Mississippi became internationally recognized as a leader in the examination and study of the South. ■ The 1986 creation of the Southern Studies Master of Arts program, which now enrolls two dozen of the brightest students from across the nation and around the world. ■ The 1999 creation of the Southern Foodways Alliance, whose members strive to nurture and celebrate the food-centered customs of the South. ■ The Center is in the process of producing a second, updated and expanded edition of the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. ■ Then and Now symposium, which took place November 18-20, 2004, brought distinguished journalists, politicians, policy makers, and scholars together in panels to hold conversations on issues such as race relations, politics, the media, religion and public policy. ■ The Center for the Study of Southern Culture continues to investigate, in ever-growing ways, the place of the South in the fabric of American life. The University of North Carolina’s Center for the Study of the American South: ■ In 1992, the UNC Board of Governors established the Center for the Study of the American South to confirm Carolina’s longstanding commitment to its own region. ■ The Center fosters outstanding scholarship exploring every aspect of the South’s rich though often painful past and supports the region’s democratic and progressive future. Its programs emphasize Southern history, literature, and culture as well as ongoing social, political, and economic issues. ■ The mission of the Center for the Study of the American South is to extend the historic role of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the world’s premier institution for research, teaching, and public dialogue on the history, culture, and contemporary experience of the American South.

L TO R: OLE MISS: BRUCE NEWMAN/GETTY, UNC PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPT.

But alas, for many years pundits have been warning us that the end is near. The homogenization of America has hit the South hard. Quick economic growth and the resulting influx of many from outside of the Southland have come with much reward; but have also brought with them a watering-down effect, if you will, to the South’s treasured culture. Is the South doomed to become a hotter, more muggy version of Peoria, Illinois? Or will the South as we know it continue to flourish in culture, attitude and distinctiveness? If a few Southern universities have anything to say about it, what all Southerners and many non-Southerners have come to know and love about our region will continue to be commonplace for many years to come. From Denton, Texas, to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, colleges all over the South are taking care to recognize and research what makes us all so “Southern.” The two major Southern thinktanks of our era are located at The University of Mississippi and at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Each one seeks to delve deep into Southern culture, history and the reasons behind why we are the way that we are. The Center for the Study of Southern Culture, at Ole Miss and the Center for the Study of the American South at UNC are both South-specific functioning pieces of each university responsible for the instruction of Southernfocused courses and the promulgation of new research and literature, just to name a few areas that the two centers focus upon. The reasoning behind giving this much priority to just one American regional culture is the belief that to keep the soul of the South alive, we must constantly study what it means to be a Southerner and celebrate our distinctiveness. For many of us who love and live the South on a daily basis, a debt of gratitude is owed to these dedicated Southerners who work tirelessly spreading the gospel of the American South to thirsty minds young and old. While these two universities each have

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University of North Carolina

■ “SouthNow,” The Program on Southern Politics, Media and Public Life is a non-partisan organization devoted to serving the people of North Carolina and the South, by informing the public agenda and nurturing leadership. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill established the Program as a vehicle by which to exercise its scholarly strength, civic tradition and historic mission of public service. The Program resides in the Center for the Study of the American South. ■ Published for the Center by the University of North Carolina Press, Southern Cultures provides a rich forum of animated, informed voices discussing all aspects of Southern life. Compiling the best of academic and general interest writing, each issue features insightful articles, entertaining columns, and captivating photographs--all bound in an award-winning design. ■ Through the Southern Research Circle, UNC graduate students and faculty from a variety of departments gather together to discuss new research about the South and its people. The SRC’s goal is to foster new understandings of the region and a sensibility among researchers as to how their work can speak to broad audiences outside their individual fields. The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, is home to The Pat Warde Memorial Collection of Southern Letters. Pat Warde was an integral part of the intellectual and political life of UNT and the entire Denton community. In memory of his wife’s love of literature and her dedication to the best ideals incorporated in the great literature of the South, Bill Warde established the Pat Warde Memorial Collection of Southern Letters for the UNT Library in 1992. Replenished by ongoing contributions, the Collection is a living entity, consisting of first and rare editions of important Southern authors, as well as critical and biographical works on authors represented in the collection. The Collection is particularly strong in the works of Eudora Welty and Katherine Anne Porter, as well as Flannery O’Connor and others. Through the endowment, first editions, autographed copies, limited editions, and association copies are thus made available to visitors to the Rare Book Room of the University of North Texas Libraries. Rice University in Houston, Texas, is home to the The Journal of Southern History. Founded November 2, 1934, the Southern Historical Association encourages the study of history in the South, with emphasis on the history of the South. The Association maintains two permanent offices: the editorial offices of the Journal of Southern History located at Rice University, and the SecretaryTreasurer’s office located at the University of Georgia. The Journal of Southern History, which is published in February, May, August, and November, circulates to approximately 5,000 members and libraries in the United States and foreign countries. The Journal focuses on Southern history, broadly interpreted. Issues contain scholarly

articles, historical notes, book reviews, and news of historical interest. Contributors to the Journal include almost everyone who is doing or has done significant work in the field of Southern history. The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is home to The Southern Historian, an annual journal published each April at The University of Alabama under the direction of the Department of History and the Media Planning Board. The Southern Historian is a non-profit journal that highlights the best new articles in Southern history and culture and reviews of the latest books in all fields of American history. Each issue is written, edited, and produced entirely by graduate students. Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, is home to Dr. William C. Welch and his extensive study of the Southern Garden. A&M is also the originator of the Oktober Gartenfest, a celebration of Southern gardening, complete with festivities and lectures by many different Southern horticulturists. The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, is the hub for the Southern Comparative Literature Association, the aim of which is to support and strengthen Comparative Literature studies. The Association strives to foster an interest in literature as a form of artistic expression beyond national and linguistic boundaries, to help acquaint the community at large with the aims and values of comparative literature studies, and to help place young scholars in academic positions where they may be effective as teachers and scholar-critics. In order to achieve these goals, the Association holds meetings for the purpose of presenting and discussing studies in comparative literature and cooperates with other organizations interested in the attainment of these objectives. Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is home to the Vive Les Cadjins project of introducing the Cajun French language back into the lives of Louisianans. “The people in Louisiana realize that they are in a situation of language loss,” said Sylvie Dubois, chair of the LSU French department. “The Cajun language is part of Louisiana culture, so all efforts should be devoted to its preservation and maintenance.” LSU began offering Cajun French courses in 1998, a few years after receiving a National Science Foundation grant to conduct research within the Cajun community. LSU’s Department of French Studies, ranked eighth in the nation by the National Research Council, used the gathered research material and funding from federal agencies for the creation of a Cajun French undergraduate curriculum, which allows students to major or minor in French with an emphasis in Cajun French.

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evan rachel wood | sue monk k bobby valentino | jill marie jon brian vickers | matthew s

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ON THIS PAGE/WOOD:CARLOALLEGRI-GETTY. ON PREVIOUS PAGES (L TO R);JONATHAN DANIEL-GETTY, PETERKRAMER-GETTY, FREDERICK M. BROWN-GETTY, SIGRID ESTRADA CREDIT, UVA PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPT., MARK MAINZ-GETTY, CHAD MILLS, FREDERICK M. BROWN-GETTY, VINCE BUCCI-GETTY, JOE ROBBINS-GETTY, TIME-WARNER BOOK GROUP

Evan Rachel by Annabelle Robertson

Donʼt be fooled by the accent. Although Evan Rachel-Wood sounds like a Valley Girl, with the torn jeans and t-shirt to match, sheʼs really a Southern girl – if birth has anything to do with it, that is. The up-and-coming young actress, who turns 18 in September, has already appeared in some 20 film and television projects, from Ron Howardʼs The Missing and Sim0ne, with Al Pacino, to TVʼs Once and Again. She also has three films coming out this year and two others, Running with Scissors and The Mermaids Singing, already slated for release in 2006. Woodʼs most memorable role so far, however, has probably been Thirteen, with Holly Hunter, in 2003. The film, which many considered troubling, thrust Wood into the public eye as a rebellious adolescent seduced by drugs, sex and a wayward best friend. In fact, audiences were so disturbed that Wood says she still encounters fathers who refuse to look her in the eye. One woman came up to her and said, “Thank you. Now I know Iʼm never having children.” Nevertheless, the actress credits Thirteen with “saving” her from stereotypical teenage roles. “Thatʼs just not my thing,” she says, flipping back her long, blonde hair and widening her trademark blue eyes. “[Those films] are not the kind of movies that I want to watch. I usually just do movies that I would like going to see… Everybodyʼs like, ʻYouʼre really attracted to the dark, extreme stuff, right?ʼ Iʼm like, ʻNo, I just like doing good movies.ʼ” Wood says she prefers seeing and acting in films that portray consequences. “I hate watching movies where there are giant car chases and theyʼre hitting cars and getting into accidents and they never [say], ʻHey, what about the people you just killed?ʼ” she says. “I try to avoid that. If Iʼm going to do anything extreme, I want it to have consequences.” Born in Raleigh, N.C., in 1987 to award-winning actor, director and playwright Ira David Wood III, Wood often appeared in productions in the cityʼs acclaimed Theatre in the Park, which her father founded and still directs. “I didnʼt realize how small of a town I was 38

from until I got back,” she says, about Raleigh and the three annual visits sheʼs made since her parentsʼ divorce. The teen, who received a black belt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 12, moved to Los Angeles with her mother as a child. And, while she considers L.A. home and no longer has a Southern accent, Wood still has a tendency to revert to Southernisms – like the word “yʼall.” “My dadʼs girlfriends have really heavy accents,” she says. “So whenever I go there, Iʼm gone – completely gone.” Wood has been working hard. This year, she will star in several different roles. In Upside of Anger, which hit theatres in the spring, Wood played Popeye, the youngest of four daughters affected by the rage and alcoholism of their mother (Joan Allen). Each of the sisters in the film deals with her pain in different ways. Popeye falls in love with a boy who eventually admits that he is gay. “Iʼm a completely normal girl,” she says, of her role. “I donʼt cry. I donʼt scream. Iʼm not angsty. Iʼm really happy, but I fall in love with a gay guy. But, you know, at least Iʼm sane.” Woodʼs most recent projects are Down in the Valley, written and directed by David Jacobson (Dahmer), and Pretty Persuasion, alongside James Woods. In Pretty Persuasion, Wood plays Kimberly, 15, a high school student at an exclusive Beverly Hills prep school who accuses her teacher of sexual harassment. “Iʼm really interested to see how people are going to react because itʼs really different,” she says of the film, which is slated for release in August. “People are either gonna fall in love with it or not get it. Everybody in the movie has a dark side and all of them have a weakness, and [Kimberly] finds everybodyʼs and puppeteers everybody and manipulates them all just to get what she wants. Sheʼs evil – pretty evil.” Down in the Valley, which premiered in May at the

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Wood

Cannes Film Festival and has yet to set a U.S. release schedule, recounts the story of a western-obsessed man named Tex, played by Edward Norton. Wood plays Tobe, who infuriates her father when she seduces Tex, a man more than twice her age. In typical teenager speak, Wood describes the film as “really, really different.” “Itʼs really cool,” she adds, twisting one of the many rings she wears on her fingers. Itʼs like trying to describe an android. It starts off like really kind of slow, and you donʼt really know what it is, and then it gets really dreamy and fantastical and thereʼs all this suspense and everythingʼs going crazy. Itʼs like an epic, except itʼs not, like, three hours long…. Thereʼs a lot going on and I think, in my opinion, itʼs the best thing that I have ever done.” In many ways, Down in the Valley may prove to be just as controversial as Thirteen – not only because of the filmʼs subject

matter, but because of the huge age difference between Tobe and Tex. “My character and Edwardʼs character are both very, very lonely,” Wood says. “And he kind of has this shady past, and heʼs kind of lost touch with reality, and he thinks that heʼs a cowboy. Itʼs a bittersweet love story. Theyʼre emotional equals and the only reason why they connect is because theyʼre lonely and desperate and obviously a relationship canʼt survive off of that. So of course everything kind of explodes and she realizes what sheʼs gotten herself into and it all goes downhill.” As for the age difference, Wood is blasé. “I mean, heʼs got the mind of a 16-year-old. Heʼs kind of at that level, so itʼs not creepy,” she insists. The criticism doesnʼt seem to bother her, which is a good thing for an actress. Clearly, this Southern girl intends to make her mark on Hollywood. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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SUE MONK KIDD Author Sue Monk Kidd grew up in the small town of Sylvester, Ga., which has provided much inspiration to her writing through the years. Her best-selling first novel, The Secret Life of Bees, was heavily influenced by her childhood and life in Georgia. It was not until after Sue turned 30 that she decided to follow her passion for writing. After writing several non-fiction spiritual memoirs, Sue’s first novel was published in 2002. Her second novel, The Mermaid Chair, was published this spring. The mother of two is now working on her third novel at home in Charleston, S.C. 40

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KIDD: SIGRID ESTRADA CREDIT, OSTEEN: TIME WARNER BOOK GROUP

JOEL OSTEEN

Osteen is the pastor of America’s fastest growing church, Lakewood Church in Houston, with over 32,500 in attendance each weekend. He’s taken his rising fame to the top of book charts, penning the New York Times best-seller Your Best Life Now. Osteen, who inherited his discipleship from his father, can be seen sharing his teachings regularly on BET, ABC Family and Trinity networks. His broadcast is rated as the No. 1 inspirational program throughout the nation, as rated by Nielsen. The 42-year-old pastor did not go to seminary and never preached a sermon until a week before his father’s death. Joel and his wife Victoria often tour the nation, sharing God’s message of unconditional love and unending hope with thousands.

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Born in Jackson, Miss., and raised in Atlanta, Bobby Valentino, 25, always dreamed of being a singer. After having some success in 1996 with his group, Mista, Bobby decided to first focus on education before pursuing his music career. After graduating from Clark Atlanta University in 2003, Bobby went back to recording demos, which ended up reaching hip hop star Ludacris, who was very impressed with the young singer. Ludacris named Bobby the first R&B singer in the rapper’s “Disturbing the Peace” (DTP) crew. With support from both rap and R&B groups, Bobby’s first solo album, Slow Down, became an instant smash in early 2005. The album’s debut single, “Slow Down,” rose to No. 1 on the R&B chart, and the album itself entered the Billboard 200 at No. 3.

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VALENTINO: SCOTT GRIES-GETTY, MOREGAN: FREDERICK M. BROWN-GETTY

CRAIG MORGAN

It’s one thing to go to No. 1 on the country music singles chart. It’s a bigger deal when that record stays at the top for five weeks. And it’s a huge deal if you can do all of this and be on a small, independent label. But that’s the story of Craig Morgan’s “That What I Love About Sunday,” which tore up the chart earlier this year. Before the hit records, the Kingston Springs, Tenn., native spent 10 years in the Army where he began writing and performing while stationed in Korea. The 40-yearold crooner’s current song, “Redneck Yacht Club,” is rising up the charts now.

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JONES: FRAZER HARRISON-GETT(L), MICHAEL BUCKNER-GETTY(R)

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Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Jill Marie Jones began her career as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, after attending Texas Women’s University. Since she was young, Jones, 28, had her sights set on acting. After moving to Los Angeles in 1999, she eventually landed a role as “Toni Childs” on the hit UPN series, Girlfriends. She and the cast made history by being the first women to ever host NAACP Image Awards held earlier this year. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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MARK TEIXEIRA When the Texas Rangers baseball club flew to Baltimore for a series with Orioles in July, Mark Teixeira went home – literally. The switch-hitting slugger slept in his old bedroom at his parent’s Severna Park home, complete with Mark’s Little League trophies and the family’s 14-year old West Highland terrier, “Mackenzie.” Earlier this year, “Tex” was the toast of Detroit, where he was a first-time American League All-Star. Halfway through the 2005 season, the former Georgia Tech collegian led the Majors in homers, with 28 dingers. At 25 years of age and only three years into his Big League career, this powerful first baseman is well on his way to being a career All-Star.

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TEIXEIRA:RONALD MARTINEZ-GETTY, MORA: JAMIE SQUIRE-GETTY

JIM MORA , JR.

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Although he’s often called Jim Mora, Jr., this 43-year-old coaching sensation is quick to point out he’s different from his father. Not only did the junior Mora produce an NFC South title for the Atlanta Falcons during his first year at the helm, he and his father, the former head coach at New Orleans and Indianapolis, have different middle names. After losing the NFC Championship game in January, Mora “Jr.” said, “I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot this year, and I told the players I was very, very proud of what they’d accomplished as a team and yet, in no way are we satisfied with the way our season ended.” We’ll see just how far Mora and his team rise in 2005.

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BRIAN VICKERS After winning the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series Championship, it was only a matter of time before the Thomasville, N.C., native tore up the senior circuit. Vickers, 21, has been close to capturing the checkered flag in his two Nextel Cup seasons, but it still eludes him. That’s okay, because at least this Tar Heel looks good losing. One of his sponsors, Garnier Fructis, has painted the No. 25 car neon green at two races this year. Vickers, who is single, rubs in his favorite hair product when he sits down to listen to Sinatra and eat sushi, two of his favorite hobbies. “Since I began racing, I hoped the title of ‘race-car driver’ was in my future. But haircare model? Now that’s unexpected,” Vickers says. 48

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MATTHEW SETTLE

VICKERS: CHRIS STANFORD-GETTY, SETTLE: PETERKRAMER/GETTY

The son of a North Carolina Baptist preacher, Matthew Settle got his start in show business by selling records at Dollywood. Viewers can find the 36year-old in TNT’s latest epic series, Into the West directed by Steven Spielberg. On the big screen, fans can see Matthew this fall in The Celestine Prophecy, the film adaptation of James Redfield’s best-seller. Many might recognize this up-and-coming star from his debut in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer or his appearances on a season of ER. Matthew currently resides in Los Angeles and is working on several new projects.

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VIRGINIA GOVERNOR

MARK WARNER

Mark Warner may have grown up in the Midwest, but he’s made a smooth transition into the life of a Southern governor. Born in a middleclass family in Indianapolis, Ind., Warner, 50, moved and graduated from high school in Connecticut. A bright student, he went on to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and was the first college graduate of his family. Wanting to pursue more education, he attended Harvard Law School and afterward became a Senate staff member. He then married his wife, Lisa Collis, of Falls Church, Virginia. The couple now has three daughters:Madison, Gillian, and Eliza.

WARNER:(L) PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/GETTY, UVA PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPT(R)

by Macey Lynd Edmondson

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Education in hand, Warner went on to become a successful venture capitalist in Virginia in the 1980’s. The Yankeeturned-Southerner began a profitable cellular communications businessesNextel Communications, Inc., and Capital Cellular Corporation. He also cofounded Columbia Capital Corporation, a technology company that has resulted in the employment of over 15,000 people. Warner was elected Virginia’s governor in 2001. He’s wrapping up his term as the commonwealth’s 69th governor this fall (Virginia law does not allow a governor to be reelected). In addition to being very business savvy, Warner has shown much interest in helping underserved individuals since the beginning of his political career. He developed and implemented the service Tech Riders to provide computer classes to places of worship and libraries across Virginia, free of charge. He also started the Virginia Health Care Foundation, which spawned SeniorNavigator.com, a group that provides assistance for elderly Virginians in finding medical answers and health services free of charge. Virginia High-Tech Partnership was developed by Warner to provide a network for students at Virginia’s historically black colleges and universities to connect with internships and career opportunities at technology companies. Being the first college graduate of his family, Warner has seen the benefits reaped from achieving a higher education and strongly believes that all Virginians

should have the opportunity to receive an education from the the commonwealth’s colleges and universities. He strongly believes that higher education should be more accessible. Warner insists that higher education institutions in Virginia should not consist of students from six zip codes from the northern part of the state; they should include students from all over Virginia. Governor Warner is not without critics. Many antitax activists have spoken out against the governor’s vast tax changes that have taken place over the past three years. Warner headed a very comprehensive tax reform adopted with bipartisan legislative majorities. Despite his critics, it earned Virginia straight A’s from the Government Performing Project, which rates and evaluates leadership and management of governments. Ask Gov. Warner who his favorite political heroes are and he’ll tell you Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, and Gandhi. Warner has been described as a more moderate democrat, for whom the Democratic Party feels like a natural choice. “I am a Democrat because since Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and since Jackson spoke for the common man, our party has never been the party of the status quo,” he says. He is quick to point

out past challenges of the party, but believes that if the focus is placed on the future and things that could be accomplished, more moderate constituents would find a home in the Democratic Party. He believes that not all policies must be partisan-related and little will be accomplished if a person takes his party to the extreme. Warner believes that if an excellent proposal is made, it should be supported no matter who initiated it. He exemplified this belief when he helped Republican lawmakers push $900 million in bonds to support campus reconstruction. In addition, Warner states he is a strong believer in the working man and woman, equal opportunity, and education and he believes the Democratic Party encompasses all these beliefs. “In fact, I think the Democratic Party is the party of the American Dream,” he says. There are rumblings up in Washington about Warner’s future. Could he lead the Democratic Party ticket for President in 2008? When asked about his future, in true politico style, he states that in Virginia you only have the opportunity to serve as governor for four years and he intends to give his constituents all four years. Warner did not give any specifics regarding possibly running for President in 2008, but indicated that he wanted to continue in the debate. A rising Southerner with a wide-open future. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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w w w. y a l l . c o m

The South’s South’s Web Address!

A documentary of General Nathan Bedford Forrest featuring commentary by Shelby Foote. Presenting the first documentary to look exclusively at the life of the Confederacyʼs “Wizard of the Saddle.” This film on Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest features expert analysis from Civil War writer Shelby Foote, Gen. Parker Hills, Nelson Winbush and others. Portrayed by Stan Dalton, Gen. Forrest comes to life in this objective work by director Jon Rawl. Ride with Forrest and discover for yourself the extraordinary life, controversy and myth that surrounds this Southern legend. Also available is the full 49 min. audio interview CD with Shelby Foote, featuring commentary not heard in the documentary VHS.

by Rick Hynum

$1995 $1495 60 min. VHS

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49 min. Audio CD

log on to:

www.RebelForrest.com

or call toll-free:

1-866-815-0872

$3 per item shipping charge. Mail check payable to Jon Rawl/ P.O. Box 1217, Oxford, Miss., 38655

8/10/05 10:14:49 PM

w w w. y a l l . c o m

They’re in homecoming parades, you hear them at halftime of college football games, and they’ve even been documented in movies such as 2003’s Drumline. The South is home to many of the most famous college marching bands. Their sounds are rousing and rhythmic, exhilarating and entertaining, flamboyant and funky. Whether you are a fan of the flamboyant styles of Southern, Florida A&M or Clark Atlanta, or the conservative styles of LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, and others. You can appreciate the hard work these students put in to having the best bands in the land. They come together like the school’s football team – each trumpet, clarinet, tuba and percussionist – to provide the best measure each fall for their dear old school.

The

Band by BrIAN FERGUSON

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Alabama “The Million Dollar Band” The Million Dollar Band began life in 1913 as a 14member unit under Dr. Gustav Wittig, who led the group for three years. It became a military band in 1917 and was led by students until 1927. The name “Million Dollar Band” was bestowed in 1922 by W. C. “Champ” Pickens, an Alabama alumnus. Accounts of how the name evolved vary. In the 1948 Alabama football media guide, it was described this way: At the time the band was named, it was struggling to make it to games. The only way the band could make it to GA Tech for the game was by soliciting funds from merchants. Usually the band had to ride all night in a day coach, but they raised enough money to get a tourist sleeper and put two people in a lower and two people in an upper berth. Thus, because of the band’s fund raising prowess, Pickens called it the “Million Dollar Band.” During that same Georgia Tech game in 1922, an Atlanta sportswriter commented to Pickens, “You don’t have much of a team; what do you have at Alabama?” Pickens replied, “A Million Dollar Band.” Today, the MDB is 330 members strong, delighting Bama fans with songs such as “Yea Alabama” and “Rammer Jammer.”

Auburn “auburn university marching band” National Championships do exist down on the plains. Although the football team was shortchanged in 2004, the band is the defending champion, winning the 2004 Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy, the nation’s highest and most coveted award for college and university marching bands. The band is over 330 strong including featured majorettes and dancers, keeping the Tigers faithful on their feet. But the numbers weren’t always this high. The school band traces its beginning to 1897, when the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama (as it was known then) had a single tenor horn named “Jenny Lind,” and a single bass drum.

Jacksonville StATE “Marching Southerners” “The Marching Southerners” have been defining the future of marching bands for more than 45 years, direct from Jacksonville State University (a.k.a. Rick & Bubba U.). Comprised of students from all over the country, the Southerners perform for thousands each season - sending chills up the spine and tears down the face. With class and excellence, the Southerners extend “The friendliest campus in the South” wherever they go, both on the field and off. The Southerners Hornline, Drumline, Colorguard and the Marching Ballerinas all make for an exciting afternoon in East Alabama.

Troy “Sound of the South” The Troy University band has been a successful part of the university since 1939, when Lawrence Peterson was appointed the first director. A year later the marching band made its first public appearance during Homecoming festivities. “Sound of the South” was created in 1965 by the legendary Dr. John M. Long. He was one of the first Southern bandmasters to be elected as president of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. It was during the 32 year tenure of Dr. Long that the band program at then-Troy State established a national 54

reputation through its many featured appearances at music conventions, concert tours and recordings with the symphony band, as well as nationally televised appearances with the marching band. The “Sound of the South” has performed with Grammy Award-winning artists Brian McKnight, Lee Greenwood and The Temptations. The band has also been featured on a Warner Bros. marching band promotional CD since 1997, which is distributed to over 38,000 schools throughout the United States and Canada.

Arkansas “Razorback Marching Band” The Razorback band was formed as the Cadet Corps Band in 1874. It was formed as a part of the Military Art Department in the University of Arkansas’s fourth year of operation. This makes it one of the oldest collegiate bands in the United States. After World War II, the band enjoyed steady growth, and in 1947 divided into three bands: a football band, a concert band, and an R.O.T.C. band. Dr. “Doc” Worthington turned the “Hopeful 78” into the “Marching Razorbacks,” an innovative and contemporary marching band whose style, form, and incredible sound continue to be a tradition at the University of Arkansas. The band program at the University of Arkansas currently has three concert bands, two HogWild basketball pep bands, and one HogWild volleyball pep band. The Marching Razorbacks have performed at numerous bowls. The band has also performed with “Doc” Severinson and Jimmy Walker, and has played for such dignitaries as President John F. Kennedy and General Norman Schwartzkopf. The band participated in Arkansas’ own Bill Clinton’s Presidential Inaugural Parade, and at the Grand Finale Band in Ireland’s 1997 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland. In April of 2000, the UA Wind Symphony performed in world-famous Carnegie Hall in New York City. The band fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi and sorority Tau Beta Sigma were both founded at Arkansas.

Florida “Pride of the Sunshine” Before the Steve Spurrier-coached days of the 1990’s, Florida Gator football teams were mediocre at best. Thankfully, Gator fans had their exciting “Pride of the Sunshine” band to liven things up in Gainesville. Starting with the 1953 Florida-Georgia Tech contest, the band hit the field with the world’s largest bass drum (72 inch diameter), “The Drum With the Biggest Boom in Dixie.” Today, the relic appears at each alumni band weekend. The Gatorette squad is a troop of award-winning twirlers accompanying the band. Gator fans chomp their way through the band’s renditions of “We Are the Boys From Old Florida” and “Gimme A “G”, Go Gators.”

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Florida A&M “Marching 100” Ranking high among the many proud traditions of Florida A&M University is the highly acclaimed “Marching 100” band. The first band at this institution, formerly named the Florida A&M College, was organized in 1892 under the leadership of P.A. Van Weller. The band started out with a meager 16 instruments, and now the “Marching 100” has grown to over 360 members. FAMU’s marching band has been credited for no fewer than 30 techniques which have become standard operating procedures for many high school and collegiate marching band programs throughout the nation. The drive for precision is demonstrated in every aspect of its performance, and is a key to the success of the “100”. In 1979, the FAMU band became the first to appear in a joint concert with one of the four major United States Armed Service bands. FAMU was also the first to perform a complete commercial for national television on all four major networks, when they recorded the Welch’s Grape Soda commercial. The band was also the first marching band to be featured in a documentary on 60 Minutes. Perhaps the most notable achievement of the FAMU “Marching 100” is being selected as recipient of the Sudler Marching Band Trophy in 1985. The Sudler Trophy is awarded annually to a college or university marching band which has demonstrated the highest of musical standards and innovative marching routines and ideas and made important contributions to the advancement of the performance standards of college marching bands over a period of years.

FLORIDA STATE “Marching Chiefs” The “Marching Chiefs” is the largest college marching band in the world, 420 strong, with membership comprised of every major at Florida State. In the late 1930s, the first formal band was organized at The Florida State College for Women under the leadership of Charlotte Cooper, Jean Hitchcolk, Allie Ludlaw, and director Owen F. Sellars. With fewer than twenty students, the band made its first performance at the Odds and Evens intramural football game on Thanksgiving Day 1939. The Marching Chiefs are recognized now as the “band that has never lost a halftime” by Sports Illustrated. The Chiefs have preformed at the International Trade Fair in Damascus and for the World Football League in London, and of course at the many bowl games that the Seminole have played in during the Bobby Bowden era.

Clark Atlanta “Marching Panthers” The “Marching Panthers” band is heralded for its precision drills, pageantry, custom arrangements, intense spirit and phenomenal sound. The CAU band is known throughout the nation for its technical artistry and strong commitment to excellence in all areas of performance. Under the innovative musical mastery of Cedric V. Young, the “Marching Panthers” band includes the finest musicians and a beautiful dance team – Essence – and two strikingly talented feature twirlers. CAU Band students are featured instrumentalists for the song, “The Kid in You,” on the soundtrack to the Disney movie, The Country Bears. In the movie, Drumline, the band is featured, and several students in the CAU band help to comprise the fictitious Atlanta A & T Band. In January of 2003, the CAU band thrilled a sold-out audience at the first annual Honda Battle of the Bands, which was held in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. In February of the same year, the “Marching Panthers” were very active during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Atlanta. They performed for the NBA All-Star Weekend Grand Opening, the NBA Celebrity Basketball Game, and with rap star, Lil’ Kim, at the Georgia Dome. The band was featured on MTV and the BET Mad Sports show. The mighty “Marching Panthers” were the “center of attention” at the Gold Coast Classic in San Diego, Calif.

Georgia “The Red Coat Band” With the motto,“There’s nothing finer in the land, than the Georgia Redcoat Marching Band,” this ensemble started in 1905 as a section of the University of Georgia Military Department. The Georgia band has grown in the last 100 years from 20 military cadets to over 350 men and women, covering almost every major at the university. The band’s first non-military performance was at the 1906 Clemson-Georgia baseball game. Soon after, the fight song “Glory Glory to Old Georgia” was composed by former bandsman and future head of the music department Hugh Hodgson. “Glory, Glory to Old Georgia,” is modeled after the “Battle Hymn of Republic,” which was actually based on the 1859 song about the abolitionist known for taking over the U.S. arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, John Brown. During November 1935, Georgia was scheduled to play Louisiana State, who brought the Golden Band from Tigerland with them. The Georgia fans, seeing how small their band was in comparison to the LSU band, raised funds to grow their own band. The Red Coats have seen everything from a live wedding during the 1977 GeorgiaVanderbilt game, to a brand new book published on the history of the Red Coats. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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LSU “Golden Band from Tiger Land” Tours throughout Louisiana and appearances at New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations became early traditions for the “Golden Band from Tiger Land,” which made its first half-time appearance in Tiger Stadium in 1924. By the 1930s, Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long took a personal interest in the LSU band, setting it on a unique course toward national prominence. Long even cowrote several songs for the band, including “Touchdown for LSU,” still the predominant song featured in LSU’s pregame show. Wanting the band to be second to none, the governor planned to make it bigger and better. Today, the LSU Tiger Marching Band, consisting of 325 musicians, the Golden Girls, and the Color Guard, is one of the most important symbols of LSU’s pride and tradition. Before each home football game, thousands of LSU fans anxiously await the arrival of the band to ignite the crowd as the Tigers take the field.

Southern “human Jukebox” Perhaps no other Historically Black College and University is as praised, and hated, as Southern. The “Human JukeBox” accolades are well deserved. The 170-member band recently won a Battle of the Bands contest sponsored by Motown Records, topping more than 20 other Historically Black College and Universities. For more than 40 years, the Baton Rouge school has been under the directorship of Isaac Greggs, who retires after this season. But “The Human JukeBox” is one of a handful of bands with the inglorious distinction of being suspended. During a 1998 football game at Prairie View, the Southern and Prairie View bands hooked up in fisticuffs.

U.S. Naval Academy “The Navy’s Oldest and Finest Band” Since the founding of the Naval Academy in 1845, when the “band”consisted of a fifer and a drummer, music has been an important part of Naval Academy life. The United States Naval Academy Band has established a reputation for outstanding musical support to the Brigade of Midshipmen and the surrounding community. The current version of the Naval Academy Band is a far cry from the thirteen men who reported to Annapolis almost 160 years ago. Today, due to the unmatched versatility of its members, the band is able to blend tradition and change into a wide variety of musical styles. The United States Naval Academy Marching Band may head up a column of Midshipman on parade before dignitaries on Worden Field, advance into Navy/Marine Corps Stadium for a contest on the grid iron, escort a fallen shipmate to his final resting place, or represent the Navy and Naval Academy on “Main Street, USA” in their Memorial Day celebration. In addition, the Concert Band performs a year-round concert series that is both highly acclaimed and well received. Special events include the annual Finale 56

concert featuring all Naval Academy Band ensembles and closing with Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” complete with live cannon fire! The Electric Brigade, the Navy’s premier Top 40 Band, aids recruiting by acquainting young Americans with the Navy and the Armed Forces, in addition to performances for the Brigade of Midshipmen in functions ranging from formal occasions such as the Graduation Ball during Commissioning Week, to informal dances, pep rallies, and company picnics. These are but a few places where “The Navy’s Oldest and Finest Band” continues the long tradition of musical excellence and service to America, begun so many years ago.

Missouri “The Marching Mizzou” “The Marching Mizzou,” also known as the “Big ‘M’ of the Midwest,” is one of the most visible ensembles on campus at the University of Missouri in Columbia. The band is made up of students from nearly every major within the university. This organization combines quality musicianship, spirit, pride and dedication to create their nationally renowned gridiron excitement. “Marching Mizzou” possesses a distinguished tradition of excellence. The Big XII Conference has long been known for fielding many of the finest marching bands at the collegiate level, and MU, one of the leading educational and research institutions of higher education in the world, is no exception. “Marching Mizzou” is well known for the unmatched excellence of its musical performances, along with a marching style that is quick moving and entertaining. The members of the band have accumulated many fond memories affiliated with this great band, including thousands of renditions of the fight song, “Old Missouri.”

Ole Miss “Pride of the South” The Ole Miss band has been giving outstanding performances in concert and in support of Ole Miss Rebel athletic events since it was organized in 1928. The original 26member band has grown to 290 members, and is the largest in the history of the university. In addition to performing at all home football games and many away games, the marching band has attended numerous bowl games the Rebels have played in. Gamedays in Oxford are extra special, with the “Pride of the South” echoing the school’s songs, “Forward Rebels,” “Dixie” and “From Dixie With Love,” through The Grove’s majestic landscape.

Southern Miss “Pride of Mississippi” Great band programs are built on a foundation of tradition, and the University of Southern Mississippi band is no different. Since its foundation in 1920 as a 20-piece brass ensemble, the USM band has evolved into a boastful marching band of more than 300 members. “The Pride of Mississippi” Marching Band has performed before presidents, governors, and even take before the Lord Mayor of Dublin Ireland. The program at Southern Miss is regarded throughout the nation as one of the finest band programs, and on gamedays at “The Rock” in Hattiesburg, you can see this prideful band for yourself.

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NC State “Power Sound of the South” There is excitement when you just hear “Power Sound of the South.” The red and white uniform glows under the nightlight in Raleigh, and five letters stand out on the sash: STATE. The uniform of the North Carolina State University Marching Band has become identified with the musical excitement at its finest. One must look beyond the uniform, though, to recognize the qualities that make the NC State Marching Band unique. Although the men and women who wear it have widely varying backgrounds, they share the same energy, enthusiasm, and burning desire to be the best that typifies each State band member; nothing short will suffice. This band is an athletically-oriented organization as well as a musical one. The men and women work as one to carefully fit the pieces together where each move is repeated until it becomes automatic. The result is the enthusiastic, seemingly effortless performance that has won the group the title, “The POWER Sound of the South.” Daring to be different... that’s what the State band is all about. The marching band does not try to be like other bands and it isn’t satisfied with simply matching the previous year’s accomplishments.

North Carolina “Tar Heel Marching Band” The University of North Carolina Band was formed in 1903, with the first performance occurring in 1904 at a UNC Baseball game. By 1908, the band was traveling by train to away football games on a regular basis, at their own expense. The university began supporting the UNC Band financially in November 1913 by spending $93.05 to send 20 members of the band to Virginia by train to play for a football game. The war years took their toll on the UNC Band, but the post war years redefined the importance of the UNC Band’s role at athletic events. The arrival of football All-American Charles “Choo Choo” Justice meant national rankings and significant exposure for the football team, and the band benefited as well. In the fall of 1963, basketball coach Dean Smith inquired as to the possibility of having a band at home basketball games, and marching band member Keith McClelland assembled an ensemble of about a dozen players, many of whom were marching band members to play at the games in Woolen gym. In 1989 the band once again established themselves as the “Pride of the ACC”. The 400 students involved in the UNC Bands enjoy involvement in a campus organization

that provides immediate identity and purpose. The UNC Bands encourage and promote academic excellence with rehearsal and performance schedules that are compatible with the student’s academic requirements. Music majors and students pursuing degrees in other fields are able to participate without compromising their academic pursuits.

University of Oklahoma “Pride of Oklahoma” If you have never heard the “Pride of Oklahoma,” then you are missing out on one of the South’s best bands. There is a lot of tradition in being a member of the “Pride of Oklahoma,” from the trombone players scraping their horns against a concrete beam stenciled with the simple word “PRIDE,” to the drums exploding into a quick cadence as the loudspeakers announce the “Prrrride of Oklahoma!” The pre-game show is one of the most exciting in the South. The full 300-piece band projects in full volume the collective Sooner Spirit with its signature version of “Oklahoma!” Unlike many other college bands, which began as military drill units, the “Pride of Oklahoma” had its beginnings as a pep band. In the early years of the 1900s, both townspeople of Norman and students of OU participated in a band that played for football games. In the early years, the primary function of the band was to provide spirit and entertainment at athletic events. The band also gave concerts and participated in parades. In 1907 the band marched in a parade for the inauguration of the first governor of Oklahoma, and in 1913 made its first trip to Stillwater for the football game with Oklahoma A&M. Through the Great Depression, band members often had to struggle to raise funds for the program and even to stay in school. For the band program to succeed as it did is a testament to the resiliency and optimism of the people of the University of Oklahoma. The band traveled to four straight Orange Bowl games in the mid-1980s. “The Pride” was also awarded the prestigious Sudler Trophy, recognizing the band as one of the top programs in the country. The band continues its traditions of indomitable spirit and cutting edge performances. “Boomer Sooner” still rings out at the end of each rehearsal, and that song is still the defining element of the University of Oklahoma. Maybe that is why Sooner fans love the band so much: There is nothing that can compare to the first “go-go” at a football game when the band marches the interlocking “OU” down the field playing “Boomer Sooner.”

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Clemson “Tiger Band” In the 1930’s, the Clemson College Band Company, 101 strong, had completed its reorganization and was immediately ranked with the South’s finest college organizations. The Tiger Band was broken into four units: A 101 piece parade band, the 46 piece concert band, a 55 piece junior band and a 10 piece college dance orchestra. Since the University’s founding in 1889, none of the members of Cadet Band or Tiger Band have been music majors at Clemson. The fight song “Tiger Rah” was written around 1935 and was reintroduced as a 3-point field goal cheer in 2002. Clemson College Band began playing “Tiger Rag” in 1942 after student band director Dean Ross found the sheet music in an Atlanta music store and brought it back to campus for football games. Other fight songs during Clemson’s history have been “As the Caissons Go Rolling Along” and “Dixie” The “Tiger Fanfare,” by Dr. Mark Spede, was added to the Tiger Rag sequence in 2003. Together, with the elements of “Tiger Fanfare”, “Sock-it-to ‘Em”, “Orange Bowl March” and finally “Tiger Rag” (each having their various forms) the band now has more than 15 different ways to play the South’s favorite fight song! The 2005 season will mark 50 years of “The Band That Shakes The Southland” under its official name: Tiger Band.

South Carolina State “Marching 101” The “Marching 101” Band of South Carolina State University is known from coast to coast. The members have entertained thousands of spectators at football games throughout the Southeast, and millions by way of nationally televised professional football games. They have given spectacular performances in parades and on football fields with a unique type of marching that takes hours of practice to master. They play without music scores, although only 30 percent of the members are music majors. They are in perpetual motion with dance routines and geometric designs while remaining in step and, of course, playing music all the time. The band’s name is actually a misnomer. There are approximately 180 members. For many youngsters throughout the Palmetto State, the band is South Carolina State University. They may not know all the academic opportunities of the institution, but they respond to the exciting music of “The 101.” The band was organized in 1918 as a “regimental band” performing military drills as well as assisting with music in the college Sunday school and other occasions. Although band members hang up their uniforms when the Bulldogs football season is over, many contribute their music skills the remainder of the year.

The Citadel “Regimental Pipe Band” The Citadel has maintained a tradition of duty, pride and excellence as part of the cadet experience, and the Regimental Band and Pipes has been a part of that tradition since 1909. As one of the 18 companies comprising the South Carolina Corps of Cadets, the Regimental Band and Pipes leads the way and sets the tempo that all other cadets follow. The Regimental Band and Pipes functions as a single cadet company at The Citadel, though, it has two parts - the Regimental Band and The Citadel Pipe Band. The Regimental Band is made up of about 70 cadet musicians. The band is an active organization; it performs during the Friday afternoon dress parades, buglers control the daily schedule, and freshman and sophomore cadets from the band perform as the Corps marches to its noon meal during the week. The band is active at football games and inspires Citadel Bulldog teams and fans alike. The sounds of bagpipes were first heard at The Citadel in 1955, brought in by school president Gen. Mark W. Clark. One of the most easily recognized attractions at the college, the Pipe Band is composed of a drum major and approximately 30 to 35 pipers and drummers. Each fall, the unit recruits pipers from the entering freshman class, many of whom have never played the bagpipes. The colorful unit, led by the kilted drum major in a feather bonnet, is the leading element of the Regimental Band and Pipes. In 1981, the bagpipers wore The Citadel’s own tartan, which has been duly registered in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Pipe Band is popular at dress parades and other events throughout South Carolina and the world, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland.

Tennessee “Pride of the Southland” The University of Tennessee Marching Band, known as the “Pride of the Southland,” has represented the university and the Volunteer State since its initial organization following the Civil War. What began as an all-male band attached to the Military Department on the Knoxville campus has grown to a 300-member university marching band known worldwide for its outstanding musical performance and precision drill marching. It is also one of the oldest collegiate band programs in the country. In 1902, the UT Band performed at the home game against Sewanee, and it was during this time that the first recorded appearance of the band at a football game was made. It was in the 1920’s that Ed Harris, sports reporter for the Knoxville Journal, dubbed the band as the “Pride of the Southland.” The band was moved from the Military Department and placed under Music Education. By 1964, the band had grown to over 140 men and women. In 1972, Dr. Julian introduced a new song

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to the fans at Neyland Stadium that immediately became the school’s unofficial fight song,“Rocky Top!” Countless other traditions were established under Julian’s leadership including the “Opening of the T” for the football team at every pre-game ceremony. The “Pride of the Southland” has gained a national reputation for excellence due in part to its over 50 television appearances in the last 30 years. Besides representing the state of Tennessee in the last nine consecutive Presidential inaugurations, the band has appeared at the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Citrus Bowl, Sun Bowl, Hall of Fame Bowl and at the 1998 National Championship Fiesta Bowl. When the University of Tennessee Marching Band takes the field, the fans, alumni, and student reactions indicate that it is not only the Pride of all Tennesseans, but truly the “Pride of the Southland!”

Texas “Showband of the Southwest” The Longhorn Band was founded in 1900 by a distinguished professor of chemistry, Dr. E.P. Schoch. Envisioning marching bands as an inspiring addition to the turn of the century football season, Dr. Schoch, along with Dr. H.E. Baxter, the first director, recruited sixteen students and spent $150 at Jackson’s Pawn Shop in downtown Austin for instruments, and began what was later to become “The Showband of the Southwest.” These students shared one common goal much like that of today: to promote pride and spirit throughout the university by way of musical excellence and leadership. “When they give us ‘The Eyes of Texas,’ a lump comes in our throats and there is a pricklish feeling in our noses and we blink our lashes together and swallow hard - and thank God for Texas,” said one editor of the Daily Texan in 1940. During Band Director DiNino’s reign as director, many traditions in the band were formed including the Longhorn Alumni Band, Big Bertha, Big Flags Brigade, cowbells, and a scholarship program. In the fall of 1957, an Asian flu epidemic swept through campus. So many bandsmen were ill the weekend of the Oklahoma game that women were called to the rescue and have been marching ever since. The Longhorn Band was officially recognized as the

nation’s top collegiate marching band by being awarded the John Philip Sousa Foundation Sudler Trophy in 1986.

Texas A&M “Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band” They always win the halftime. The Aggie musicians all are members of Texas A&M University’s Corps of Cadets, a corps which makes up only four percent of the university’ entire 44,000 enrollment. Members of the “Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band” embody the spirit, camaraderie and excellence of the school they represent. For over 100 years, the Aggies have marched and played proudly for Texas. Freshmen in the band are called “fish,” and are given very short haircuts upon their arrival in College Station. With approximately 350 men and women musicians, it is the largest military marching band in the country. Band members live, eat and are housed together as a unit of the corps. The band is led by members of its senior class, who wear distinctive senior boots. The band is nationally known for its stirring renditions of patriotic tunes and precision military marching style. Among its most popular numbers are “The Aggie War Hymn,” the school’s fight song; and “The Spirit of Aggieland,” its alma mater.

Virginia Tech “Marching Virginians/Highty-Tighties” In Blacksburg, Virginia, you get two Hokie bands for the price of one on gameday, “The Marching Virginians” and the “Highty-Tighties.” “The Marching Virginians,” donning modern band uniforms, were organized in 1974 with about 40 members. During its almost years as the “Spirit of Tech,” the “Marching Virginians” have performed at all home football games and some away games. The band has played at the Hokies various bowl games through the decades. “The Marching Virginians” are supported by a 20-member flapcorps and two feature twirlers. The band rehearses ninety minutes daily in order to prepare a different show for each home performance. The cadet uniform-clad “HightyTighties,” officially known as the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Regimental Band, was formed in 1883, just 11 years after the founding of the university as a military school. Since then, the band has accumulated many honors. In 1936, Franklin D. Roosevelt awarded the band its instinctive white cord. The band later won an unprecedented three consecutive first place awards in the presidential inaugural parade. The “Highty-Tighties” have won nearly all of the competitive parades in which they have marched throughout their long history. All photos courtesy of the Sports Information Department of the marching bands.

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John McKissick: America’s Winningest Football Coach By Jeffrey Rhea Mitchell

merica in 1952 was a nation poised for economic boom times as the country was shaking off the residual dust of the Great Depression. World War II had its own chapter in the history books, and while the Cold War had everyone on edge, technology was coming of age, injecting the American people with a healthy dose of American hope. President Harry Truman was serving his last year in the White House. Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable” ascended to the top of the pop charts. Hard work and dedication were the nation’s watchwords, and John McKissick, a 25-year-old football coach from South Carolina, was laying the groundwork for his legendary career.

In football, being designated a legend is usually based on the magnitude of a player’s statistics. Quarterbacks achieve such notoriety by accumulating touchdown passes. Running backs receive kudos based on total yards rushed. Kickers gain fame by consistently booting field goals, especially last second tries that turn spectators into frenzied fanatics. Coaches, however, reach legendary status not by yards gained or points scored, but by games won. In the case of Summerville High School football coach John McKissick, the term legend falls ingloriously shy of describing the nation’s all-time winningest football coach at any level: high school, college, or professional. Super-legend, if such a moniker exists, would be more suitable. The 2005 season will mark McKissick’s 54th year as the sideline boss for the mighty 60

Green Wave of Summerville, South Carolina (pop. 27,752). At 79, McKissick boasts a career record of 520-124-13, which equates to an eye-popping .791 winning percentage. Enduring only two losing seasons in his 53 year tenure (1957 and 2001), McKissick has guided his teams to ten state championships and seven undefeated seasons. McKissick’s passion for victory emerged from the bleakness of an impoverished childhood during the Great Depression in the quaint Lowcountry town of Kingstree, S.C. (pop. 3,496). “Growing up poor gave me drive,” McKissick says. “I put pressure on myself to try to achieve something in life. I’ve had empathy for kids who had a tough time, especially if they were trying, and compassion for those who lacked confidence.” McKissick’s love for football began when he played midget

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football in the eighth grade. From midget football, McKissick advanced to play prep football at Kingstree High for four years. Following high school, McKissick served in World War II in the United States Army in the 82nd Airborne Division, before going to college. After graduating in 1951 from Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., where he wrestled and played football and baseball, McKissick landed a job in Clarkton, N.C. — over the phone, sight unseen. It wasn’t until he arrived on campus that he discovered that he would be coaching six-man football while earning an annual salary of $2,700 a year. McKissick called Lonnie MacMillian, his coach at Presbyterian and a pioneer of the Split-T offense, for advice. “He gave me four plays to run — told me to run them to the right and left, so it would seem like I had eight,” says McKissick, whose team went 7-0 in 1951. (None of those victories are included in his 520 wins.) Relishing an eleven man challenge, McKissick applied for the job at Summerville in the spring of 1952. “The superintendent, Frank Kirk, later told me I got the job because I was the only applicant who didn’t ask how much it paid,” says McKissick. In addition to coaching football in that first season at Summerville, where he recorded an 8-1-2 mark, McKissick coached boys and girls basketball, baseball and track. He taught two South Carolina history classes and three U.S. history courses. Plus he mowed and lined the football field, shined players’ cleats, washed the game uniforms and taped the players’ ankles, all for $3,000 a year. 512 wins later, McKissick now enjoys a greater salary, but McKissick coaches not for the money, but because he relishes his role as an educator. Truth be told, the folks in Summerville, which is nestled on a picturesque wooded ridge some 25 miles northwest of Charleston, would be lost without the oak barrel reliability of McKissick’s program. “So many leaders have come through the John McKissick system,” says Bo Blanton, chairman of the school board and a former Green Wave quarterback. “Police officers. Teachers. Lawyers. Doctors. Dentists. Legislators. Coaches. The bond has been formed over the years; the winning tradition of the football program has permeated through the community. All because of the excellence of John McKissick. So many people have felt a part of it. So many people have been inspired by it.” McKissick’s success has invited calls from college athletic directors about head coaching jobs (The Citadel, Newberry,

Presbyterian), but he has never come close to leaving. “People always ask me why I didn’t take another job,” McKissick says. “I grew up hard, not having everything I wanted. People have different wants and needs. A lot of people want more than what they really need.” “Working with kids has kept me young; it has allowed me to grow and evolve. And I get so much selfsatisfaction seeing former players around town, at the filling station, the barbershop. ...Even as football coaches at area high schools.” “Why would I ever want to leave Summerville? It’s a wonderful community, with wonderful fans and great support. It’s my family. I have everything I’ve always wanted right here.” Despite his legendary status and his wealth of success, McKissick remains humble. On the cool, late summer night of Sept. 12, 2003, McKissick etched his name in the annals of football when he became the first coach at any level to reach the 500 win plateau. Over eleven thousand fans were in attendance to witness history as the Green Wave eased past rival Wando High School 34-17, giving their leader his 500th career victory. The town was elated, and the Governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford, was present for an opportunity to meet with the team. ESPN and ABC cameras were there, along with many other national representatives. “There were a lot of people here,” says a smiling McKissick. “I was a little nervous about it, but when you look back at it, you can appreciate it. You see that it’s not really for me – it’s for the kids.” Over 3,000 kids have literally won their way through McKissick’s program. Since his arrival in 1952, Summerville High School has grown from a tiny school to one of the largest in The Palmetto State. America in 2005 has also advanced in ways unimaginable to most since 1952. Technology resounds as the nation’s greatest strength as it helps the economy reach unprecedented growth. President George W. Bush now occupies the White House. The songs at the top of today’s pop charts are almost all forgettable. And although the world is full of uncertainty, Americans continue to benefit from shots of American hope as the contemporary watchwords of perseverance and diligence serve their inspirational purpose. In Summerville, John McKissick helps inspire a town to achieve success not only on a high school gridiron on Friday nights in the fall, but also in the Summerville community. Known for towering pines and beautiful azaleas, “The Flower Town in the Pines” has solidified its reputation as one of the South’s most hospitable small towns; as well as the home of a football living legend – and indisputably America’s winningest football coach.

520-124-13

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max’d out

BANNER YEAR AHEAD We started our official countdown to kickoff for the 2005 Season in early February (actually on Feb. 2, the inaugural day for my syndicated radio show, “Max’D Out”). Then, it was 220 days, and now it’s actually here.

by Max Howell

I’ve got you started for this year. We all can now sit back and enjoy the next few weeks of college football, tailgating and trips to the opposing stadiums. By the next issue of Y’all, we will all have a much clearer picture of those predictions. A final early season visit (after reassessing): TOP 15 1. Southern California 2. Texas 3. Tennessee 4. Virginia Tech 5. Iowa 6. Michigan 7. Miami (Fla.) 8. LSU 9. Ohio State 10. Florida 11. Oklahoma 12. Florida State 13. Purdue 14. Louisville 15. Auburn

Coach Max Howell can be heard on MAX’d OUT, syndicated throughout the Southeast weekdays, 9-12 noon CT. Max’d Out can be heard on the following: Maxhowell.com, Kickoffzone.com, HookedonDestin.com

SEC East:

Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Kentucky

SEC West:

LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State

ACC Atlantic: Florida State, Boston College, Maryland, Clemson, NC State, Wake Forest ACC Coastal: Virginia Tech, Miami (Fla.), Georgia Tech, Virginia, North Carolina, Duke Big XII South: Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Baylor Have a great fall, y’all. It’s my favorite time of the year.

L TO R: MATTHEW STOCKMAN/GETTY, GRANT HALVERSON/GETTY

Predicted order of finish for the Y’all Conferences:

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L TO R: JAMIE SQUIRE-ALLSPORT, (MIDDLE) ABC NEWS/GOOD MORNING AMERICA, PAUL HAWTHORNE-GETTY

inner VIEW

Robin Roberts

GMA co-anchor

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first thing I do! It’s really funny because people will come up in different places that I travel and say, “Hey, I know who you are” or what not. It means so much in Mississippi because they know my sisters, my nieces, and my family. They just lift me up to see how happy they are to see what I’m doing. It just means so much when it comes from your people. Much more than somebody in your travels.

Robin Roberts, 44, grew up in Biloxi, Miss., the daughter of an Air Force colonel. After playing basketball at Southeastern Louisiana Univ., Roberts has slam-dunked the world of journalism, including ESPN and now co-anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America. Y’ALL: What’s it REALLY like to be on Good Morning America? ROBERTS: There are no two days alike. Everyday is different. I love that, I’m working with Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson. How cool is that for a Southern Girl? Sometimes it’s surreal. It’s a show I grew up watching and to know that I am helping get people out the door. Working with the type of journalists that I am, it’s really hard to put into words. Y’ALL: On the show, you do a variety of things. ROBERTS: Yeah, I’ll do this and that and I think I’m like a utility player. Like for the Braves. I can pitch, or be a relief pitcher. I started off as kind-of a feature reporter and then a fill-in anchor, then the news anchor and now the co-host. I will do anything from traveling with Bill Clinton to Africa, to you name it; like whipping up something in the kitchen with Emeril. I like the variety. That’s part of the reason why I left sports. It starts to become a little limiting. Now there’s just no end to the possibilities to what I will do on the show, day in and day out. Y’ALL: What do you do what you come back to Mississippi? ROBERTS: Run to the nearest place to get a good bowl of gumbo. That’s the

Y’ALL: What are you like when you are back on the Mississippi Gulf Coast? RR: Being in Mississippi is all about kicking my shoes off, piling up on the couch. Being with my family and friends, and great food. Y’ALL: You were a star basketball player at Southeastern Louisiana, and your nephew, Lawrence Roberts, was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in this year’s NBA Draft. Is athleticism a Roberts’ gene? ROBERTS: I don’t know. I know that my mother’s mom, “Grandma Sally,” was a very tall woman. My mom is the biggest sports nut. She watches everything that is on TV. She was talking about the third string point guard for the Spurs when we were watching the NBA Finals when I was at home. I’m like, you’re scaring me mom! She’s a real sports fan. Y’ALL: Do you miss covering sports on a daily basis? ROBERTS: Yes. When Wimbledon is on, I miss it; and NBA Finals. I still get a chance to go to big sporting events for Good Morning America, like the Tour de France. I just interviewed Lance Armstrong. Y’ALL: What influence did your father, Col. Larry Roberts, (USAF-Ret.), a Tuskegee Airman during World War II, have on you? [Col. Roberts passed away at the age of 81 in October 2004] ROBERTS: I overflow with joy and pride when I think of all my father accomplished, and being a Tuskegee airman. People tried to say to me as a woman in sports that I was a trailblazer. He was a trailblazer. They had very little rights and it was something that they fought for with

such dignity and professionalism. In World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen never lost a plane that they escorted into battle. No other military group can say that. He is a very quiet dignified man and I just well up with pride. He retired a full colonel at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi. Y’ALL: What was it like for the Roberts family to move to The Magnolia State? ROBERTS: It was 1969 when we moved to Mississippi. What’s so beautiful is that we were reluctant in the beginning because we believed all of the things that we had read and heard. But when we experienced Mississippi for ourselves, we loved it. After his retirement, my father had the opportunity to move anywhere we wanted to. We chose as a family to stay in Mississippi. Y’ALL: What does being a former NCAA basketball star mean? ROBERTS: I know without a shadow of a doubt that I would be successful at anything that I chose in life because I had the opportunity to play sports. Because I learned those intangibles that for generations men have learned. Athletics transfers to the business world. Sacrifice, teamwork…all of those clichés. It’s true. If you look at Fortune 500 companies and the men that are running these businesses, 99 percent of them are former athletes. That is what playing basketball at Southeastern Louisiana did for me. It put me in a position to be successful in the business world.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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inner VIEW

David Eckstein All-Star Baseball has taken David Eckstein from his hometown of Sanford, Fla., to the Florida Gators as a “walk on,” then to a World Series Championship in Anaheim in 2002. This year, Eckstein, 30, made his first All-Star team as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s accomplished all this, despite the setbacks caused by his father and three siblings’ kidney ailments.

Y’ALL: How have you overcome the limitations in your career (speed, size, etc.)? ECKSTEIN: If anybody knows my story, all my life people have always underestimated what I can do. It’s straight from the way I look. What I do, it does not look natural. They’ve always underestimated me. So I don’t even worry about those things. I just know if you give me the opportunity to go out there and play, I think you’ll be happy with the job I do.

Y’ALL: In your career with the Angels, you played second base and shortstop. Do you have a preference? ECKSTEIN: It doesn’t really matter if I’m playing second or playing short. I come to each game and take it as an opportunity to go out there and try to win the game. They’ve [the Cardinals] told me shortstop and that’s probably where I’ll be playing, but I’m out there to win. Whatever it takes to win. If they ask me to do something, I’m gonna do it. My main thing is to go out there and be in the right position. If you’re in the right position, the ball is gonna be hit at you more...that’s something that comes with knowing the hitters, being in the right place and knowing how to adjust on each pitch that’s thrown. That’s where I try to make up for the lack of range that people think I have. Y’ALL: Has your father’s (Whitey Eckstein) health ailments, has that dampered this All-Star season?

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ECKSTEIN: My father’s always told me, ‘If anything happens to me, don’t miss a game because I know you love me,’” he said. He doesn’t want to be any type of distraction. I just have always given everything I had. Growing up as a kid, with my oldest brother and two sisters losing kidneys, I could never complain. CLOCKWISE: JED JACOBSOHN/GETTY, BRIAN BAHR/GETTY, BOTTOM AT LEFT BOTH PHTOS COURTESY OF UNIV OR FLORIDA SPORTS INFORMATION, NEXT PAGE: ELSA/GETTY IMAGES

Y’ALL: What does it mean for you to be a member of the St. Louis Cardinals? ECKSTEIN: I had many other teams contacting me, but when the Cardinals came into the situation, we [Eckstein and his agent] pretty much turned it over to them and let them have all the right to negotiate the trade. St. Louis is where I wanted to go. We didn’t even take anything back to any other clubs. We didn’t listen to any other offers. This was a great opportunity, not just from the club side of things but the whole city. Having an opportunity to play there was definitely the goal. So we pretty much gave them every right.

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8/10/05 10:01:37 PM

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wine

down south THE GREAT SOUTHERN GRAPE HARVEST

by Doc Lawrence

Harvest time at Southern wineries is an affirmation of the Biblical prophecy. They joyously reap what they have grown. Grape clusters, ranging from Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Muscadine or Syrah, were picked recently from lovely vines, the first step in an ancient process that will end as something delicious poured into a crystal glass. Vineyards from Missouri and the Texas Hill Country to Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina celebrate the great grape crush. Hard work has ended, and traditionally it’s time to play, savoring the satisfaction of a job well done. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal by Florida State University history professor Darrin McMahon, Thomas Jefferson’s often-quoted words “the pursuit of happiness,” that he penned in the Declaration of Independence proclaimed to the world our fundamental right to enjoy life. Wine enjoyment, which was near the top of Jefferson’s interests, was recognized by our third president as a vital part of this eternal truth. Expanding on Jefferson’s intent, McMahon uncovered the delightful aphorism from another Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, who observed that “wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.” Over 125 years ago, Dennis Wiederkehr’s pioneer winemaking ancestors came to Arkansas from Switzerland and founded Wiederkehr Wine Cellars near the village of Altus on the slopes of the Ozarks. One of the country’s oldest wine producers, Wiederkehr has never ceased operations and survived the mindless destruction of Prohibition, according to Dennis “by making sacramental wines for the Catholic Church and filling prescriptions from local doctors.” Weiderkehr celebrates its harvest with a gala wine festival complete with bluegrass and German Oompah bands, an Elvis impersonator, dancing, great wines and local food favorites. Benny Myers’ forebears from London settled North Carolina’s gorgeous Yadkin Valley in 1773. Today, on the same land, Benny and wife Kim own and manage Laurel Gray Winery, producing from grapes grown in their vineyards some of the South’s finest wines. Their Rosè appropriately named “1773,” along with Syrah, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon and Scarlet Mountain, a heaveninspired red blend, are served during their annual jamboree, Harvest Festival, held cooperatively with three neighboring wineries.

Friendly Southerners to the core, Benny and Kim warmly welcome thousands of visitors who are discovering the Yadkin wine country. The most visited winery in the country isn’t in Napa, but deep in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge mountains at the Biltmore Estate. Asheville’s renowned architectural wonder, in celebration of their impressive annual production of 120,000 cases of hand crafted wines, hosts a wildly popular Harvest Home Celebration, attracting international visitors for a month beginning in September, featuring a traditional “grape stomp” which allows children of all ages to extract juice from grapes the old fashioned way. Proving that winemaking isn’t always a rural endeavor, heralded Chatham Hill Winery, almost in the center of the North Carolina’s Raleigh/Durham Triangle, launches its inaugural harvest event. Award-winning Chatham Hill wines are big sellers found on retail shelves throughout the Tar Heel State. An uncorked selection of highly regarded releases is just the component for an early autumn soiree. Fredericksburg, the lovely Virginia town on the Rappahannock River, is the site of one of the great Civil War victories of General Robert E. Lee. Today the area lays claim to some top regional wineries. Nearby Spotsylvania County is the headquarters of lovely Lake Anna Winery whose wines are labeled with many picturesque scenes depicting the great battles of the war including Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and The Wilderness. The annual Harvest Celebration showcases bluegrass music, dancing, locally grown and prepared food accompanied with memorable wines like Spotsylvania Claret, a Bordeaux-style delight emblematic of the enormous importance Virginia places on its highly regarded wine industry. Whether it’s Tennessee’s Monteagle Winery, North Georgia’s bucolic Wolf Mountain Winery or Fall Creek and Flat Creek Estate vineyards in the Texas Hill Country, Southern harvest celebrations are festive rituals, much like a “wing-dang-do,” those marathon parties blues legend Muddy Waters sang about. It is the time of year we honor the tireless efforts of visionary winemakers who somehow transform fruit from the vines into amazing elixir in the bottles. Even before the American Revolution, Southerners knew that the Harvest Moon had a better shine with the glory of the grape at hand.

Doc Lawrence writes about wine and Southern cuisine from his homes in Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale. Doc is 2005 Chairman, Food and Beverage Section, Public Relations Society of America and welcomes comments: doc@yall.com. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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There are places where the conversation always comes easy.

We think your bank should be one of them.

Our one-on-one approach to banking hasn’t changed much since we star ted back in 1872. Perhaps that’s because we’ve maintained the belief that you are an individual, not an account number. And that when it comes to your banking, you should be able to feel as comfor table talking to us as you would any of your other neighbors.

You can tell we want your business.

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blue collar A MAN AND HIS TRACTOR

I’ve got 2000 acres of property near Pine Mountain, Ga., where I go about three times a week. I won’t put a phone in down there because that’s my escape. I go sit on a tractor and bush-hog for eight hours. That’s fun to me. There’s something about a man and a tractor. I’ve got two tractors there, a John Deere and a Massey Ferguson. It doesn’t take long to get there from my home in Atlanta. I get up early and go down there some mornings and work for the day, and then I’ll come back and pick the kids up from school. That’s kind of my normalcy. It’s like once I pull onto the dirt road; you don’t have to be Jeff Foxworthy anymore. You’re just Jeff. And I can’t wait to fi re up the tractor. I was talking to a friend of mine a few weeks ago – he’s going for his psychology degree because he wants to counsel people – and older guys especially… kind of got a heart for that. I told him, “You know you could get rid of all the counseling if you could just, when every guy retires, get him a tractor and a bush hog. They’d be okay!” I mean, it allows you to think, it allows you to pray or do whatever you wanna do. You’ve got time. The phone ain’t ringing, nobody’s yelling at you. A tractor is a wonderful thing. My wife was telling me the other day; “You who HATE mowing the grass, LOVE to go get on that tractor!” I said it’s not the same thing! A tractor and a lawnmower are not the same thing! You can’t even compare ‘em, that’s apples and oranges. And

by Jeff Foxworthy

Bill Engvall, Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy star in Blue Collar TV, airing Sundays at 9:00/8:00 Central on The WB.

“

it’s true. I hate cutting the grass at home, but I’ll sit on a tractor all day. But I do have to be careful on the tractor because my property has some hilly spots. But Lord, if you had to go, a tractor beats a lot of other ways to go! But I’m probably going to go sitting in a double wide during a tornado. That’d probably be the number one way for me. When I go, there’s gonna be all these wreaths of flowers and people bringing ‘em up to the funeral home, saying, “You might be dead if…” When I’m down on the farm, or just anywhere in Georgia or the South, oh man, I realize how much I love this place. I’ve just always loved it. I remember being a kid and seeing those bumper stickers that said “American by Birth, Southern by the Grace of God.” And I remember being a kid going, “Well that’s right!” There wasn’t anything funny about it to me; it was just ‘Yeah, that’s right’. But I still feel like that, I mean, I’m not leaving Georgia again. My next address after here will be Heaven, because this is just home. But I feel that way about the whole South. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

A tractor is a wonderful thing.

”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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what southern women

know

We’re Smarter

by Ronda Rich

Ronda Rich is the author of The Town That Came A-Courtin’ and What Southern Women Know About Flirting. 72

Southern women are the Queens of Spin. We invented it. Honestly. We can always find a way to put a positive spin on the most negative of situations. For us, it is an art form. Take, for instance, the case of the Yankee-born-now-living-in-the-South journalist who recently wrote about Southern female humorists and novelists. Writing for one of the South’s largest newspapers, the Yankee groused about the books we “belles” have written about romance, flirtation and the sorority of our unbreakable sisterhood. “Shut up!” he wrote. “I’m pretty sick of the whole Southern thing. Get over it!” Specifically, he singled out Rebecca Wells, Jill Connor Browne, Celia Rivenbark and me. I was thrilled. So thrilled, in fact, that I pulled out my prettiest, monogrammed note cards and, in my fanciest handwriting, I wrote him a thank you note, oozing with sincere gratitude. Among other gracious things, the note basically said, “Thank you for the media coverage that you’ve given me but mostly I am honored to be included in such a stellar group of women. It is the highest compliment possible.” And it was. Listen, that was stepping in high cotton to be named among women who have revolutionized and modernized Southern womanhood as well as mobilized the units into the vast numbers as we see with the Sweet Potato Queens. I couldn’t be mad for even a split second. I know you expect me to ask why a man who feels so down on the South is writing for a newspaper of influence, a newspaper that belongs to the South and its people. I know you expect me to point out to him that there are plenty of interstates and airplanes going North, heading straight out of Dixie, if he is so burdened by our society and the pride we steadfastly maintain in it. I know you expect me to ask him, “Now remind me, honey, how many books have been written about the sisterhood of Yankee women and all their charm. Do you recall right off-hand?” Sorry to disappoint but I just can’t do it. I can’t be mad. His prose, though meant to be a bit mean, put me in an impressive category of talent. And, on top of that, he showed the strength of our sisterhood, the substantial size of the Southern woman market and that we must, without us realizing it, being get under the skin of – gasp – a Yankee.

But I will have to counter on one point that he made. Not to be mean, mind you, but just to set the record straight. He singled out Celia Rivenbark’s We’re Just Like You, Only Prettier. He wondered aloud why one of us didn’t write a book entitled, We’re Just Like You, Only Smarter. He said we should focus our skills on trying to be a doctor rather than using flirtation and looks to marry one. Here’s what I have to say to that: It’s a terrific idea for a book and we accept the suggestion without offense. Any of the ladies mentioned in the article could write it, using skills and knowledge that have put us on best-selling lists across the nation. And, to be honest, I think it would be a worthy work. After all, Miss Rebecca has sold so many millions of The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood that no one can keep all those big numbers straight anymore. Plus, that book was made into a movie directed by Academyaward winner Callie Khouri who joined forces with Ellen Burstyn and Maggie Smith, also Oscar winners, Sandra Bullock and Ashley Judd. Every book she writes goes straight to the top of the New York Times list, which is very impressive

“

Now remind me, honey, how many books have been written about the sisterhood of Yankee women and all their charm. Do you recall right off-hand?

”

when a book about Southern women can be on a list composed by Yankees. Jill Connor Browne is the Queen of the Queens. There are thousands of chapters of Sweet Potato Queens across the world plus Miss Jill, of Jackson, Miss., is well acquainted with seven-figure book and television deals. Miss Celia, a newspaper columnist based in Wilmington, N.C., just saw her last book – the one he mentioned – win high honors from the Southeastern Booksellers Association when it was named Non-Fiction Book of the Year. As for me, Southern womanhood has treated me very well, both emotionally and financially. So, it seems that we Southern women have found a way to make a living by just being who we are. In fact, we have created a cottage industry that has turned into a full-fledged farm industry. So, sir, I must agree. We Are Just Like You, Only Smarter. Much smarter.

Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE

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star gazing “Set” Up Your Home

PRACTICAL WHIMSY southern hospitality hollywood style

by Joe LoCicero

Georgia-bred and L.A.-based lifestyle expert Joe LoCicero has worked in the entertainment industry for the past dozen years as a TV writer, marketing consultant and pop culturist. He began the PRACTICAL WHIMSY movement in 2003. His next book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Clear Thinking (Penguin) hits bookstores in December. For groovy goods and hip tips, visit PRACTICALWHIMSY.com.

Southerners identify so readily, so comfortingly, and so winningly with their homes that I’ve always been kind of thrown back in Los Angeles by the ubiquitous, minimalist chic and sterile gloss that pervades so many residences here. Maybe my feelings hark back to seeing Scarlett’s love for Tara on-screen, but to me pride of ownership has always been so much more than a line in a real estate ad. My wife and I have embarked and completed a major remodel of our L.A. home, (remarkably) ahead-of-schedule, under-budget, and with our marriage and sanity safely still intact. We drew on twin inspirations. We wanted both a hospitable home you’d see in a charming Southern neighborhood, while we also reveled in the color, style and touches you might find on an admired sitcom set. A few years ago, I worked on the final season of Mad About You. During that time, viewers were clamoring to learn more about the set pieces of “Jamie and Paul Buchman’s” (Helen Hunt, Paul Reiser) New York pad. “Where did their missionstyle bed come from?” “What about their Craftsman dining table?” Similarly, in getting to regularly take in other sets while working on shows (or visiting friends who do), you immediately appreciate a set designer’s talent and dedication in providing a setting that enhances the character’s lives that populate them and, in many cases, might serve as its own character. To that end, you may recall the Eames chair and sleek interior of Frasier’s Seattle condo, or the vintage white stove and double oven in “Ray and Debra Barone’s” kitchen, or even the whimsical touches in “Monica Geller’s” Friends apartment such as the gilded frame surrounding the front door’s peephole. And of course, the real-life counterparts to all those sitcom sets have flooded American living rooms with a cavalcade of “home-improvement” series that have nothing to do with the Tim Allen sitcom. TLC’s Trading Spaces, HGTV’s Designed to Sell and Redesign, and WE’s Mix It Up… all put a spotlight on hipping up the home. Want your own splashes of Hollywood sets to enliven your home? The basics, such as sofas, shelves, beds, tables and chairs, that crop up in sitcoms and reality shows often come from such stores (which are all online) as West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Room & Board, and Design Within Reach. But truly, if a set designer, or you, were only consumed with raking in those goods

and staking their claim in your house, it wouldn’t be very… well, homey. Southern homes always seem to exude so much of their owners’ personality – as they should. And that’s kind of what’s taken me aback in peering inside the multi-million dollar manses in Beverly Hills, the Palisades and Malibu. They’ve been stunning and sumptuously appointed, what with cashmere throws artfully arranged, and mass-produced, if expensive, thousanddollar tchotckes from Neiman-Marcus. But, all too often, they’re missing a key ingredient: individuality. If anyone could live here, isn’t that kind of what hotels are for? If you’re eager to inject your own personality in your surroundings (and what Southerner isn’t), take a cue from PRACTICAL WHIMSY, which dictates that a home never has to sacrifice warmth for hipness. To get an idea of what might spark up your own home, take note of what strikes you on the T.V. sets. A tiny chandelier, a stack of books about mountain ranges, a cabana-striped pillow, a cookie jar? Then, collect and display what works for you. You might check out museum stores (such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art stores at malls nationwide, and momastore. org) for unusual finds that are conversation worthy. Whatever your interest, EBay always abounds with a limitless array of stuff oozing with individuality. Ikea (ikea. com) and Textile Arts (txtlarts.com) both offer reasonably-priced goods that feature style and substance. You’ll start to notice that those TLC and HGTV home shows routinely cull from these sources to outfit a room re-do. And I’ve often regarded ephemera of the South to bring clever touches. An Emmy-winning husband-and-wife writerproducer team out here added a sense of humor to their expensive dining room set by mounting an over-sized Piggly Wiggly mascot on one wall. For a home office or themed bathroom, Atlanta-based Delta has vintage reproductions of their 1950s and1960s travel posters — including one for Atlanta from 1961 with a Scarlett lookalike (check them out at deltamuseumstore. org). Even with those examples, my wife is still not keen on my finding a way to incorporate a tattered Waffle House menu into a bigger piece of art above the booth in our kitchen. Particularly since our remodel. You know… the one in which our marriage stayed intact.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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8/10/05 10:05:59 PM

ms. ms. grits grits Back to School

Southern Style

by Deborah Ford

Deborah Ford is the founder of Grits® Inc. (Girls Raised in the South), a multi-million dollar merchandising company. Ford is the author of the best-selling GRITS, Guide To Life, and Puttin’ On The GRITS, a Southern Guide to Entertaining. Contact “Ms. Grits” via email at msgrits@yall.com 74

I recently visited Florence, Alabama, which is the home of my alma mater, the University of North Alabama. I was invited to speak to a group of ladies, all of whom were there for an alumni weekend. They graduated from UNA during the 1950’s and all traveled to Florence to be together for a weekend of celebrations commemorating their enduring friendships and the memories they share from their college days. Being with these Southern women took me back to the excitement of returning to college after summer vacation. The anticipation, thrill, and excitement I saw in these women reminded me that I had the same feelings from my elementary years through my college years, and the aura of good feelings and fond recollections resonated within me throughout my visit. It’s true -- some things never change. It was so refreshing to observe and listen to these loyal friends talk to one another about the good times they had during the four years they were together. For me, going back to school was all about anticipation of what could be, and getting ready for the new school year felt a little like being reborn and having a fresh start in life. Shopping for school clothes, getting the right hair cut, and stocking up for new school supplies were all exciting. This was the same for each of these women getting ready for their reunion. I listened as they talked about the many differences in their experiences in college and the experiences their grandchildren are having today. The topic that was discussed the most was the drastic change in the dress code. Think about it … back then there were clip-on earrings, today it is pierced earrings and other pierced body parts. These ladies were not allowed to wear any pants on campus or to any school event. If they did, they had to wear a long coat to cover their outfit. Today, a college girl would be surprised to be asked to change out of her pajamas when leaving the dorm or sorority house on her way to class. Rules for dorms and for dating have the same contrast. Curfews back then were as much a part of living in a dorm as they were living at home. Living in a co-ed dormitory was just as foreign to these ladies as it would be for girls today to be living in a convent. I am quite sure all of these ladies would have been in total shock during their years in college if their boyfriend picked them up for a date sporting a ponytail and earrings. Although many things have changed in schools over the past 50 years, some things never change – especially in the South. I loved the pageantry of it all, with all the back-to-school anticipation of registering for classes, finding a roommate, rush, and of course football season. Not only did I look

forward to the games, I loved to watch both the football team and the band practice. I can still hear the players’ helmets colliding, the shrill whistles blown by the coaches, and the chatter within the huddle. I still love hearing and watching any band perform. (You know most band members believe the football field was really built for them!) Getting ready for the game was as important as which young man would be asking you out, what you should wear, or deciding which tailgate to go to first - at least for a Southern girl. For the Southern sorority girl, the ritual is a little more elaborate. The little things are enhanced … the right shoes would not only look elegant with the sundress worn on a warm September evening, they would also be comfortable enough to romp across the expansive lawn of the fraternity pregame party centered on the front portico under the towering roman columns, and then hold up as to standing in the student section cheering for the boys on the field. We would silently pat ourselves on the shoulder if the outfit we wore complemented the blazer worn by our dates. Within our circle, you know as well as I do that we frequently inspected each other’s lipstick and mascara to see how it was holding up as the sun and wind swept across the stands during the game, and during timeouts we would always find a hand mirror and endeavored to keep our faces perfect. A game was part social, part beauty pageant and part gossip circle, until our tailback broke through the line or our All-American linebacker pummeled the quarterback in his backfield. At that point all pretenses were gone and our eyes would be riveted to the field as we screamed and yelled for our team to take the victory. It doesn’t much matter if you contort your hand and yell “Hook ‘em,” sip wine coolers in The Grove on a warm Oxford game night, tailgate under the leafy canopy of trees in Athens or cheer on the boys during the Tiger Walk, men are not the only ones nostalgic for football games from years past … a Southern girl’s memories of those wonderful autumn Saturdays are cherished as well. This coming year find an excuse – any excuse – to spend a Saturday at your alma mater … and if you don’t have one, adopt one! Go see your child at school, call some friends and plan a trip, or call the school and find out where your class is reuniting during homecoming. These moments of walking across the quad, or visiting your old lecture halls, and even returning to your old sorority house, is a trip that everyone deserves. Our busy lives make the days fly by. Why not stop time and return to the days where life was wide open and you felt you would live forever.

Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE

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8/10/05 10:06:22 PM

cajun humor De Cell Phone

by Tommy Joe Breaux

Humorist Tommy Joe Breaux has been delighting the South with his cajun stories for years. Breaux has numerous tapes, videos and books available at www. tommyjoebreaux.com.

One day, Ole Beano Babineaux was at de Spa work ou was dis cell phone start ringing. Ol,e Beano pick it up an on de odder end ws dis woman who start talkinʼ right off “Honey, you know we been lookinʼ for a new house an de real estate agent show me a beautiful $80,000.00 home dat was real pretty, but den dat real estate agent show me a beautiful $150,000.00 home dat my heart just melt over. Wat you taught about dat?” Beano say, “Well Honey, dareʼs more to life dan money an if dat $150,000.00 home made your heart melt like dat , get it.” Den de woman say. “Oh tank you Honey, but one more tang. You know we also been looking for a new car and de man at de car place show me dis $25,000.00 car an it was OK, but den he show me a $50,000.00 car dat was like drivinʼ on a cloud, it was so nice. Wat you taught about dat?” Beano say, “Well, jus ;ole de house, dareʼs more to life dan money. Made yousef happy, get dat $50,000.00 car.” De woman den say, “Well Honey, tank you for made me so happy, but I got one more tang to ax you ʻbout. You know we are fixinʼ to go to dat big party an I pass by de dress shop to fine a new dress to make myself look nice an I eyeball dis $250.00 dress an it was so pretty, but dey got a $500.00 dress dat made me look beautiful. Wat you taught?” Beano say, “Well, I tink a woman should feel beautiful all de time. Honey get yourself dat $500.00 dress. “De woman say, “Oh I love you Hone, Kiss, Kiss, Kiss, I canʼt wait to see you tonite.” An hung up de phone. Beano felt all proud of hisself for makin” dat woman so happy an yell out, “Hey, anybody know who dis phone belong to?” SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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lthough the last shots of the Civil War were fired 140 years ago, the bloodiest conflict in American history still lives on for many Southerners.

Len Reidel is one of those holding on. “The Civil War is the story of us. It’s the story of the redemption, the promise that all men are created equal. It is a major component that identifies what we are today,” he says. Reidel lives in battle-scarred Danville, Va. He founded the Blue and Grey Education Society in 1994, following then-Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt’s challenge to raise private money to preserve unprotected battlefields. The non-profit BGES promotes Civil War history, and works to preserve the treasured battlefields where the war was fought. And a great majority of these battle sites are within Dixie’s borders. “People need to go to battlefields and historic sites where things actually happened. They remind us that the price of freedom never has and never will be free. Tomorrow is not guaranteed,” Reidel, 51, explains.

by Jonathan Craig 76

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Len Reidel (at right) As a child, Reidel and his playmates didn’t play Cowboys and Indians. They were Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. After graduating from Virginia Military Institute, Reidel served in the Army, retiring as a Major. His job as BGES Executive Officer is a grass roots labor of love. Over 1,500 people have signed on and spent time, money, or both, preserving this important chapter in the South’s history, most often at sites that have never had one marker placed on it before. The passionate historian and his organization have placed unbiased interpretative signs at many historic sites, with many more to come. The group has also published scholarly material, held seminars, and led restoration efforts – all at no taxpayer costs. As Reidel points out, the Civil War was not just fought at Gettysburg. It was more commonly fought in smaller sites such as Sacramento, Ky., Holly Springs, Miss., Aiken, S.C., Fort Morgan, Ala., and Pea Ridge, Ark. To make the war’s impact clear in this age of air conditioning and computers, the BGES gets dirty in its teaching effort. “We are finding places that have been lost, like the old Telegraph Road at Pea Ridge. The BGES doesn’t give blacktop, windscreen tours. We get out of the bus, kick the dirt, walk through the woods and get an up-close view of the site,” Reidel says. The group’s work is paying dividends. Thousands are finding out more about the Civil War and its impact on their community, the South and the Nation. And like every Civil War buff, Reidel has his favorite general. It’s his fellow Virginian, Robert E. Lee, of course: “He embodied the character and integrity that was necessary to carry the South through a very difficult time.” To learn about the work of the Blue Gray Education Society, log on to www.blue-and-gray-education.org, or visit a battlefield near you.

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yʼall

of fame

Shelby Foote

Story and illustration by Stephen J. Enzweiler 78

(1916-2005)

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He was best known as the kindly, bearded commentator of Ken Burns’ ten-part series The Civil War, with his soft, mellifluous Mississippi Delta drawl and his ability to bring the war to life on the screen. But when Shelby Foote died on June 27, 2005, in Memphis at age 88, America lost more than a television commentator; it lost the faithful bard of the great American story. “If you and I are to understand anything at all about this country, you have to understand something about the Civil War,” he always said. “The Revolution did what it did. But the Civil War decided what kind of a country this was going to be.” From early on, he considered it his life’s mission to write down the truth about the confl ict that tore our nation apart. It began as a singular assignment in 1953 to write a 200,000 word narrative of the war. But he realized early on this was too limiting; he spent the next two decades heavily researching and writing, an effort that ultimately culminated in his massive threevolume chronicle, The Civil War: A Narrative, published in 1958, 1963, and 1974. The work was hailed by author Walker Percy as “an unparalleled achievement, our American Iliad.” It remains the crowning achievement of his career and a great American work of literature, told with a vast landscape of characters and in fi nely detailed, wrenching human drama. He wrote history as a novelist would write it, not with dry facts, but in a fluid narrative that was sympathetic, humorous, full of metaphors and colloquialisms for literary impact, and stunningly artistic. “A good novelist has as much devotion to the truth as a good historian,” he explained in 1961. Foote was born in Greenville, Mississippi on November 17, 1916, the product of deep Southern roots. Among his ancestors was Isaac Shelby, a Revolutionary War hero and frontiersman who went on to become the fi rst governor of Kentucky. Foote’s great grandfather was a Confederate cavalry captain who fought at the Battle of Shiloh (where “his sword got bent and his horse’s tail got shot off,” he would say). He attended Greenville High School, where fellow author Walker Percy was a classmate, and where Foote began writing poetry and short stories. He attended the University of North Carolina for a brief period before dropping out. In 1938, Percy introduced him to William Faulkner, with whom he would remain friends until Faulkner’s death in 1962. In 1940, a restless Shelby Foote joined the United States Army and served as a Captain of field artillery during World War II, until he was court martialed for going AWOL while stationed in England. After the war, Foote found odd jobs and continued

to write. His break came in 1946 when his fi rst short story was published in The Saturday Evening Post. Following this, Tournament was published, the fi rst of a string of five novels he would ultimately produce. Like Faulkner, Shelby Foote embodied the ambiguous feelings many Southerners had about the South. He criticized racial segregation and discrimination and was threatened by the Ku Klux Klan for his views. The American Legion burned his 1950 novel Follow Me Down because it was considered “a dirty book,” along with Lady Chatterly’s Lover. “I consider it an honor to be burned with D.H. Lawrence,” he liked to say. In 1990, his collaboration with fi lmmaker Ken Burns in the making of the ten-part PBS miniseries brought him national acclaim. America was fascinated by the stories and anecdotes told by the quiet, bearded man with the soft, melodic Mississippi drawl some described as “molasses over hominy.” He drew his material from his own three-volume history, and when he spoke of the war and its characters, it was if he had been there himself. “He made the war real for us,” said Burns. But Foote disliked the fame and publicity the fi lm brought. For years afterward, he seldom granted interviews or signed autographs, and he went out of his way to avoid appearing on camera, which he called “that little box.” He preferred to be left alone, to read and to write as he always had in the small, simple office he worked in within his house. He lived a simple life in the same Tudor style home on East Parkway in Memphis for nearly four decades. He was married to the former Gwyn Ranier for 49 years and had two children. He rose daily and worked from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., writing 1,000 words a day in longhand, using an old-fashioned dip pen and ink. Asked once if he had any hobbies, he replied, “Absolutely not! But I do drink from time to time.” While Foote rarely won prizes for his writing, he did win the fi rst Tennessee Governor’s Award for the Humanities in 1991, the Frankel Prize from Columbia University in 1992, three Guggenheim Fellowships and a Ford Foundation Fellowship. He was writer in residence at the University of Virginia in 1963 and at the University of Memphis in 1968.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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in memoriam

MILLS: MANDATORY CREDIT: CRAIG JONES /ALLSPORT, LUCAS: CREDIT: TOM HAUCK /ALLSPORT, GRANT: RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY, LOPEZ: SUSAN GAETZ/AFP/GETTY

CHARLES CHIBITTY Charles Chibitty, of Tulsa, Okla., the last of the Comanche code talkers who used their native tongue to confound Hitler’s forces during World War II, died July 20 of complications of diabetes at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa. He was 83. Chibitty, whose name meant “holding on good” in Comanche, also was the last surviving hereditary chief of the tribe, the Comanche Nation reported. He was descended on his mother’s side from Chief Ten Bears, known as one of the signers of the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867. He was one of 17 Comanches from the Lawton, Okla., area who were selected in 1941 for special Army duty to provide the Allies with a language the Germans could not decipher. He served with the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, 4th Signal Company.

L. PATRICK GRAY L. Patrick Gray, who served as acting FBI director from 1972-1973, during the Watergate scandal, died July 5 at 88. Gray had been back in the news recently, expressing shock that his former deputy, Mark Felt, had been “Deep Throat,” the Washington Post’s secret source for Watergate details. One of Felt’s apparent motivations for supplying the information was that he had been passed over as director of the FBI in favor of Gray. Gray was born in St. Louis, Mo., and raised in Houston, Texas.

FRANCES LANGFORD Frances Langford, whose steamy rendition of “I’m in the Mood for Love” captivated soldiers when she was part of Bob Hope’s USO tours during World War II, died July 11 at the age of 92. She had been ill with congestive heart failure and died at her home in Jensen Beach, Fla. Langford, a recording artist, radio star and actress from the 1930s to 1950s, joined Hope’s troupe to boost wartime morale at military bases and hospitals in Great Britain, Italy, North Africa and the South Pacific; and the Lakeland, Fla., native also entertained new generations of soldiers in Korea and Vietnam. The 5-foot1 singer was a glamorous vision of home and became known as the “Sweetheart of the Fighting Fronts.” Her trademark was “I’m in the Mood for Love,” written for her for the 1935 movie Every Night at Eight. Langford was married for 31 years to outboard motor heir Ralph Evinrude, until his death in 1986. JANELLE MCCOMB A longtime executive director of the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation, McComb, 82, died in Tupelo, Miss. on July 25. McComb met Elvis when he was a baby in Tupelo and became a family friend. When the Presleys moved to Memphis, she sent newspaper clippings about the goings-on in Tupelo. Elvis kept her in his world after he became the “King of Rock n’ Roll,” and she became a mother-figure to Elvis after Gladys Presley’s death in 1958. When “The King” died in 1977, McComb devoted herself to his memory, attending Elvis fan gatherings around the world and promoting the Elvis Presley Birthplace museum in Tupelo.

AARON O’NEAL Aaron O’Neal, a redshirt freshman at the University of Missouri-Columbia and a member of the MU football team, died at the age of 19 on July 12. The St. Louis native collapsed after a voluntary conditioning workout session for the football team.

JIM PARKER Jim Parker, who was the first full-time offensive lineman elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died of congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease on July 18 at a nursing home in Columbia, Md. He was 71. Parker played 11 seasons (1957 to 1967) with the Baltimore Colts. In the preSuper Bowl years, he helped the Colts win National Football League championships in 1958 and 1959. The Macon, Ga., native played college football at Ohio State.

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HANK STRAM Henry Louis “Hank” Stram died in Covington, La., on July 4 after complications from diabetes and congestive heart failure. He was 82. A longtime head coach for Kansas City, Stram led the Chiefs to three AFL titles, and two Super Bowls, winning the 1970 contest against Minnesota. He was a T.V. analyst for many years, including Monday Night Football. Stram was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

STRAM-DAVID MAXWELL-GETTY, STOCKDALE-J. DAVID AKE-AFP-GETTY

JOHN WALTON Wal-Mart heir John Walton died at the age of 58 when the homemade experimental plane he was piloting crashed near the Jackson, Wyo., airport in Grand Teton National Park on June 27. Walton’s father, Sam, founded the discount store chain that would later become one of the biggest companies in the world. In March, Forbes magazine listed John Walton as No. 11 on the list of the world’s richest people with a net worth of $18.2 billion. He was tied with his younger brother, Jim — one spot behind his older brother, Rob, who is Wal-Mart chairman. He directed much of the family’s philanthropic efforts through their two nonprofits: the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation. Walton was a Green Beret medic in Vietnam, winning the Silver Star for saving the lives of his Special Forces team members when they were under fire on a reconnaissance mission.

JAMES STOCKDALE Vice Adm. James Stockdale, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, died July 12 at the age of 81. He had been battling Alzheimer’s disease. A 1947 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Stockdale was the commanding officer of Carrier Air Group Sixteen when he was shot down in September 1965 on a mission over Vietnam. Stockdale was held by the North Vietnamese for 7 1⁄2 years, during which he was tortured repeatedly, including being forced to wear leg irons for two years and spending four years in solitary confinement. After his 1973 release, Stockdale retired from the Navy, and served as president of The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. He was Ross Perot’s Vice Presidential nominee during the 1992 Presidential Campaign. LITTLE MILTON CAMPBELL Delta bluesman Little Milton Campbell died in a Memphis hospital from complications of a stroke on August 4. He was 71. The Inverness, Miss., native had hit records with 1961’s “We’re Gonna Make It” and “Grits Ain’t Groceries.” Campbell was well-known on the chitlin’ circuit of the upper Delta region but also had many followers in Chicago, his home for nearly 30 years. His last album, Think of Me, released in May, marked an attempt to “cross over” into the pop market.

WILLIAM WESTMORELAND “I have no apologies, no regrets. I gave my very best efforts,” Gen. William Westmoreland told the Associated Press in 1985. “I’ve been hung in effigy. I’ve been spat upon. You just have to let those things bounce off.” As commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, the South Carolina native was a center of debate during the turbulent conflict. He died at 91 at a Charleston, S.C., retirement home. The silver-haired, jut-jawed officer contended the United States did not lose the conflict in Southeast Asia. After the Tet Offensive in 1968, Westmoreland was recalled to Washington to serve as Army chief of staff. William Childs Westmoreland was born near Spartanburg, S.C., on March 26, 1914, into a banking and textile family. He attended The Citadel for a year before transferring to West Point. He graduated in 1936 and, during his senior year, held the highest command position in the cadet corps. Westmoreland saw action in North Africa, Sicily and Europe during World War II. He attained the rank of colonel by the age of 30. He was promoted to brigadier general during the Korean War. Westmoreland became the superintendent of West Point in 1960 and, by 1964, was a three-star general commanding American troops in Vietnam. He retired from active duty in 1972. He unsuccessfully ran for governor of South Carolina in 1976. In recent years, Westmoreland often spoke to Vietnam veterans groups, accepting invitations to visit veterans groups in all 50 states.

SUE GUNTER Hall of Fame coach and pioneer in women’s basketball Sue Gunter died August 4 at her home in Baton Rouge, La. She was 66. Gunter, who suffered from emphysema, coached for 40 years, 22 at LSU where she took teams to 13 NCAA tournaments, won two SEC titles, and laid the foundation for trips to the NCAA Final Four the past two years. She was scheduled to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in September. The Walnut Grove, Miss., native won 708 times during her head coaching career at Middle Tennessee, Stephen F. Austin, and LSU. She coached the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team. She retired in 2004. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL

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festive south Sept. 8 - 11, 2005

Sept. 22 - 25

Oct. 2

Yellow Daisy Festival Stone Mountain, Ga. The wild yellow daisy blooms each September but only within a 50-mile radius of Stone Mountain, and it’s a cause for celebration. The nation’s No. 1 arts and crafts show features 440-pus of the nation’s top crafters, a Creative Children’s corner and lots of Southern food. 770-498-5690; Chris Chadwick; www.stonemountainpark.com; generalinfo@stonemountainpark.com

World Chicken Festival London, Ky. Colonel Harlan Sanders opened his first Kentucky Fried Chicken café here, and the city hosts an egg-citing weekend that features live entertainment, a Colonel Sanders look-alike contest, the world’s largest skillet (filled with chicken), crowing, strutting and clucking contests and more. 800-348-0095; Ken Harvey; www. chickenfestival.com; tourism@lltc.net

Fall for Fairfax Fairfax, Va. Enjoy the cooler temperatures and the crunch of leaves under your feet as you marvel at the arrival of autumn colors in this northern Virginia town. You and your family can paint pumpkins, make scarecrows, take a hayride, snack on goodies from the farmer’s market and meet furry critters at the petting zoo. 703-324-3247, Stephen King, www.fallforfairfax.com

Sept. 9 - 10 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blues & Heritage Festival Pascagoula, Miss. Blues fans flock to Biloxi during this festival which features top-quality music by nationally-known Bluesmen. Two outdoor stages offer music rain or shine, plus great food and arts and crafts. 228-497-5493; Addie Brent; www.gulfcoast.org

Sept. 9 - 11 MainStrasse Village Oktoberfest Covington, Ky. Experience a little bit of Germany in this historic downtown neighborhood. Oktoberfest brings together nearly 100 artisans and crafters and over 25 food and beverage vendors from across the country, plus musical entertainment, a “Kinderplatz” for children and an amusement midway. 859-491-0458; Donna Kremer; www.mainstrasse.org; dkremer@mainstrasse.org

Sept. 9 - Nov 5 Rock City’s Enchanted Maize Maze Chattanooga, Tenn. Enjoy ten acres of fall fun as you weave your way through the twists and turns of this maze, and if you make it out, you can spend some time visiting Rock City’s other attractions, such as the historic birdhouse barn, tractor pulled hayrides and a children’s playground and millet maze. 706-820-2531; Laura Prince; www.enchantedmaze.com

Sept. 10 - 11 Biloxi Seafood Festival Biloxi, Miss. This two-day affair is filled with continuous live entertainment, children’s activities such as the Fishing Rodeo and the Seafood Olympics, and all you can eat of boiled and fried shrimp, fried fish, po-boys, seafood gumbo, alligator sausage and more. 288-374-2717; www.Biloxi.org; info@biloxi.org Sept. 14 -18 Kentucky Bourbon Festival Bardstown, Ky. This event celebrates the passion, history and art of making Kentucky bourbon with 30 major events, including a Bourbon Q cook off, distillery tours, live entertainment, bourbon tasting and a bourbon barrel relay. 800-638-4877; Pam Gover; www.kybourbonfestival.com; info@kybourbonfestival.com

Sept. 23 - 24 Tallahatchie RiverFest New Albany, Miss. This downtown festival features national recording artists, regional country and gospel entertainment, arts and crafts, children’s activities, a 5K run, literary and theater events and great food. 662-534-4354; Kasey Montgomery; www.tallahatchieriverfest.com; ucda@dixie-net.com

Sept. 23 - 25 Pensacola Seafood Festival Pensacola, Fla. Enjoy historic downtown Pensacola while enjoying delicious fruits of the sea and a variety of continuous local entertainment in Fountain Park and Seville Square. 850-433-6512; Jennifer Johnson; www.fiestaoffiveflags.org/seafood

Sept. 25 International Folk Festival Fayetteville, N.C. Over 70,000 people from all over come to celebrate folk life with international music, food, a parade of nations from 30 different countries, an international dog show and more. 910-323-1776; Liz Vasser; www.theartscouncil.com; admin@theartscouncil.com

Oct. 1-3 Destin Seafood Festival Destin, Fla. Enjoy free concerts, car & motorcycle displays, over 100 arts & crafts vendors, “Tadpole Town” for the kids, and “A Taste of Destin,” which provides a sampling of local restaurant delicacies. 850-837-2711 ext 2, Carolyn Folley, www.destinchamber.com

Oct. 1-3 Gretna Heritage Festival Gretna, La. The largest music and food festival on the West Bank of the Mississippi River offers national headliners, a fabulous array of local food, a children’s carnival area, a 5K Run/Walk and more. 504-361-7748, Dodie Rackley, info@gretnafest.com

Sept. 17 - 18 Ocmulgee Indian Celebration Macon, Ga. This event brings Southeastern tribal dancers, musicians, artists, craftspeople, storytellers and historians to Ocmulgee National Monument. Join in the traditional dances, hear stories, observe the crafters and learn from the period encampments. 478-752-8257; Jim David; www.nps.gov/ocmu; stephen_rudolph@nps.gov

Oct. 1-3 The Kentucky Woolfest Festival Falmouth, Ky. “Ewe” are in for a great time at this event which celebrates everything about sheep - from herding and shearing to wool spinning. Bring the whole herd for this good time which offers live demonstrations of goat milking, sheep shearing events, sheep herding with dogs, and over 160 juried crafters. 859-654-3378, David Pridble, www.pendletoncountyky.org , plowdrey@fuse.net

Oct. 1-2 Unicoi County Apple Festival Erwin, Tenn. Some 80,000 locals and visitors fill the streets of downtown Erwin to enjoy live entertainment, gospel and popular music, watch apple butter and cider making, browse 300 arts & crafts exhibits and enjoy good southern food. 423-743-3000, Chris Peterson, www.unicoicounty.org , chris@unicoicounty.org

Oct. 7-10 Annual National Shrimp Festival Gulf Shores, Ala. Held on the beach in Gulf Shores, this event honors the shrimping industry with live entertainment, fine arts and crafts, sandcastle contests, and of course, shrimp cooked any way you can imagine. 251-968-6904, Ginger Parnell, www.nationalshrimpfestival.com , festival@gulftel.com

Oct. 7-10 Museum of Appalachia’s Tennessee Fall Homecoming, Norris, Tenn. The most extensive and authentic gathering of old-time musicians and pioneer-type craftspeople in the country. Demonstrations include frontier, mountain, and rural activities plus traditional, folk, early country and bluegrass musicians, including such nationally famous folks as Ralph Stanley, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Isaacs and many more. 865-494-7680, John Rice Irwin, www.museumofappalachia.com, musofapp@icx.net

Oct. 10 Taste of Charleston Charleston, S.C. Fifty restaurants give participants the chance to enjoy some of the best foods the Lowcountry has to offer plus: Waiter’s Wine Race, Ice Carving demos, music, Chef’s Corner, beer and wine tasting tent, kid’s events and Live Entertainment on Stage. 843-577-4030, Kathy Britzius, www.boonehallplantation.com

Oct. 14 Canton Flea Market Arts & Crafts Show Canton, Miss. An arts and crafts show so popular that crowds begin shopping before daylight with flashlights and lanterns! Food of all kinds tempts even the most ardent shopper. Over 75,000 will enjoy shopping the booths and gift and antique shops in historic downtown Canton. 601-859-1307, Linda Case, www.cantontourism.com

Oct. 21-24 Biketoberfest Daytona Beach, Fla. The final “ride” for enthusiasts before they put up their bikes for the winter season, the fest features racing at Daytona Speedway plus more than 200 separate events, such as concerts, charity rides, expos and celebrity appearances. 866-296-8970, Janet Kersey, info@daytonabeachcvb.org, www.biketoberfest.org

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My south is the land of the kings… Elvis, BB and Martin Luther. – Samuel L. Jackson Chattanooga, Tennessee

Find Your South

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