A nap. A good book. A nice conversation. And over
500 GREAT DESTINATIONS. Getting there is half the fun. On Amtrak , you’ll find your time is yours again, to spend Ž
however you please. Enjoy the scenery, have a leisurely meal in the Dining Car or lean back in your seat with a good book. Sleeping Car accommodations may be available for an even more comfortable trip.
Call
1-800-USA-RAIL,
your travel agent or visit Amtrak.com.
Amtrak is a registered service mark of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.
ym2-3.indd 2
4/18/06 8:45:16 PM
,
½
ÀÊ ÀiÊ v À >Ì Ê Ê}Ài>ÌÊ Ì }ÃÊÌ Ê` Ê Ê/ÕÃV> Ã>]ÊV Ì>VÌÊÊ / iÊ/ÕÃV> Ã>Ê Ûi Ì ÊÊ EÊ6 Ã Ì ÀÃÊ ÕÀi>Õ
ym2-3.indd 3
-
Ê "
Ê
Ê "
9
t
£ÎäxÊ Àii ÃL À Ê Ûi Õi /ÕÃV> Ã>]Ê ÊÎx{ä£Ê Ê£°nää°xÎn°nÈ È ÜÜÜ°ÌVÛL° À}
4/18/06 8:45:49 PM
y
ʼall
THE M AGA ZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE Volume 4 | Number 3
this-n-that 9
Where Y’all? Capturing hot Southern stars, from Dollywood to Hollywood.
14 Book Review Boss, Jaybird and Me 43 On the Money
Money man Dave Ramsey gets you prepared for a Total Money Makeover.
44 Cranky Yankee
This ain’t New York City! Laurie Stieber shares her new life Down South.
46 Max’d Out
Kickoff for college football’s only a few months away...no kidding!
66 Cajun Humor De Insurance Man 67 Lewis Grizzard
Legendary Southern columnist Lewis Grizzard may be gone, but his words will live forever in his column for Y’all Magazine.
68 Wine Down South
Doc Lawrence breaks out the good wines for Y’all.
B.B. King
16 Faith Hill Jimmie Rodgers Charley Pride LeAnn Rimes Marty Stuart Tammy Wynette Conway Twitty Paul Overstreet Jeff Bates Steve Azar B.B. King ym4-7.indd 4
Mississippi Music Masters From Country & Blues to Rock and Roll, Mississippi’s native talent has got the rhythm. Robert Johnson Son House Muddy Waters Bo Diddley Charlie Musselwhite John Lee Hooker Junior Kimbrough W.C. Handy R.L. Burnside Jimbo Mathis Bukka White
Elvis Presley Lance Bass Jimmy Buffett John “JoJo” Herman Mac McAnally Elizabeth Greenfield Mississippi Mass Choir Brandy Norwood 3 Doors Down Blind Melon
COVER PHOTO: USED BY PERMISSION, ELVIS PRESLEY ENTERPRTISES, INC., B.B.KING: AMANDA EDWARDS/GETTY IMAGES
69 Blue Collar
Funnyman Bill Engvall grew up in Texas, and now calls California home. Bill’s got a funny one for you.
70 What Southern Women Know Ronda Rich’s dose of Dixie wisdom.
71 Star Gazing
Southern boy Joe LoCicero reports from Hollywood.
72 GRITS
“Ms. Grits” Deborah Ford salutes the South in her own unique style.
77 In Memoriam
Remembering Southerners who have passed to the Great Beyond.
78 Festive South
The warm months give Southerners the chance to go throughout the region and enjoy great festivals. We’ve got the lineup of cool events to check out.
4/20/06 5:05:11 PM
y r o m e m n w o d Take a ride k c o l b t s e g r a l lane to the rs! a e y 0 1 r o f y t par All Your Cruisin’ Favorites are back… You’ll be cruisin’ with all your favorite activities like drag races, headline oldies entertainment, cruise-ins, a Swap Meet, the CTC/Vicari Auto Auction and much, much more! Don’t forget enjoying the classics & street rods cruisin’ up & down the beach.
Pre-register today… we’ll be waiting with a warm welcome! Go online at www.cruisinthecoast.com for registration forms, swap meet vendor forms, hotel information & event updates or call 1-888-808-1188.
This project partially funded by MS Development Authority/Tourism. Tourism information, call 1-800-466-9048.
ym4-7.indd 5
4/18/06 8:46:51 PM
40 Y’ALL OF FAME From a kid in Tupelo to the “King of Rock and Roll,“ Elvis
61 BALLET IN DIXIE The world’s leading ballet talent flocks to Jackson, Miss., this
Presley and his music continues to influence the world.
summer for the USA International Ballet Competition.
48 WANDA SYKES This Virginia funnywoman is up to a lot of laughs. Y’all check
63 SUPREME INSIDER Alabama native Jan Crawford Greenburg covers the
out the rising Southerner in this Y’all exclusive.
happenings of the U.S. Supreme Court for PBS, and more.
52 BUTTON KING Dalton Stevens, of Bishopville, S.C., is a true Southern
64
original. His hobby’s even taken him to see Johnny Carson.
57 A TRADEMARK STORY
Charleston, S.C., is the home of Trademark Properties and owner Richard C. Davis. Each week, this Southern success story is featured on national T.V. , as a Carolina home is revived.
6
ym4-7.indd 6
A REEL SOUTHERNER
Bill Dance has captured fish – and T.V. viewers – for 40 years.
74 RED NOSE RELIEF An Atlantan brings smiles to the faces of Hurricane Katrina victims. Jeremy “Krispy” Cohen is a special Southerner.
PRESLEY:PHOTO BY LIAISON/GETTY, SYKES:STEVE SPATAFORE/GETTY, BALLET: USA/IBC, GREENBURG:PETE SOUZA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE, BUTTON KING: ERIN BRETHAUER, RED NOSE: COURTESY OF JEREMY COHEN, DANCE: COURTESY OF OLN, FLIP THIS HOUSE: COURTESY OF A & E
inside
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
4/18/06 8:47:09 PM
ym4-7.indd 7
4/18/06 8:47:24 PM
yʼall
Soccer Balls and The King
®™
THE M AGA ZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE ™
President & Publisher Jon Rawl jon@yall.com Managing Editor Tabatha Hunter
tabatha@yall.com
VP & Associate Publisher Keith Sisson keith@yall.com
Art Director Carroll Moore
carroll@yall.com
Sr. Account Executive Meredith Dabbs
meredith@yall.com
(662)236-1928
Photographer Chad Mills
Florida Bureau Mark Cook florida@yall.com
New Media Andy Young andy@yall.com
Georgia Bureau Laurie Stieber georgia@yall.com
Copy Editor Lauren Young
Kentucky Bureau Colleen Cassity kentucky@yall.com
Art Assistant Maria Augustine
Louisiana Bureau Clay Reynolds louisiana@yall.com
Account Executives Brian Ferguson Margaux Germann Interns Bethany Daws Laura Leigh Shull Illustrators Stephen J. Enzweiler Don Maters Contributing Writers Lewis Grizzard Deborah Ford Ronda Rich Paula Dabbs Tommy Joe Breaux Bill Engvall Doc Lawrence Hadley Hickman Laurie Stieber Dave Ramsey Laurie Stieber Renee Wells Sally Summerson Mark Cook Joe LoCicero Max Howell Alabama Bureau Paula Sullivan Dabbs alabama@yall.com Arkansas Bureau Jason Nall arkansas@yall.com
Maryland Bureau Renee Wells maryland@yall.com Missouri Bureau Matthew Bandermann missouri@yall.com North Carolina Bureau Jason “Pig” Thompson northcarolina@yall.com Oklahoma Bureau Lee Cartwright oklahoma@yall.com South Carolina Bureau C.T. “Redd” Reynolds southcarolina@yall.com Tennessee Bureau Joshua Wilkins tennessee@yall.com Texas Bureau Matthew Heermans texas@yall.com Virginia Bureau Sally Summerson virginia@yall.com Publishing Consultant Samir Husni Circulation
Curtis Circulation Company Phone (201) 634-7416
A few weeks back I was traveling in the “Definitely Dixie” half of Florida, the northern end that is. On that cool afternoon drive on U.S. Hwy 19, a tackle shop in Perry caught my eye, amidst the Spanish Moss and palmettos. Hanging above the store was a vintage sign that read “Teach A Kid To Fish.” How crazy is it that a lot of kids these days miss out on the thrill of landing that big bass, or catfish? It seems to me more kids would rather kick a soccer ball around or hang at the skate park, usually sans parent. Back in the dark ages when I was a little minnow, fishing and other “traditional” Southern sports like baseball were a way of life in the hot summer months. Actually, we donʼt have bigger fish to fry as Southern adults. Letʼs find the time and make sure to pass this Southern rite of summer down. Yʼall load up for the lake…Iʼll get the worms! In this issue of Yʼall, the ultimate angler, Bill Dance, gives us his best catch in a great feature anchored on page 64. Can you guess how large Billʼs biggest catch has been? Elvis Presley is another Southern rite of summer, and all year long for that matter. In this issue of Yʼall, we are excited to induct “The King” into the Yʼall of Fame. Since his death in 1977, the legend and love for Presley has grown. He was one of many Mississippi musicians to have made a large impact on the music business. Yʼall spotlights the Magnolia Stateʼs musical heritage in a special section and commemorative poster, beginning on page 16. Tall mountain peaks, emerald-green coastal waters and major league cities arenʼt found in Mississippi. Instead, the worldʼs leading musicians, actors, television personalities, athletes and more call this state home. It is without question a state loaded with talent. Since Yʼall is the Magazine of Southern People, weʼre glad Mississippi is one of the 15 Southern states (“The Land of Yʼall”) that provides us with plenty of folks to write about.
Y’ALL (ISSN 1557-2331), May/June 2006, Volume 4, Number 3. Published bimonthly by General Rawl Media, LLC. Editorial and advertising offices at 7 County Road 305, Oxford, MS 38655-9302. 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 2006, 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.
8
ym8-15.indd 8
Southernly yours,
Jon Rawl
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
4/18/06 8:48:30 PM
where y’all?
Front Row in Duluth, Ga., and Memphis, Tenn. Toby Keith in concert at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn. Far left: George Strait in concert in Duluth, Ga., along with opening act Miranda Lambert. Nice hat. Photos by Chad Mills
summer concerts Lynyrd Skynyrd/3 Doors Down June 27, 2006 Maryland Heights, MO Brooks & Dunn May 14, 2006 Virginia Beach, VA
July 7, 2006 Selma, TX July 8, 2006 The Woodlands, TX
Kenny Chesney June 29, 2006 Greenville, SC
July 9, 2006 Dallas, TX
Faith Hill/Tim McGraw May 28 & 29, 2006 Jacksonville, FL B. B. King May 3, 2006 Birmingham, AL May 5, 2006 Memphis, TN
ym8-15.indd 9
June 2, 2006 Tampa, FL June 3, 2006 Orlando, FL June 4, 2006 Sunrise, FL 4/18/06 8:52:13 PM
where y’all?
The CMT Music Awards
Kid Rock joins Holly Williams, and Holly’s dad, Hank Williams Jr.
Carrie Underwood
Trick Pony
The 2006 CMT Music Awards took over Nashville’s Belmont University on April 10, and although the venue was a lot smaller than last year’s show at the Gaylord Entertainment Center, it was a huge success. The live acts ranged from Gretchen Wilson singing “All Jacked Up” with pyrotechnics going off on every inch of the stage, to Brooks & Dunn singing “I Believe” in a somber center stage setting with a climax of the audience holding up lights that were handed out before the show. Keith Urban took the big prize of “Video of the
Rascal Flatts
10
ym8-15.indd 10
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
4/18/06 8:52:58 PM
Kelly Preston
Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry
Jewel
Year” home and ended the show with “Better Life,” to which a video and pictures of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort were shown on the screens and victims of the disaster joined Keith on stage to sing. Carrie Underwood took home her first two awards ever for “Breakthrough Video” and “Female Video of the Year.” Rascal Flatts walked away with “Group/Duo Video.”
Sugarland
Brooks & Dunn MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym8-15.indd 11
11
4/18/06 8:54:12 PM
where y’all?
Gibson GuitarTown Gala
The City of Nashville came out in droves to raise $300,000 at February’s GuitarTown Auction Gala held at BMI Nashville. The arts project presented by Gibson Guitar culminated with a star-studded gala auction by Juliens Auctions. Big Kenny of Big & Rich put on his old auctioneer hat and assisted on-stage with getting the crowds to bid high while he recognized his fellow celebrity friends in the audience. Y’all Magazine joined hosts Big & Rich at the sold-out starstudded event that included arrivals from musical greats Vince Gill, Tanya Tucker, Lee Roy Parnell, Bill Anderson, Steve Crop-
Nashville’s GuitarTown 10-foot-tall sculptures
John Rich and Big Kenny of Big & Rich
12
ym8-15.indd 12
per, Brenda Lee, Chely Wright, Jamie O’Neal, Keni Thomas, Disney recording artists Everlife, Jace Everett, Little Texas, Tracy Lawrence, the Muzik Mafia and Richard Marx. Nashville’s GuitarTown Gala Auction event was the culmination of the GuitarTown arts project, which featured 10-foot Gibson guitar sculptures and showcase guitars on display around the city. The money raised at the gala will go to help four local charities: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Nashville’s United Way and The Downtown District.
“Whisperin’” Bill Anderson and the legendary Brenda Lee
Country star Jamie O’Neal poses with her Gibson showcase guitar
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
4/18/06 8:55:24 PM
Singer Sara Evans with her themed 10-foot-tall guitar sculpture
Gibson Gala photos by Sandy Campbell, Photos of Y’all staff by Caroline Ballentine
Y’all Magazine Associate Publisher Keith Sisson, Tanya Tucker, and Y’all Oklahoma Bureau Chief Lee Cartwright are all smiles.
Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz
Sisson with Two Foot Fred
Country music star Chely Wright
Tennessee Titans RB Chris Brown with country star Tracy Lawrence
More Gibson guitar sculptures are placed for the auction.
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym8-15.indd 13
13
4/18/06 8:55:54 PM
book review 14
ym8-15.indd 14
Boss, Jaybird and Me A Collection of Short, Short Stories by Jimmy Reed Looking for a delightful read that can be read little by little or all at once? Try this book, Boss, Jaybird and Me, by author Jimmy Reed. Reed grew up on a Mississippi Delta plantation, named Dunleith Farms and Gin, near Leland, Miss., back in the day when everything one needed was there…a commissary store, cotton gin, tiny country church and a population that never exceeded 50. What more could one ask for? It was paradise. Following college and the military he returned to the farm and worked for the owner, his father, Boss. After a while he became a partner, built a home, gardened, kept honeybees, earned a pilot’s license, and found time to run marathons. That is, until after 21 years of doing what he loved, disaster struck. He was separated from his farm. Like a true farmer, he never let it get him down. He scrambled back to his feet and became an agricultural journalist. Jimmy is a devoted diarist and is never without a notebook and pencil in his pocket. The stories found between the pages of this book bring back memories for anyone who has experienced life on a farm. Many of the stories are inspired by Jaybird, Jimmy’s mentor, best friend and protector.
They are all 500-word short, short stories. Jimmy regales his readers with tales of his boyhood mischief and lessons learned, as well as lessons life has taught him. His vivid descriptions of events puts you there while they were happening, even though it was long ago. You will find yourself laughing out loud at some of the antics and sobering at the wisdom he imparts. Who can resist a story about “Loretta,” his 1993 Dodge pickup, or Dave and Juny’s gar pond, or one of the seven women who have always been first in his life, or “Bogus” the dog, or Jimmy’s account of September 11, 2001? Not me…and not you either, if you ever pick up the book. It’s the kind of book that you can read a short story from, and reflect on it long afterwards. Thanks, Jimmy Reed, for telling your stories in Boss, Jaybird and Me. Review by Paula Dabbs
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
4/18/06 8:56:42 PM
AUTHOR JULIE CANNON
3/ -5#( .%7 4/ (%!2 !.$ $/ 4UNICA IS THE -ISSISSIPPI $ELTA S VENUE FOR GREAT MUSIC LOCATED ON THE FAMOUS "LUES (IGHWAY n 5 3 (IGHWAY )T S A PLACE WITH LIVE MUSIC SEVEN DAYS A WEEK 3OME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN SHOW BUSINESS FROM SOUL ROCK AND COUNTRY TO COMEDY AND THEATRICAL 6EGAS STYLE SHOWS ARE ON STAGE IN 4UNICA *UST MINUTES SOUTH OF 'RACELAND AND "EALE 3TREET IN -EMPHIS 3O COME ON OVER AND ENJOY THE ENTERTAINMENT AT THE 3OUTH S FAVORITE GAMING AND GOOD TIMES GETAWAY !ND WHILE YOU RE HERE DON T MISS ALL OF THE OTHER GREAT THINGS TO SEE AND DO
45.)#! #!3)./ (/4%, 2%3/243
s .INE WORLD CLASS CASINOS s 4HREE CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF COURSES s 4HE 4UNICA 2IVER0ARK MUSEUM RIVER CRUISES NATURE TRAIL AND OVERLOOK s &ABULOUS SHOPPING DINING MUSEUMS AND SO MUCH MORE
&OR A FREE 4UNICA 6ISITOR S 'UIDE AND ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
CALL OR LOG ON TODAY
WWW 4UNICA-ISS COM
45.)#! 4/,, &2%%
4HE 3OUTH S #ASINO #APITAL
3-
Â¥ !LL RIGHTS RESERVED 4UNICA #ONVENTION 6ISITORS "UREAU s 0 / "OX s 4UNICA -3 s 5 3 (IGHWAY .ORTH s 4UNICA 2ESORTS -3 s
ym8-15.indd 15
4/18/06 8:57:02 PM
MISSISSIPPI MUSIC MASTERS Growing up in Mississippi, you gain an appreciation for Southern hospitality, world-class cuisine, mild winters and great music. Mississippi is the birthplace of American music.
I
t was in the Mississippi Delta where former slaves combined the many passed-down nuances of African tribal music with the scale and instruments of whites, to create the Blues. It was in the East Mississippi city of Meridian where a young railroad worker in the 1920s listened and observed those unique Mississippi Bluesman and mixed that sound with the fiddle, banjo and yodel of old time music. Today, that Meridian, Miss. native – Jimmie Rodgers – is known as the “Father of Country Music.” And what could be argued as the single most significant event in the history of American culture happened when a young truck driver from Tupelo walked into Sun Records on Union Avenue in Memphis, Tenn., to record a song for his mama. It was on that day in 1954 that Mississippian Elvis Presley created Rock and Roll. Mississippi Musicians have shaped the sound of the last century. If Robert Johnson really did sell his soul to the devil, then we owe to him to never let his memory die. Ladies owe it to Tammy Wynette to “Stand By Your Man,” and we should all be as lucky as Charley Pride to “Kiss An Angel Good Morning.” The highest grossing concert of 2005 was a group
of South Mississippi rockers named 3 Doors Down, Jam band super-group Widespread Panic called on Oxford, Miss., native JoJo Herman to complete their line-up, and Laurel’s native son Lance Bass contributed to the unprecedented success of ‘90s pop group ‘NSYNC. From the early bluesman like Charlie Patton and Son House to country music superstars Conway Twitty and LeAnn Rimes, Mississippi musicians are world-renowned. Every time a person walks into B.B. King’s Blues Club in Manhattan, sings along with “Margaritaville,” or watches the annual Faith Hill Thanksgiving concert on NBC, that person gets a sample of Mississippi’s song. In Mississippi, the music tells the story, whether it is the joyful praises from The Mississippi Mass Choir, or the powerful arrangement of “From Dixie With Love” that moves thousands of fans after Ole Miss football games. Mississippi’s music is America’s music. And America’s song will forever be influenced by the great musical pioneers of the Magnolia State. We hope you enjoy this special section that highlights Mississippi’s rich musical heritage.
Foreword by Keith Sisson. Articles by Sally Summerson and Hadley Hickman
ym16-38.indd 16
4/18/06 8:58:38 PM
country
PI
On a sweltering Nashville night this past July, Faith Hill entered the Ford Theatre in the Country Music Hall of Fame wearing faded jeans, high-heeled shoes, and a no-frills, short-sleeved shirt prepared to talk to an audience about her Fireflies album. While everyone else looked tired and hot from the heat and humidity, Hill was remarkably cool. Nothing about her persona screamed superstar—nothing except for her stunning good looks and distinguished country voice that helped catapult her to national stardom back in 1994. With more than 30 million records sold, 10 No.1 hits, four Grammy awards, three Country Music Association awards, 13 Academy of Country Music awards, and a supporting role in the major motion picture, The Stepford Wives, she ain’t no regular “Mississippi Girl.” Adopted and raised in a close-knit and extremely large family in the Central Mississippi town of Star, Audrey Faith Perry dreamed of stardom at an early age. By the age of seven she was performing for local 4-H groups, and by 19, she made it to Nashville, where she worked selling T-shirts and doing secretarial work in pursuit of her dream. A little bit of luck and a few years later, a Warner Bros. executive discovered her at a showcase, fell in love with her voice and signed her to a solo deal. Her singles “Wild One,” “Take Me As I Am,” “Piece Of My Heart,” and “This Kiss” proved Warner Bros. right by revealing her ability to touch audiences and fans across all ages and genres. After making it as one of the most successful female country artists ever, Hill often references her Mississippi childhood. Dreaming is what enabled her “to do what [she] does now,[because as a child she] imagined that [she] could be on stage singing.” Today, with considerable attention concentrated on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast in the
Steve Spatafore/Getty
Faith Hill (1967-- )
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym16-38.indd 17
17
4/18/06 9:01:28 PM
country wake of Hurricane Katrina, Hill is reminded more and more of her heritage. She and husband Tim McGraw have donated money and time to the victims on the coast, even going on a mission there a few days after Katrina hit to help deliver relief supplies. “I’m so proud to be from Mississippi. It’s a great state and I love it,” she says, which is evident in her actions and natural simplicity that Big & Rich’s John Rich would say characterizes this country diva in her 2005 hit that he wrote, “Mississippi Girl.” She really is just a girl from “the hood”-- the same girl from Mississippi, only now, she says, with a few “more wrinkles, three children, and a husband.”
Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933)
This Meridian, Miss., native, also known as “The Father of Country Music,” “The Singing Brakeman” and “America’s Blue Yodeler,” was the first performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In the midst of the Great Depression, Rodgers introduced to America a different sort of music—a music that freed the soul and lightened the mood through its easy-going, whiskey-drinking, down-home sort of way. Although fame didn’t come quickly, Rodgers’ ingenuity and colorful personality eventually broke the monotony in country music with his first single, “Sleep, Baby, Sleep.” Out of his 110 recorded songs, “Blue Yodel,” “In The Jailhouse Now,” “Frankie And Johnny,” and “Waiting For A Train” are some of the most famous. He was, as the inscription on his statue in Meridian says, “The music of America.”
Charley Pride (1938-- )
Nobody can sing “Roll On Mississippi” quite like Charley Pride, the first and only black country superstar. Pride grew up in the Mississippi Delta sharecropping town of Sledge. Born to a strict sharecropper father who opposed blues music, Pride bought his first guitar at age 14 and found his musical inspiration from Hank Williams, Roy Acuff and other Grand Ole Opry stars. After a few years playing baseball in the Negro League, Pride turned to music. His first single, “Snakes Crawl At Night,” is far from bluesy and hides any accent or racial jargon, which allowed him to hide his race from the country until his gold-selling debut album, Country Charley Pride. Nevertheless, America fell in love with Pride, who went on to have 29 No. 1 hits, including “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’,” “Is Anybody Goin’ To San Antone?” and “Just Between You And Me.” 18
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym16-38.indd 18
4/18/06 9:02:16 PM
LeAnn Rimes (1982--)
Rodgers, PRide: Courtesy of Record Co., Rimes:Brad Barket/Getty Images for JCPenney, Stuart: Rusty Russell/Getty
Raised in the Jackson suburb of Pearl, Miss., to Wilbur and Belinda Rimes, LeAnn expressed a desire to sing and perform at the unprecedented age of two. By the age of five she had won her first competition in Jackson; by age eight she had already landed a major role in A Christmas Carol and was a two-week champion on Star Search; and by age 11, LeAnn recorded her first album, All That, which featured an early version of her first hit song, “Blue.” Today, Rimes stands as a two-time Grammy winner, a four-time Billboard Music Award winner, and the artist of such hit songs as “One Way Ticket,” “Unchained Melody,” “Commitment,” “Big Deal” and “Can’t Fight The Moonlight.” This Mississippi diva first shocked the world with her 13year-old voice in 1996 and, since then, has yet to let country music fans down. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for Rimes next.
Marty Stuart (1958--)
Honky Tonkin’s what Marty Stuart does best. This Philadelphia, Miss., boy knows how to rock out---country style. A local Mississippi band called The Sullivans noticed Stuart at an early age, and from there he went on to play with Lester Flatt and later Johnny Cash, until he finally went on his own in 1982. Success wasn’t all that easy for Stuart, though, as his career has been a fluctuation of highs and lows. In the end, however, Stuart has established himself as a certified country music star, singing with greats like Johnny Cash and friends like Travis Tritt. The Grand Ole Opry member has a number of Top 20 hits, including “Hillbilly Rock,” “Burn Me Down,” “This One’s Gonna Hurt You ” and “Tempted.” In 1996, this noted music historian and collector was elected president of the Country Music Foundation. MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym16-38.indd 19
19
4/18/06 9:02:47 PM
MERIDIAN WHERE THE WORLD’S MUSIC IS MADE AND PLAYED. Go to www.visitmeridian.com/yall to enter to WIN a Peavey HP Signature EXP guitar and a FREE Trip and Tour of Meridian, Mississippi for you and a companion. First-class round trip transportation provided by Amtrak. (Some restrictions apply)
“Come see my hometown.”
Hotel accommodations provided by Hampton Inn.
–Hartley Peavey, Founder/CEO of Peavey Electronics
w w w. v i s i t m e r i d i a n . c o m
Meridian
Meridian, mississippi…the new south at it’s best Meridian/Lauderdale County Tourism Bureau • 1-888-868-7720
ym16-38.indd Sec1:20
4/18/06 9:06:15 PM
country Paul Overstreet (1955-- )
Born in Newton, small-town boy Paul Overstreet grew up in coastal Vancleave, Miss. He is one of the most successful songwriters of his generation. After graduating from high school, Overstreet moved to Nashville where he wrote songs during the day and worked odd jobs at night. He hit the jackpot in 1982 when his song “Same Ole Me” was recorded by George Jones. Success soon followed as his songs were being recorded by top artists such as Randy Travis (“Forever And Ever, Amen”), Tanya Tucker, Marie Osmond and Kenny Chesney. BMI quickly labeled Overstreet as “Songwriter of the Year” for five consecutive years, from 1987-1991. All in all, he has written 27 Top 10 songs, including “When You Say Nothing At All” and “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” He had his own string of hits in the early 1990s, including “Sowin’ Love” and “Ball And Chain.” Today, he lives outside of Nashville and works with Scarlet Moon Records, his own label.
Tammy Wynette
Photos Courtesy of Record Labels
(1942-1998)
“The First Lady of Country Music,” Tammy Wynette perhaps stands as Mississippi’s greatest musical claim to fame. Or perhaps that is taking it a step too far, as many amazing musicians came from this talented state. Even so, the name Tammy Wynette needs no elaboration. It’s fair to say that she created such a worldwide image and name for herself, and had such a following, that most Americans know exactly who Tammy Wynette is. And if you don’t, then you can at least probably hum the tune and sing the words to “Stand By Your Man.” Born and raised in the cotton-farming town of Tremont, Miss., Virginia Wynette Pugh was raised by her grandparents. Early on, she taught herself to play instruments, and began singing with a gospel quartet in her teens. It wasn’t until she divorced her first husband at age 22 and became a single mother of two that she felt the pains of being a working woman, striving to make a name for herself. Out of her first marriage and her later marriage to legendary country legend George Jones emerged the omnipresent, struggling heroine theme that consistently weaves in and out of Wynette’s music. Songs like “Stand By Your Man,” “The Ways To Love A Man,” and “Singing My Song” are irreplaceably emotional, filled with Wynette’s own struggle with Jones and the previous men in her life. In a male-dominated world, Tammy Wynette (who changed her name when she signed with Epic Records in 1966) revolutionized the way America viewed women. Her honesty and sincerity about the difficulties of being a woman opened new doors for women artists such as Janis Joplin, and even Madonna. As a woman with more than 20 No. 1 hits and more than 30 million records sold, Tammy Wynette deserves the “First Lady” title. The Country Music Hall of Fame agreed, and she was inducted just after her 1998 death. MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym16-38.indd Sec1:21
21
4/18/06 9:08:46 PM
country Steve Azar (1964-- )
Mississippi Delta boy Steve Azar grew up in Greenville with a passion for playing and writing music. After years of playing clubs across the Magnolia State and throughout the South, Azar signed his first major label deal with Mercury Records in 2001. His songs are catchy tunes that country music lovers dig. “I Don’t Have To Be Me (‘Til Monday)” made it to No. 2 on Billboard’s country music singles chart in 2002, and “Waitin’ On Joe” made it to the Top 10. So proud of Mr. Azar was the Governor of Mississippi that he proclaimed March 13 as Steve Azar Day.
Jeff Bates Rough-edged and brazen, Mississippian Jeff Bates knows what it’s like to make it to the top in the face of adversity. Adopted by a poor couple from Bunker Hill, he had few opportunities as a child. At age 17, he finally got a gig singing and playing at a local honky tonk. From there, he faced a painful drug addiction, a divorce, and a prison term, before turning his life around and heading towards Nashville. Eventually his smooth, charismatic voice attracted the big guys at RCA, who signed him on Jan. 29, 2002. His hit songs include his debut single, “The Love Song,” plus “Long, Slow Kisses” and “No Shame.”
22
AZAR: SCOTT GRIES/GETTY. BATES:RUSTY RUSSELL/GETTY
(1963-- )
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym16-38.indd Sec1:22
4/18/06 9:09:35 PM
Conway Twitty (1933-1993)
Conway Twitty, born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, grew up on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River in the small Northwest Mississippi community of Friars Point. Twitty was the epitome of a country music star. With more No. 1 selling country records than any artist to date, and more than 50 No. 1 singles, Twitty rocked for four decades with his deep, Southern voice and adventuresome attitude. Elvis was his inspiration, and after his discharge from the armed services, he headed for Elvis’s recording studio in nearby Memphis. While on a road tour in 1956, after failing to get his songs released by Elvis’ old Sun Records, he decided on his new name by combining the names of Conway, Ark., and Twitty, Texas. Twitty’s career was full of variation. In his younger days, he went for the rockabilly style (“It’s Only Make Believe”); in the‘70s he began experimenting with soul; and in the 1980s he worked on songs featuring a stronger and more penetrating voice. Whatever musical form he tackled, he usually succeeded. Not only was he a fashion and style icon, he was a country music legend from the get-go. Some of his most famous hits include “Hello Darlin’,” “Tight Fittin’ Jeans,” “Linda On My Mind,” “I’d Just Love To Lay You Down” and “After The Fire Is Gone,” which he recorded with Loretta Lynn—a long-time singing partner. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, six years after his death.
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym16-38.indd Sec1:23
23
4/18/06 9:09:54 PM
LIVE FROM
THE BIRTHPLACE
OF AMERICAN MUSIC.
Blues, country, rock ’n roll. It all started right here. And on any given night, it’s still going strong. From the coast to the Delta to the northern hills, singers and musicians make juke joints, clubs and concert halls rock. Fans come here from around the world to sit down front and see the real thing – live and a-live, as we say. Novice or connoisseur, you should, too. Call or check out VisitMississippi.org to get your free Mississippi Tour Guide. Then look for the neon, listen for the applause, and come on in for the show.
VisitMississippi.org 1-866-SEE MISS (733-6477)
!Mjwf!Qfsgpsnbodft!!!!Ijtupsjdbm!Tjuft!!!!Gftujwbmt!boe!Gbjst!!!!Jotqjsfe!Nvtjdjbot
ym16-38.indd Sec1:24
4/18/06 9:10:21 PM
blues
AMANDA EDWARDS/GETTY
B.B. King (1925-- )
Riley B. King, aka B. B. King, is the most famous bluesman today. And his trademark guitar “Lucille” has been a part of his success for six decades. Raised in the Delta town of Indianola, King spent much of his childhood living the life of a sharecropper, sharing time with his mother and his grandmother. In 1946, King moved to Memphis, where he finely honed his guitar technique with the help of his cousin, bluesman Bukka White. He would get his music played on the radio, and a recording contract would soon follow. His producer in those days was the legendary Sam Phillips. King’s R&B hits include “You Know I Love You,” “Bad Luck” and “When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer.” His 1969 smash “The Thrill Is Gone” was a hit on the pop chart. Throughout the decades, King has continued to tour the world, performing as many as 300 nights a year, despite his fight with diabetes. This ambassador of blues is also an ambassador for his home state. Coming in 2007, the $10 million B.B. King Museum will open in his hometown of Indianola. “It’s where my roots are. Maybe it’s the same reason I go back year after year to do a free homecoming concert – there’s a sense of place that’s very powerful and I hope it can make a difference for the children of the Mississippi Delta,” King says.
The Birth of “Lucille” In the winter of 1949, King played at a dance hall in Twist, Ark. In order to heat the hall, a barrel half-filled with kerosene was lit, a common practice at the time. During a performance, two men began to fight, knocking over the burning barrel and sending burning fuel across the floor. This triggered an evacuation. Once outside, King realized that he had left his guitar inside the burning building. He entered the blaze to retrieve his guitar, a Gibson acoustic. Two people died in the fire. The next day, King discovered that the two men were fighting over a woman named Lucille. King named that first guitar “Lucille,” as well as every one he owned since that near-fatal experience, “to remind me never to do a thing like that again.”
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym16-38.indd Sec1:25
25
4/18/06 9:10:43 PM
blues Robert Johnson (1909-1938)
Frequently cited as “the greatest blues singer of all time,” Robert Johnson did not become famous until after his death. He only spent three years of his life dedicating his time to recording music; however, his music still influences people today. Born in the South Mississippi town of Hazlehurst, Johnson and his mother spent his childhood in labor camps looking for work. He spent four years working in Memphis, Tenn., before moving back with his mother and stepfather, Willie Willis, to the Mississippi Delta hamlet of Robinsonville. He spent his teens growing a love for music. In the 1920s he began to play popular recorded blues music on the guitar. He married Virginia Patton, who died in 1930 while giving birth. Despite the fact that Robert Johnson may be the most significant blues singer of all times, his legend will always be shadowed by the myth that he sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads of U.S. Highways 49 and 61 in exchange for the ability to master the guitar. American Recording Company gave him his first recording in 1936. He recorded his best-seller, “Terraplane Blues.” Some of his other songs include “Love In Vain” and “Sweet Home Chicago.” Johnson was murdered on August 16, 1938. The cause of his death and his murderer remain unknown; however, his music and influence live on forever.
“Son” House Eddie James House, Jr., also known as “Son,” was a well-known blues singer and guitarist. Born in Riverton, Miss., just two miles from the Blues Capital of Clarksdale, House grew up wanting to become a Baptist preacher. With inspiration from Willie Wilson, he played alongside other blues singers, such as Robert Johnson. In 1930, House recorded for Paramount and in 1941-1942 he recorded for Alan Lomax from the Library of Congress. House did not become popular though, until the 1960s. At that time he worked for the New York Central Railroad and lived in Rochester, N.Y. His well-known songs include “My Black Mama,” “Levee Camp Blues” and “Preachin’ The Blues.” In 1974, he retired and moved to Detroit. House died of cancer of the larynx in 1988.
26
DIDDLEY:MICHAL CIZEK/AFP/GETTY
(1902-1988)
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym16-38.indd Sec1:26
4/18/06 9:11:17 PM
Muddy Waters (1913-1983)
Muddy Waters, aka McKinley A. Morganfield, is called “The Father of the Chicago Blues.” Born in rural Issaquena County, Miss., Waters’ grandmother raised him and gave him the nickname “Muddy Waters” because of all the time he spent in the water. He ultimately moved to the Stovall Plantation, just outside of Clarksdale. In 1930, he began to play the guitar. Alan Lomax, an archivist for the Library of Congress, recorded him in 1941 on the Mississippi Delta plantation. In 1943, he moved to Chicago and worked for a factory, and it was in Chicago where he switched from an acoustic guitar to an electric guitar. Waters recorded his guitar and vocals under Chess Records. Later he added rhythm and a harmonica. Some of his hit songs include “Got My Mojo Working,” “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “She’s Nineteen Years Old.”
Bo Diddley (1928-- )
Bo Diddley is a classic blues and Rock and Roll singer/guitarist. He was born in McComb, Miss., with the birth name of Otha Elles Bates. His nickname “Bo Diddley” is slang for “nothing at all.” As a child, he played the guitar and violin. From 1955-1974 he recorded for Chicago’s Chess Records. He played with a style of hitting himself called the “Bo Diddley Beat.” He was the first black person to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show. He was also part of a group, the Washboard Trio, from 19451951. He is best known for “I’m A Man,” which climbed to the top of the charts in 1955. Diddley was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Younger generations may recognize Diddley from appearing alongside athlete Bo Jackson in Nike shoe advertisements in the early 1990s.
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym16-38.indd Sec1:27
27
4/18/06 9:11:36 PM
blues Charlie Musselwhite (1944-- )
Charlie Musselwhite’s not from the Mississippi Delta, he doesn’t drink and he’s not black. Regardless, this Mississippian is one exceptional bluesman. He’s skilled at playing the harp and harmonica. Born in Kosciusko, Musselwhite grew up during the time when black music and white music were merging. He made a living by laying concrete and running moonshine. In the ‘60s he moved to Chicago where he recorded his first album, Stand Back!, with Vanguard Records. Later he moved to San Francisco, where he recorded 20 more albums. Musselwhite has earned many commendations, including multiple Grammy nominations and the Mississippi Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.
John Lee Hooker Stuttering speech never stopped John Lee Hooker from singing. He was born into a musical family in Clarksdale, Miss. His half-spoken style of singing made him a famous blues singer. Hooker was free with his music, without having beats. He was always changing the tempo, which affected his music. He could not add backing tracks to his recordings because of his looseness. Hooker moved to Detroit and in 1948 released his first hit single, “Boogie Chillen.” Later, his song “Boom Boom” was a big hit. Recording companies did not pay well, so he used the names John Lee Booker, Johnny Hooker and John Cooker to make more money with different companies. He recorded over 100 albums and is included in the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He appeared and sang in The Blues Brothers movie. Hooker became ill in 2001 before he left for a tour in Europe. He died at age 83.
28
HOOKER: SHERIDAN/AFP/Getty
(1917-2001)
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym16-38.indd Sec1:28
4/18/06 9:12:15 PM
Junior Kimbrough (1930-1998)
David “Junior” Kimbrough was born outside of Holly Springs, Miss. and grew up playing his father’s guitar. As a teenager he played cover songs; however, he realized he did not want to be a performer and began to play only his own music. In 1968, he released his first single, “Tramp.” He did not release a full album until he was 62, All Night Long. The magazine Rolling Stone gave the album four stars. Some of his songs include “Sad Days, Lonely Nights” and “God Knows I Tried.” He died of heart failure in Holly Springs at age 67. He left behind his music and his companion Mildred Washington, along with 36 children.
Bukka White (1909-1977)
“Bukka” White, aka Booker T. Washington White, was born in Houston, Miss. White’s father was a musician and his mother was a singer. He was a mentor to his younger cousin, B.B. King. Bukka grew up working in the fields and playing his music in local clubs. In the 1930s, Ralph Lembo, an agent for the Victor recording label, helped jump-start White’s career by recording him in Memphis. When not in the juke joints, he played on a semi-professional baseball team (Birmingham Black Cats) and also fought in boxing matches. In 1937, his “Shake ‘Em On Down” became very popular. He was one of many blues singers that was rediscovered in the ‘60s. He often performed with B.B. King and Muddy Waters. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1973. He died at age 65 in 1977.
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym16-38.indd Sec1:29
29
4/18/06 9:12:35 PM
blues R.L. Burnside (1926-2005)
Robert Lee Burnside dedicated his life to music; however, he did not get national attention until the 1990s. Burnside was born and raised in the hill country community of Harmontown, outside of Oxford, Miss. He spent his childhood working on a farm. In the ‘50s he began playing the guitar and singing. His style was more North Mississippi Blues rather than the Delta Blues. Burnside played the electric and the acoustic guitar. In the 1950s he moved to Chicago with his family; however, some of his family members were murdered and he moved back to Mississippi. In the 1960s he made his first recording. In the 1990s, Jon Spencer, leader of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, noticed Burnside and set up recordings and tour shows for him. Heart problems slowed Burnside down, and were the cause of his death in 2005. His songs included “It’s Bad You Know,” which was featured on The Sopranos soundtrack.
W.C. Handy (1873-1958)
“The Father of the Blues” was a Mississippian, at least for a short time. Born and raised in Florence, Ala., Handy became an accomplished musician and composer and traveled the country. In 1903, while touring Mississippi, Handy was waiting for a train in the delta town of Tutwiler. At the train depot an unknown musician was singing while sliding a knife blade down the strings of his guitar. The sound was unforgettable to Handy, and in time became the music known as the blues. Handy lived in Clarksdale, Miss., from 1903-09. During these years, the Alabama-born, Mississippi-influenced musician collected many blues songs which would steer him to national prominence in the first half of the 20th Century.
30
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym16-38.indd Sec1:30
4/18/06 9:13:09 PM
ym16-38.indd Sec1:31
4/18/06 9:13:31 PM
rock, gosp
Tupelo Kid
A
by Mark J. Cook
s the white Lincoln approached the city limits of Tupelo, Mississippi on September 26, 1956, Elvis Presley’s mind probably went back in time. Back in time to a two-room shotgun shack where his mother gave birth. To a twin brother that didn’t survive. To the fairgrounds where a nervous 10-year-old won fifth place singing “Old Shep.” And to the whirlwind that had taken place since his father drove the family to Memphis in search of a better life eight years earlier. As Elvis and his band took the stage later that day to 20,000 screaming fans amid a daylong celebration in his honor, Mississippi’s native son was home. While Memphis was Presley’s adopted hometown, Tupelo, his birthplace, had a profound impact in shaping the entertainer’s future stardom. The Presley family was heavily involved in the local Assembly of God church, and it was there that Elvis was first exposed to the power of music. Numerous times before the age of five, Presley would slip from his mother’s lap during church service and try to sing along with the choir. Tupelo was also where Elvis got his first guitar, a birthday present purchased for $7.75 at Tupelo Hardware Company in 1946. And Tupelo was where Elvis was first exposed to the style of music that would influence him until his death. The neighborhoods the Presleys lived in while in Tupelo were predominately black communities and Presley spent numerous childhood hours listening to the local players as they gathered on their front porches and played the blues. Immediately after graduation from Humes High School in Memphis, Presley went to work, and it was during a lunch break from Crown Electric when Presley walked into Sam Phillips’ Sun Records Studio and cut a record that some say was a birthday gift for his mother. In July of 1954, Phillips would call Presley back for an audition and team him with Bill Black on bass and Scotty Moore on guitar. Moore recalled what happened that magical night. “Bill (Black) and I were about to leave around 9:30 p.m. that night after playing a few things that didn’t seem to go anywhere and Elvis just started singing ‘That’s All Right (Mama)’,’’ Moore recalls from his Nashville home.
“Bill started playing along and I started playing the guitar and Sam (Phillips) asked us what we were doing. We told him we were just goofing around and he told us to keep goofing around, that it sounded pretty good.” On a hot Memphis night in July of 1954, Rock and Roll was born and a shy, awkward boy from Tupelo started a new chapter in music history. By the time he returned to his birth town for the concert and day set aside in his honor, Presley had exploded on the radio charts, toured all over the country, made television history, and was in the process of finishing his first motion picture, Love Me Tender. The city of Tupelo welcomed their hometown hero with an entire day set aside before his twoshow performance at the Mississippi-Alabama Fairgrounds. Tupelo’s Main Street was decked out in bunting and signs hung from the store windows stating “Tupelo Welcomes Elvis Presley Home.” Elvis author Peter Guralnick wrote in his 1994 book Last Train to Memphis, that Elvis’ parents – Vernon and Gladys Presley – were “practically overcome” seeing the hoopla surrounding their return. Mrs. Presley remarked to a friend later, “it made me feel bad to go back there and remember how poor we were.” When the Presleys arrived in Tupelo they went to a large tent set up behind the stage at the fairgrounds and met with the media, old friends and relatives. Before going on stage, Elvis took questions from the numerous media members present. A reporter asked Presley about his thoughts on his return to Tupelo. “I’ve been looking forward to this homecoming very much,’’ Presley said. “I’ve been escorted out of these
“On a hot Memphis night in July of 1954, Rock and Roll was born and a shy, awkward boy from Tupelo started a new chapter in music history.”
32
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym16-38.indd Sec1:32
4/18/06 9:14:14 PM
Photo by Liaison/getty
el and more
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym16-38.indd Sec1:33
33
4/18/06 9:14:30 PM
rock, gospe fairgrounds when I was a kid for sneaking over the fence. But this is the first time I’ve been escorted in.’’ Just before Elvis started the 2 p.m. show, Governor J.P. Coleman and Tupelo Mayor James Ballard gave Elvis a proclamation and a key to the city in the shape of a guitar (which can be seen on display at Graceland today). Scotty Moore remembered Elvis’ mood prior to the concerts. “I don’t think he was nervous really but I know he was excited and really up for doing the shows that day,’’ Moore, now 74, recalls. From the opening song “Heartbreak Hotel” to the close of the show an hour later, screams and cheers erupted as Elvis gave a spirited performance. As the show closed, Elvis went back to the tent and continued meeting and greeting local fans and dignitaries. In attendance that day was 12-year-old Patricia Gartin Blair, who described Presley’s performance, “I liked Elvis but wasn’t like the screaming type fan,” Blair recalled. “But after seeing him perform that day I became one of those screaming fans. “When I saw him in that blue velvet shirt it was so Hollywood and movie star. Elvis was Hollywood on stage.’’
The second show began at 8 p.m. and 50 National Guardsmen were added to help control the crowds. At a couple of points during the show Elvis stopped the concert and asked the crowd to reserve itself somewhat so no one would get hurt. After the show ended, as Elvis was receiving his proceeds from the show, he signed the check back and asked that the city purchase his birth home and surrounding properties that were for sale and build a community park – that today houses an Elvis museum and his original childhood home. The Tupelo Journal reported the next day, “as the howling sirens carried Elvis away, the fairgrounds were wild with crying teenagers who fought for a last look at the boy who put burlesque back in business in a big way.” Elvis Presley only performed one more concert in Tupelo, but he never forgot his roots. Numerous times before his death in 1977, Presley slipped back into town unannounced to visit friends and relatives. Today the park still stands as a testimony to a man who became the “King of Rock and Roll,” but never forgot the small Southern town he came from that molded him into the world’s most popular entertainer.
“He (Elvis) signed the check back to the city and asked that they purchase his birth home and surrounding properties to build a community park.”
34
Parade, Photo courtesy www.elvisbyterrywood.com
On JUNE 3, 2006, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Elvis Presley homecoming concert in Tupelo, historians Roy Turner and Jim Palmer will premiere their new documentary, Homecoming: Tupelo Welcomes Elvis Home at the historic Lyric Theater. Turner and Palmer began their documentary in August 2004, and have conducted numerous interviews, obtained film footage, and collected hundreds of photos, some that have never been seen before. “I have helped on several Elvis books and documentaries over the years but there has never been one focusing on Elvis’s Tupelo homecoming,’’ Turner says. “In later years whenever Elvis mentioned the ‘56 Tupelo concert he always referred to it as his Homecoming, which makes me proud as it does everyone from Tupelo.’’ For more information on the documentary contact Turner at Royturner52@comcast.net or visit www.Tupeloelvisfestival.com
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym16-38.indd Sec1:34
4/18/06 9:17:57 PM
el and more On June 2-4, 2006, the City of Tupelo will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Elvis Homecoming concert. A recreation of the parade and performance will he held at the site of the original fairgrounds with live performers, video footage and an audio recording of the concerts. For more information, contact the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.tupelo.net or call 1-800-5330611.
Some of the information in this article was found in Peter Guralnick’s 1994 book Last Train to Memphis. Also thanks to Tupelo historian Roy Turner who provided key dates and facts for this story.
Mac McAnally (1957-- )
Mac McAnally grew up in the tiny Northeast Mississippi town of Belmont. His mom taught him to play the piano and influenced his musical career at age three. He grew up writing his own music and playing at night clubs. His music is mellow and his lyrics are deep and meaningful. At age 15, McAnally wrote his well-known song, “People Call Me Jesus.” Producers Terry Woodford and Clayton Ivey helped him with his first recordings. In 1977, Ariola Records released his first solo album Mac McAnally. The song, “It’s A Crazy World,” became a hit on the radio and vaulted to No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. Since this album, he has recorded over 10 albums under various record companies. In 1999, he went on tour with longtime pal Jimmy Buffet. He continues to write for, sing with, and produce such artists as Buffett and Sawyer Brown.
Lance Bass
BASS: Frazer Harrison/Getty
(1979-- )
James “Lance” Bass was the bass singer for the pop group ‘NSYNC. He was born in Laurel and grew up singing in the church choir and in the Mississippi Show Stoppers, a statewide group sponsored by the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum. When he joined the Mickey Mouse Club, he met JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake and created the boy band ‘NSYNC in 1996. Their song “I Want You Back” was a hit single in 1998. The album No Strings Attached was a big hit in 2000. In 2002, Bass entered cosmonaut training at Star City in Russia. His sponsorship funds failed, and this Mississippi star has has not been to the stars. MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym16-38.indd Sec1:35
35
4/18/06 9:24:27 PM
rock, gospe
Mississippi Mass Choir
Frank Williams founded the Mississippi Mass Choir in 1988. The idea for the Jackson-based choir was to praise and serve God through music. In 1988, the choir recorded its first album, The Mississippi Mass Choir Live, at the Jackson Municipal Auditorium. In 1989, the group received the Soul Train Music Award and the Dove Award. In 1990, the sophomore album God Gets the Glory included the song “I’m Yours, Lord.” The album hit the Billboard charts in 1991 at No. 16. Frank Williams died in 1993. His last recording was the album It Remains To Be Seen. In 1997, the choir went on tour and followed their motto, “Serving God through song.”
Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield (1819-1876)
Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield’s nickname was “The Black Swan.” She was born a slave in Natchez, Miss. A Philadelphia Quaker adopted her as an infant and she moved to freedom in the North. Quakers prohibited singing; however, she grew up with the love to sing. She privately sang to groups in her teens. Her first open performance was in 1851 for the Buffalo Musical Association. In 1853, she sang at the Metropolitan Hall in New York. She moved to London and was taught by Queen Victoria Chapel Royal’s organist. On May 10, 1854, she performed for the queen at Buckingham Palace. She ultimately returned to the United States and created an opera troupe. Greenfield is recognized as the first Black American concert artist.
36
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym16-38.indd Sec1:36
4/18/06 9:25:03 PM
el and more 3 Doors Down
Alternative rock band 3 Doors Down formed in 1996. Most of the members are from the Mississippi Gulf Coast town of Escatawpa. Members include: Brad Arnold with vocals, Matt Roberts on the guitar, Todd Harrell on the bass guitar, Chris Henderson on the guitar, and Greg Upchurch on the drums. Upchurch recently replaced Daniel Adair, who left the band in 2005. Universal Records was the first to record 3DD in 2000. The album The Better Life had the hit song “Kryptonite,” which was No. 1 on rock, alternative and pop radio. In 2002, the album Away From The Sun included the smash “When I’m Gone.” In 2005, the album Seventeen Days hit No.1 on the Billboard chart and became another platinum seller.
Brandy Norwood
NORWOOD: PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES
(1979-- )
Brandy Norwood is known as both a famous singer and an actress. Born in McComb into a musical family, Norwood’s father was a pastor and choir director and her mother was a cousin to blues legend Bo Diddley. Norwood starred in the sitcom Moesha from 1996-2001. At age 15 she recorded her first platinum album, Brandy, with Atlantic Records. She also had a ton of success with the hit song “Baby.” She’s captured the “Best New R&B Artist” and “Best R&B Female” awards. Her movie and T.V. acting roles have included Cinderella, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and Hercules.
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym16-38.indd Sec1:37
37
4/18/06 9:25:44 PM
rock, gospel Jimmy Buffett (1946-- )
Sand, surf and good times are synonymous with Pascagoula, Mississippi’s Jimmy Buffett. The singer, songwriter and novelist is known for his unique Caribbean-influenced sound. He moved to Nashville in the ‘60s and produced his first album, Down to Earth. His legendary song “Margaritaville” appeared on the album Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes. In 2003, Buffett recorded “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere,” his No. 1 hit with country star Alan Jackson. He has had three books on the No. 1 best-sellers list: Tales From Margaritaville, Where is Joe Merchant and A Pirate Looks At Fifty. Buffett still sings on tour and has recently given $500,000 to the Katrina relief fund.
Blind Melon
BUFFETT:Paul Hawthorne/Getty
Blind Melon rocked it out in the’90s, selling over four million copies of its self-titled debut, and making it to the cover of Rolling Stone. Guitarist Rogers Stevens and bassist Brad Smith were both born in West Point, Miss., and drummer Glen Graham was born in nearby Columbus. The trio moved to Los Angeles to start their band with Shannon Hoon and Christopher Thorn, signing with Capitol Records in 1991, and scoring hits like 1993’s “No Rain.” After Hoon’s drug overdose in 1995, the band split up.
38
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym16-38.indd Sec1:38
4/18/06 9:27:16 PM
Re-live history on the streets of downtown Tupelo, as we commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Elvis’ 1956 Homecoming. ®
September, 1956 Tupelo Fairgrounds
Your ticket to the Elvis Presley Festival enters you for a chance to
WIN A CAR ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. You must be present to win.
June 2-4, 2006 The 8th annual Elvis Presley Festival promises another fantastic music lineup with a Battle of the Bands competition, as well as big name entertainment all weekend long! Don’t miss the Elvis Movie Poster Exhibit at the GumTree Museum of Art and the debut of the documentary “Homecoming: Tupelo Welcomes Elvis Home” by Tupelo historians Roy Turner and Jim Palmer at the historic Lyric Theater. A soulful Sunday Gospel concert ends this outstanding weekend in Downtown Tupelo.
Check for Updated Information & Event Schedules
www.tupelo.net
1-800-533-0611
Saturday, June 3 The 50th Anniversary Parade and Concert Re-creation Experience the excitement at the re-creation of the homecoming parade and Elvis’ historic performance on the site of the original Tupelo fairgrounds with a multi-media presentation, live performances, video footage and audio clips from the 1956 concert and oral histories from those who experienced the event first-hand.
©EPE, Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM. Off. ym39-41.indd 39
4/18/06 9:32:09 PM
yʼall
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935 to parents Vernon and Gladys Presley, no one could have ever imagined the impact Elvis Aaron Presley would have on the world in his 42 short years.
of fame
Elvis Presley
PHOTO BY LIASION/GETTY
(1935-1977)
As a child growing up in Tupelo, the Presleys lived in the poor sections of the Northeast Mississippi city, predominately the black communities of “Shake Rag” and “The Hill”. It was there that Elvis was exposed to the sounds of the blues and black spirituals, which would heavily influence his future musical career. In 1948, Vernon Presley moved his family to Memphis, Tenn., in search of better employment opportunities. Elvis graduated from Humes High School in Memphis in June of 1953 and began working at Crown Electric as a driver. Later that year, Presley went into Sam Phillips’ Memphis Recording Studios, later to be known as Sun Studios, and paid four dollars to make a recording of “My Happiness” and “That’s Where Your Heartache Begins.” As Presley left the studios, secretary Marion Keisker took Presley’s address and noted “good ballad singer.” Over the next six months Presley continued working at Crown Electric, hoping for Sam Phillips to call. A few months later Phillips was looking for a singer who was white with a soul sound. Keisker reminded Phillips about Elvis and he was called to audition. Presley was teamed with guitarist Scotty Moore and bass player Bill Black, and after taking a break, Elvis began jokingly playing an Arthur Crudup song, “That’s All Right (Mama).” Phillips, who had the control room door open, popped his head out and 40
asked what they were doing. After telling Phillips they were goofing around, Phillips told the trio to keep it up…he wanted this on tape. The song immediately became an overnight success in Memphis and soon spread around the country. Elvis was originally represented by local agent Bob Neal, but was bought out by a former carnival barker and Tampa dogcatcher, Colonel Tom Parker. As Presley’s popularity grew, Phillips realized his small local Sun Record label could not keep up with the demands; in 1955, Phillips sold his contract to RCA for $50,000. Presley went to New York in 1956 to record his debut RCA album. The album contained hits like “Hound Dog,” “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Love Me Tender,” and immediately raced to the top of the charts. Presley also filmed his first of 33 motion pictures that year, Love Me Tender. During the1950s, Presley made numerous television appearances; none proved to be more controversial than his Ed Sullivan shows, including the “above the waist show.” At the height of his ‘50s success, Presley was inducted into the U.S. Army, and after basic training in Texas, he was stationed in Germany. Upon discharge from the service, Presley continued his movie career and was a top box office draw during the 1960s. Presley was unhappy, however, with the scripts, as he longed to play in a dramatic role.
On May 1, 1967, Elvis wed Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. Exactly nine months to the day later, Elvis and Priscilla welcomed the birth of their daughter Lisa Marie. Longing to return to the stage, Elvis was presented with an NBC television special that over the years became known as The ‘68 Comeback Special. With monster ratings and his movie contract almost fulfilled, Presley went back on-stage in 1969 and continued to tour all over the country throughout the ‘70s. As that decade progressed, Presley’s health continued to decline and on the afternoon of August 16, 1977, Presley was pronounced dead in Memphis. Since Presley’s passing, his popularity has continued to stay strong; some say that he is more popular now than at the time of his death. Through savvy business dealings and marketing, Priscilla and daughter Lisa Marie have kept the Presley empire alive. Graceland, his Memphis home, is one the most visited homes in the world. It was recently designated as a National Historic Landmark. In 2004, 27 years after his death, Presley reached the top of the album charts again when his greatest hits compilation Elvis: 30 #1 Hits went to No. 1 in its first week of release on the pop album charts. The music of Elvis is unquestionably alive! by Mark J. Cook
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym39-41.indd 40
4/18/06 9:32:37 PM
ym39-41.indd 41
4/18/06 9:32:54 PM
There are places where the conversation always comes easy.
B B a n dT. c o m © 2 0 0 3 B B &T M e m b e r F D I C
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.
ym42-47.indd 42
4/18/06 9:33:48 PM
on the money The Other Obstacles: Ignorance and Keeping Up with the Joneses
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.
For the past few months I’ve been exposing three major obstacles to becoming fiscally fit: Denial (I don’t have a problem), Debt Myths (debt is how you become wealthy), and Money Myths (stories told by our culture). I’m sure many of these surprised you; some you may have already been aware of. Nevertheless, there are two more enemies you must face when working towards your Total Money Makeover. Ignorance Is Not Bliss The first of these obstacles is Ignorance. In a culture that worships knowledge, to say ignorance about money is an issue that makes some people defensive. Don’t be defensive. Ignorance is not lack of intelligence; it is lack of know-how. If you made a mess of your money and/or haven’t gotten the best use from it, usually the reason is that you were never taught to do so. Overcoming ignorance is easy. First, with no shame, admit that you are not a financial expert because you were never taught. Second, go on a lifetime quest to learn more about money. You don’t need to apply to Harvard to earn an MBA with a specialization in finance; you don’t have to watch the financial channel instead of a great movie. You do need to read something about money at least once a year. You should occasionally attend a seminar about money. We live in a culture that knows everything about who’s voted off the island, but we can’t even balance our checkbook! Your actions should show that you care about money by learning something about it. Wealth doesn’t just happen. You will spend some time and effort on getting rid of ignorance. Ignorance is not okay. “What you don’t know won’t hurt you” is a really stupid statement. What you don’t know will kill you. What you don’t know about money will make you broke and keep you broke. The Joneses Can’t Do Math The second obstacle is Keeping Up with the Joneses. Peer pressure, cultural expectations, “reasonable standard of living” – I don’t care how you say it; we all need to be accepted by our crowd and our families. This need for approval and respect drives us to do some really insane things. One of the paradoxically dumb things we do is destroy our finances by buying garbage we can’t afford to try to make ourselves appear wealthy to others.
Take Ken and Barbie for example, with their Malibu Dream house and shiny red cars. The Kens and Barbies of the world are in our office all the time for financial counseling. Last year they were here and their names were Bob and Sara. Bob and Sara make $93,000 per year, and have for the last seven years. What do they have to show for it? A $400,000 home that they still owe $390,000 on, including a home equity loan used to furnish it. They have two $30,000 fleeced cars and $52,000 in credit-card debt but they travel well and dress in high fashion. These people have a negative net worth, but they really look good. They present the perfect picture of the American dream that has turned into a nightmare. They have a “dirty little secret.” The secret is that they are nowhere near as cool as they appear. They are broke and desperate and have an unraveling marriage, and no one knows it. Not only does no one know it, but everyone thinks the opposite is true. The hard thing about making changes is that resistance of the heart is real. First, of course, we like our nice houses and nice cars, and selling them would be painful. Second, we don’t want to admit to everyone we have impressed that we are fakes. Yes, when you buy a big pile of stuff with no money and lots of debt, you are a financial fake. Peer pressure is very powerful. “We are scaling down” is a painful statement to make to friends or family. “We will have to pass on that trip or dinner because it is not in our budget” is virtually impossible for some people to say. Being real takes tremendous courage. We like approval and we like respect, and to say otherwise is just denial. To wish for the admiration of others is normal. The problem is that this admiration can become a drug. So what is the one “money thing” that makes you grin inside when you see others admiring it? What is your weak spot? It could be your clothes shopping. It probably is your car. Maybe yours is giving to your grown children. Unless you have had a heart-level Total Money Makeover somewhere, sometime in your life, you are still doing something with money to impress others, and that has to change before you can get on a real plan to fiscal fitness. Until you recognize your weak area, you will always be prone to financial stupidity on that subject.
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym42-47.indd 43
43
4/18/06 9:34:04 PM
cranky yankee Just in time for wedding season…
by Laurie Stieber
Laurie Stieber is an Atlanta-based entertainment attorney and freelance columnist. The New York City native can be reached at yankee@yall.com 44
I miss Jennifer Wilbanks, Georgia’s very own pride of a runaway bride. Sure, like the rest of America, I had a morbid fascination with her eyes. They looked like two eight balls desperately trying to pop back out of the pool pockets. Or maybe they were struggling to stay in. Who knows? The Vegas odd makers have it at an even split, and they got to see those eight balls up close and personal when Jen made her pit stop there. The Pamela Anderson boob job she sported was fun to watch bouncing down the courthouse corridors, but Jen’s eyes definitely took the prize, and I miss her. Jennifer Wilbanks, wherever you are, if you are reading this column, please send me an email. Even if it comes from an Internet Café in Albuquerque, I swear a won’t tell a soul, especially not the preacher who gleefully made the most out of his 15 minutes of television fame. I promise not to tell John Mason either, the jilted fiancé you were fixin’ on hitchin. Poor John, still deluding himself into thinking you’ll say, “I do,” when we all know, except John, you won’t. Yup, I’m afraid poor John is a few sandwiches short of a picnic, bless his little heart. Please send that email, Jen. I simply want to welcome you with my Southern Yankee charm and arms by throwing you the best Un-bridal Shower a runaway Belle could ever dream of: No one would be invited. Not even you. It’s an un-shower that would come and go in the blink of an eight ball … I mean, eye … and for the first time in your life, you can beat your etiquette addiction. No more overdosing on thank you notes and emotional meltdowns for you, young lady. That is my un-wedding gift to you, but for God’s sake, please don’t send me a thank you note! Since moving to Atlanta 13 years ago, Doc and I have gone to our fair share of weddings and have learned some mighty fine Southern sayings to go with them, but none like yours, Jen, with a planned guest list of 628 attendants. I thought My Big Fat Greek Wedding took the cake. Yours and John’s would have been My Big Fat Gastric Bypass Wedding! That shindig y’all thought was going to be some fool’s twisted idea of a fairytale was suffering from morbid obesity from the get go. Trying to pull off a blimp affair like that – basically, a State in the Union – is like trying to herd a corral of frenzied mice. No wonder you scattered away too, sweet mousy Jen. For goodness’
sake, just making seating arrangements and place cards for 600 guests, well that’s enough to keep any unstable potential bride busier than a cat covering crap on a marble floor. Jen, take it from me: The next time the bug of holy matrimony sneaks up and bites you on the butt, go on a learning excursion, a fieldtrip, to a Redneck wedding. They know how to throw a party and do it up right! My *Bredneck husband, Doc, and his soul brother, Cabin Glen, would be more than happy to give you a pointer or two, especially on how to keep the headcount down. Shh…This is a Redneck and Bredneck insider’s secret, but since you almost had to do time in the slammer, we’ll let you in on it. A “Shotgun Wedding” serves more than one purpose; it gets the bride down the aisle before she downloads Baby Bubba and the shotgun gets rid of any pesky guests, especially the ones who don’t look familiar to either side of the wedding party. Admit it, Jen, out of the 600 on your list, if you were to go by the Redneck Code of True Etiquette, which means “honesty,” maybe 40 of your guests would make it out alive. You probably never met the rest of them. Last month, Doc and I went to a Redneck wedding that I loved from the moment the invitation arrived in the mail. It was clean, simple and right to the point. Black script on a sheet of white paper with a little red bow on top, read in part, “Miss Rebecca Sue Miller and Mr. Thomas Bannister the 3rd together with their parrents …” It’s clear those two love birds adored their parents so much, they added an “r” to the spelling to emphasize how really, really great their folks are. The wedding was called for two o’clock in the afternoon, and the rest of the invitation merely said the Baptist Church and the town. No directions. No RSVP card enclosed. Not even a phone number. If you were true friends and or family, you’d know how to get there. See, Jen, how clever a way this is to weed out pesky guests without having to nag granddaddy to fetch the shotgun. I miss you Jennifer Wilbanks, and you are missing out on a lot of fun, the way weddings should be. Remember, if you are reading this column, please send me an email. I owe you the best Un-bridal Shower any runaway Belle could ever dream of. “Shalom Y’all!” *Bredneck: Well bred Redneck
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym42-47.indd 44
4/18/06 9:34:39 PM
y
始all
SUBSCRIBE TODAY and save up to
49%
THE M AGA ZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
off the cover price !
SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 1-800-935-5185 or www.yall.com YES!
SEND ME 1 YEAR OF Y始ALL MAGAZINE AT THE SPECIAL PRICE OF ONLY $19.95
YES!
I始D LIKE TO GIVE A FRIEND A SUBSCRIPTION TO Y始ALL FOR JUST $12.95 MORE - A SAVINGS OF 49%
MY SUBSCRIPTION
Name
GIFT SUBSCRIPTION
(please print)
Name
Address
Address
City/State/Zip
City/State/Zip
Phone Number
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
ym42-47.indd 45
Bill Me
Payment Enclosed
(please print)
Phone Number MAIL TO: MAGAZINE PROCESSING CENTER P. O. BOX 0567 SELMER, TN 38375-9908
4/18/06 9:35:05 PM
max’d out
Spring’s sprung! by Max Howell
MAX’d OUT can be heard on many radio stations across the South and on www.maxhowell.com, HookedonDestin. com, and Kickoffzone.com, the show is streamed live daily M-F, 9-12 Noon CT
46
Spring is “sprung”....and summer is here...with less than three months to college football, this is preparation time for most programs. The collegiate student athletes are making sure their academics are in order. The incoming freshmen are making sure the clearinghouse has all the required paperwork for them to enter. The coaches will begin to review spring drills, look at depth charts and early season opponents. Once summer session begins, it’s in the weight room and on to the field for voluntary preseason drills. A time when leadership is developed...a time when conditioning is imperative...a time when the basics are learned for the upcoming season, not only on the playing field, but in the classroom. Many student athletes will use summer school to get ahead academically. Most will use it to condition their bodies for the fall. Now we know what the players are doing...do you know what the coaches are doing? Most have already finished their spring drills. Many have visited training camps at the NFL level. Many visited other college campuses to compare notes. It’s now time to prepare for their fall. Whether they are rebuilding, trying to improve a good team or win a championship, preparation for practice and thorough planning is the “work load” of the day. Refining practice sessions with drills for on-field performance is a must. The 20-hour week that begins in September can only result in success on Saturday by using step-bystep planning in the summer. They’re called “game action” drills. Quite simply, the coaching staff must attain goal-winning practices to assure wins on Saturday! The preparation must include answers for every problem. Missed blocks, poor pass protection, bad ball handling, slow starts, poor secondary coverage, low or high long
snaps and all other phases of the game must be addressed. From preseason to the bowl game, better performance is what is required and expected. It’s this time of the year that the work is done. An early look at 2006: THE NATIONAL PICTURE The BCS formula is remaining the same. SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, the new BCS Chairman for 2006-07, said recently, “There would be no changes in the formula,” so will it be: Texas vs. Ohio State, LSU vs. Southern Cal, or Florida vs. Oklahoma playing for the National Championship? In the SEC: SEC West: LSU, Auburn, Arkansas SEC East: Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina In the ACC: FSU, Va. Tech, Miami or Clemson Have you noticed it appears to be the same names each year playing for the championships? There is a reason for that. Good recruiting, good preparation, and good coaching usually puts one in position to win. A little luck, and improvement, are the other ingredients that makes championships. So as the summer begins, and we fans look to the beach, the golf course and a relaxing good time with family and friends, stop for a moment to think about your favorite team as the players and coaches prepare for the coming season. Have a great summer! Catch my syndicated radio show on a station close to you or tune into www. maxhowell.com and listen live 9 a.m. - Noon daily for sports entertainment and information.
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym42-47.indd 46
4/18/06 9:42:48 PM
ym42-47.indd 47
4/18/06 9:45:12 PM
W
anda Sykes considers herself a Southern woman; however, she feels that someti mes “they don’t want to clai m us!”
Wanda Sykes Said It
by Sally Summerson
48
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym48-51.indd 48
4/18/06 9:49:02 PM
L TO R: Steve Spatafore/Getty, Kevin Winter/Getty
That love for laughs has catapulted her to fame as both a successful stand-up comedian and actress. Sykes, 42, was ranked in Entertainment Weekly’s “25 Funniest People in America.” She is known as one of the funniest stand-up comics. And she’s also the only black woman to be among Comedy Central’s “100 Greatest StandUps of All Time.” Sykes grew up with a love for comedy in Portsmouth, Va., and in nearby Maryland. After graduating with a B.S. degree from Hampton University, Sykes began her career in Washington, D.C., when she performed for the first time for a Coors Light Super Talent Showcase. Her luck and laughs would continue. She feels that living in the South affected her comedy and what she talks about. “Me being down to earth definitely comes from the South,” says Sykes. “Sometimes I like to talk on-stage about what is going on in the world and politics. And sometimes I like talking about what’s going on with me. I am getting older,” she says. DreamWorks is releasing a new
Sykes is the only black woman to be among Comedy Central’s “100 Greatest S tand-Ups of Al l Ti me.” MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym48-51.indd 49
49
4/18/06 9:49:20 PM
computer-animated comedy, Over The Hedge, on May 19. Sykes is part of the voice cast for the movie along with Bruce Willis and Garry Shandling. She voices “Stella,” a sassy skunk. “I am very excited about this movie. It’s really cool to be part of something that’s geared towards the whole family. I’ve never been in a project like that,” says Sykes. The 5-foot 2-inch Southerner
enjoys stand-up comedy more than acting in movies. She claims it is her first love. But she feels very fortunate to be able to be on T.V. shows and in movies. “I really enjoyed being in Over the Hedge and working on an animation project, because it was challenging. It was the first time where it was just my voice. Usually on the camera I can use facial expressions and in stand-up I can get immediate responses
from the audience, but with this you are by yourself and totally relying on the director to guide you through it,” says Sykes. The funny-woman has also appeared in the movies Monsterin-Law (2005) and Pootie Tang (2001), among many others. She wrote, produced and starred in Fox’s Wanda at Large in 2003. She also had a Comedy Central special Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied, and has appeared on HBO’s hit
Over the Hedge is a new computer-animated comedy based on a comic strip. Sykes is the voice of “Stella,” a sassy skunk (above). 50
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym48-51.indd 50
4/18/06 9:49:46 PM
L TO R: Frank Micelotta/Getty, Kevin Winter/Getty
Curb Your Enthusiasm. Sykes published her first book, Yeah, I Said It, two years ago. The book was challenging for her to write at times. “Jokes are organic. I will just think of something, or I am just watching the news or reading the newspaper and I think of a joke,” says Sykes. She admits it was hard for her to sit down and write her book and come up with jokes without something sparking her brain. “It
became a pain, almost like a term paper.” However, the book turned out to be a big success with its collection of essays on life, family and current events. Sykes now lives in California, where she enjoys the weather. During her rare free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog and having barbecues with friends. But she loves Southern food and still has many ties to the South, where her family still lives.
Wanda Sykes published her fi rst book Yeah, I Said It in 2004. T he book was chal lenging for her to writ e at times. MAY/JUNE 2006 2006 •• Y’ALL Y’ALL MAY/JUNE
ym48-51.indd 51
51 51
4/18/06 9:50:00 PM
The Button King A Southern Original
by Renee Wells
B
uttons, buttons everywhere, and not a one to sew. If you’ve ever wondered how to pass the night away when insomnia strikes, 76-year-old Dalton Stevens has the solution. Born and bred in Bishopville, S.C., Stevens has become a legend for 52
covering his possessions with buttons. Buttons? That’s right, and he’s the South’s very own “Button King.” “I don’t know why,” Stevens explains. “It’s seemed like the best thing, like it was kinda something that was meant to be. I hit pretty big with it.”
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym52-56.indd 52
4/18/06 9:55:03 PM
T
he life of Stevens started out right in the middle of the Great Depression. Back then, Bishopville was part of cotton country, so Stevens picked it and plowed it like everyone else, until he was 21. After his fill of cotton, Stevens took a job at Dupont and soon found Ms. Ruby Smith to be his wife. Little did she know, three children, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild later, there would
be a life full of extraordinary things in store for her and her cotton-picking husband. When a little more than 20 years of work for Dupont elapsed, Stevens discovered he had insomnia. He could no longer work for the company because of the sleepless nights. Eventually Stevens was put on disability, which led him to his current empire. “Well it’s (insomnia) kinda common,
but it’s not common to have it like I got it. Sometimes I go four and five days and nights and not sleep any,” Stevens says. “So I started working with buttons so I wouldn’t be keeping my family awake during the night.” Finally, in 1983, the angels above began singing their heavenly song when Stevens started his first masterpiece. “I started on a denim suit, and it took two years and 10 months to complete,”
“I started on a denim suit, and it took two years and 10 months to complete.” MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym52-56.indd 53
53
4/18/06 9:55:21 PM
?;A@4C1?@ 8;A5?5-:-
@41 <81-?A>1 5? -88
4;A>?
C4-@ยฝ? E;A> <81-?A>1+
8ada^U[a_ -OO[YY[PM`U[Z_ ย 2UZQ 0UZUZS ย @[\ :MYQ 1Z`Q^`MUZYQZ` ย #! -ZZaMX 2MU^_ 2Q_`UbMX_ ย 3^QM` 3[Xร ZS ย 4aZ`UZS 2U_TUZS
?[a`TcQ_` 8[aU_UMZM 8MWQ /TM^XQ_ยน\a^Q \XQM_a^Q # bWa[ Y^Whb[i ย {wย ย ย ย ย ywย {z ย || _ย ย {ย ย ย wย { GFD Zh_l_d] Z_ijWdY[i ^ย ย ย ย ย ย d{ย eย ย {wย ย cย x ย { iwย Wย ย ย ย ย f{ย ย wyย ย w
GJF ย ย {ย HGN ย ย {ย IHF ย ย {ย IJG ย ย {ย JFK ย ย {ย
j^h[[ ]h[Wj YWi_dei ed[ ]h[Wj beY Wj_ed W ^kdZh[Z ikh[ X[ji7
ym52-56.indd 54
4/18/06 9:55:46 PM
Stevens proudly explains. The denim suit contained 16,333 buttons, weighing in at 16 pounds and one ounce, not counting the actual suit. Next on his list of button accomplishments included a 3,005-button-covered guitar and an astonishing 149,000 buttons covering his 1981 Chevette, which still runs. No, Stevens didn’t actually count all 149,000 buttons. “I drove nails in a board and I knew how many nails I had on the board, so when I completed it I would write the amount down. I may be off one or two,” Stevens laughs. From toilets to hearses and caskets, Stevens has definitely ventured to the more unusual side of button-covering. “I did a toilet, and that thing’s been
hauled all over the United States! I think it has about 8,000 (buttons),” he says. “And I did an outhouse with a half moon on it, probably about 70,000 buttons on it.” Stevens has adorned a hearse with 600,000 buttons and a casket with about 60,000 of those magically-holed pieces. Actually, Stevens owns two caskets and plans to be buried in one, while leaving the other to his Button Museum. “I got me another one and it’s covered up in buttons. It’s unique, a pretty thing. I got it covered up with pearl buttons,” Stevens says. So how does he get all the buttons? It’s simple. Stevens wrote a letter to Adelphia Button Co. in Philadelphia, requesting that they sell him buttons
for wholesale price. The company wrote back and asked for a picture of something he’d done. Stevens sent the picture of the denim suit, and the company sent him two drums of buttons. “The same with the glue company, I got two cases of glue,” he says. “Japan gave me 50,000 buttons.” “The Button King” frenzy started back when WPDE-TV in Florence, S.C., did a story about Stevens. After that, Stevens was picked up by CNN, which led to an article in Star magazine, which led to Stevens’ initial appearance on Johnny Carson’s show in 1986. “Sometimes people think you might be a mental case to do some of the strange things like I done, so I put in
The denim suit contains 16,333 buttons MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym52-56.indd 55
55
4/18/06 9:57:00 PM
“With me being from the South – with my accent – it’s more of a joke to them; but they like it.”
PHOTOS BY ERIN BRETHAUER
there (the Star magazine article) I wasn’t mentally ill, and that’s when Johnny Carson called me.” Stevens made a second appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1987, and has appeared on Late Night with David Letterman three times. “With me being from the South – with my accent – it’s more of a joke to them; but they like it,” Stevens says. “Nobody’s ever done what I done. I get royalties for songs like the ‘Insomniac Shuffle,’ and I’m in a film called Wild Wheels.” Along with Stevens’ unusual museum items, Stevens has had his bout of unusual fans. “I had a woman in California call me and tell me I was the first thing she saw every morning and the last thing she saw every night,” Stevens laughs. “She had my picture taped to the ceiling above her bed.” Now that’s admiration. The casket he’s leaving to the museum has a torn lining because Stevens got stuck in it for about seven hours one night, when he had the sudden urge to sleep. He decided the casket was a better snooze spot than the hard floor. At some point during his deep sleep the top came down, trapping Stevens inside. “Nobody missed me ’cause they knew I was out doing something with buttons,” Stevens recalls. “My son came by and picked up some tools the next morning and let me out ‘cause he heard me hollering.” Luckily, Stevens did not suffocate because the casket had air holes. After his final project of covering a grandfather clock, Stevens says this will be the end of the button-covering empire. Have no fear, because that’s not the last you’ll see of “The Button King.” He will continue to run his museum, free of charge, for all to see. Y’all drop by sometime. Button Museum 55 Joe Dority Road Bishopville, S.C. 29010 www.scbuttonking.com
56
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym52-56.indd 56
4/18/06 9:57:29 PM
! n w o D t I g n i r a ee Wells e T e r ’ e S.C. by Ren W y a W o leston, r a N h C t Aaidnem’ark Properties –
ll g a sma in n n u r about nd the s much ding the highs a s of a is Jones’, , inclu ow-To ith the business is about the H w p d u e s s p it distre o kee lows, as vation. vis trying t ays going to be no Tr ops, Da e r r d lw e a r m e ’s o e .” m ther there d, h he ham 26-yearting out es Islan When t Alexander, his d assets sit -year-old Jam lionaire ator an s on The 42 is a multi-mil what depend stment coordin alum, to inve ows ative ersity who kn ere. As old S.C., n on Univ s u r m u g le C e h t at real est and how to get ’t afraid fellow gs down. tinct n , real dis h s is t l thin n o a is o v c a t o D g he wa , wit ’s ion he’s Richard re he’s going cky en seen on televis motion when “ h t , p u whe so lu g ‘em ttle e lan of ses, fixin the market to show a li like I am r says. p u l o e h fe a g I t in . no Buy mark xande ck on re. h am. I’m orrect. Trade my job,” Ale e says she under fi hem ba y job in whic t I g t a in t h t c w tiv k ve pu “I am ke a ris rtake. From a olitically trying to ha enville, S.C., na m people li p ’t s in d a n fro sou I’m Gre n, I o rs pa politicia the best thing. ing a lot The mails everyday , especially enture, n ck trade e r o only sto a $1.5 million v isky for “ b job d s d at I try to ant my to or hing an eir input. get t o w 0 t e 0 y is m e ,0 think th l o h 0 s t I a 5 e e $ . g d k v h n r t in ” ie o a y h g h a ’s m c it to a show great flippin Trade me, w ink s “house that the sed and have a .-based ured on of people with regrets, so I th w .C o S n , n s to lly ble on the is feat r have Charles I am rea y.” which p This I don’t eve on’t care what’s li , am F s ie t w r o e Id unit ark Te y y sh t t y Prop r m li h o e a p w e d r p a ’s r o t tha awa cable e T out ys. the hit hen th ment to break ing & camera,” he sa rs do care ab W t n e id s o is e e go h w m Pr House. e likely s, T.V. vie mera. Flip T - has a rare ’r Davis, ie u t t . r o u e y C B p , o e d r a it t le of P Richar the jobs playing the ro es n the c 05 as the mos o emark o t d m y a ’s o r a t fr a T w h 0 w of coach ichard mong exciting ed in 2 CEO o be an se debut s premiere a ery to find R is. He actively is three t u o b H jo is serie finds h s. Ev t, ll for h ch Dav watched style program and his Coa all and baseba er is busy he plane living. t a n o e k e a r g u m basketb ., Davis &E’s life ry struct hile, Gin ousing is “Of eve residential. H rown A nday at 8:00 p.m er Alexander, sons. Meanw epoo, “Jack.” alt ing Mo avis’ nt is outg istant, G iewers glued to coaching her M b, part of D o s 95 perce d. I ain’t never s o a n ly l, e il lov ee the jo sion t lion v y. In ver w a basic n ack on d I ne y I make have 1. 2 mil rrection master ks es a mis B n d a lu c l, in ia etwor e resu t plan resident w much mone onsense eir hom w will switch n name distinc and never raze. h o t n h o > n r e t e t o e th ma sk me July, the sh will have a new how renovat ollect,” a c s I y s a t e s lw the s or as e o TLC, and ople a or not, t ys. “Pe oing. I just shak e a s m a is n v a D g ’t oo. New t market’s it doesn how the and say that t people o d g my hea long as you’ve s A r. e matt
y’s a d a n i It’s all ore m , l l e work. W or two. ek like a we
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym57-60.ind 57
57
4/18/06 10:02:17 PM
58
ym57-60.ind 58
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
PHOTOS COURTESY OF A&E
www.trademark-properties.com.
“You ain ’t never I take seen m lemons and ma e tear anythin respositio g down ke n . else says er of assets. I’m lemonade. I there ain the guy a m a w ’t no wa ‘You’re cra y it can hen everybody be fixed down. W zy!’ There ain , I’m li ’t no e’ll In the r find a way to fi way we’re tear ke ing it x it,” Da that con isky real estate v tinuity is world, D is declares. one avis “I don’t treat wo of the secrets to has found did the rk any d success. firs run it, it t day. If you d ifferently today on wil th genius o l grow. If you ’t change the w an I all of a s vernigh a y you t, th ud big cycle s up, an at’s usually the den become a d big cy Another cles dow people that hav o f e T n,” he s r ad get emo ays. tional a emark’s “Flip Tip bou Davis ad vises peo t a home unle s” is to never ss it’s p le Alexand to keep business your own. somethin er has her o as busin wn adv gs t ess. ice for “I think hat continually t h e 20passiona anything that y seek her advice . ou want te abou t is goin to do th people at you’r g are mo e ving aro to take time. what the und an A lot of y really d w s til to figure ant to d o,” she s l not sure of ou ays. “It to make t what you wa is cr nt yo it. If yo u happy, and to do and what ucial ’s g the u you’re w really feel stron n commit you oing rself to gly abou illing to t work th be succe e hard h something and ssful.” ours, an ybody c an
4/18/06 10:04:32 PM
Richard C. Davis AGE: 43 RAISED: James Island, S.C. EDUCATION: B.S., Clemson University FAMILY: Wife, Kim; sons, Logan, 14; Lyles, 8; Lawton, 4 POSITION: Founder and owner, Trademark Properties real estate company specializing in residential, commercial, investments, relocation and property management.
Willie Nelson You Don’t Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker “With such country legends as Bob Wills, Gene Autry, Eddy Arnold, and Ernest Tubb recording Cindy Walker’s songs, a mid-century Texas dance floor could have stayed packed on a soundtrack of nothing but her music. You Don’t Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker could be likened to a country version of Stardust, Willie’s famous 1978 collection of recast pop standards. Therein lies the beauty of Cindy Walker’s songs, and the gift that is Willie Nelson singing them: sixty years from now, no one will write or sing a country song so well.” – from the liner notes by Daniel Cooper
www.trademark-properties.com
Available at most
stores and at circuitcity.com/music
© 2006 UMG Recordings, Inc.
MAY/JUNE 2006 2006 •• Y’ALL Y’ALL MAY/JUNE
ym57-60.ind 59
59 59
4/18/06 10:07:42 PM
FREE SHIPPING
MALL
1-888-679-7289 WHITE
T-SHIRTS
(SIZES S-XL)
$14.95
COTTON HANES 100%
LADIES
FITTED T-SHIRTS
NEW
$17.95
(SIZES S-XL / COLORS: PINK, LIGHT BLUE, RED AND BLACK)
RING BUCKLE CLOSURE
CAPS
$17.95
FITS MOST - 100% COTTON 3-D EMBROIDERY - DESIGNED FOR BOTH MEN & WOMEN BLACK, PINK, RED AND KHAKI
BELL A 100% COTTON P RE-SHRUNK SMALL(0-4), MEDIUM(6
YʼALL MALL ORDER FORM Name
(please print)
Address City/State/Zip E-mail
Phone Number
PAYMENT OPTIONS: Credit Card Credit Card:
Check Enclosed (Make checks payable to Y’all Magazine) AM
DIS
MC
Visa
Account Number__________________________________________________ExpDate________ Send check/money order to:
Y’ALL MAGAZINE, P.O. BOX 1217, OXFORD, MS 38655
ym57-60.ind 60
-8), LARGE(10 -12)
, XL ARGE(14 +)
MORE Y’ALL ITEMS SIZE QUANTITY Y’ALL T-SHIRT ($14.95) ________________ LADIES Y’ALL PINK T-SHIRT ($17.95) LADIES Y’ALL LIGHT BLUE T-SHIRT ($17.95) LADIES Y’ALL RED T-SHIRT ($17.95) LADIES Y’ALL BLACK T-SHIRT ($17.95) Y’ALL BASEBALL CAPS FITS INDICATE COLOR ($17.95) MOST
PRICE
MISS. RESIDENTS ADD 7% TAX _____________________ SUB-TOTAL _____________________ TOTAL _____________________
FREE SHIPPING YʼALL CALL 1-888-679-7289 TO ORDER
4/20/06 4:55:09 PM
USA International
Ballet C o m p e t i t i o n
Let the Good Times Twirl by Tabatha Hunter
rom June 17–July 2, 2006, the city of Jackson, Miss., will glow as the torch of the USA International Ballet Competition is lit in the capital city. Dancers from all over the world will
F
converge in Mississippi to compete at a level parallel only to the Olympic games for ballet, while sister competitions are held in Varna, Bulgaria and Moscow, Russia, to find who is the best by leaps and bounds.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Y’ALL 61 MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL 61 ym61-62.indd 61
4/18/06 10:11:51 PM
“What is up for grabs for the dancers? Cash, gold, silver and bronze medals, scholarships . . ”. lthough Jackson was not the first to get in the ballet competition game, they were not far behind. The original competition was held in 1964 in Varna and was such a success that Mississippi Ballet International, Inc., decided to get in on the dance. And so it began in 1979 – and the competition has been held every four years since, growing stronger and stronger with each passing year. This year’s competition will be even better than ever with 121 dancers coming from 27 countries to compete. What is up for grabs for the dancers? Cash, gold, silver and bronze medals, scholarships and for the lucky few, a chance to walk away from the contest as a professional dancer, working with some of the most prestigious ballet companies out there. Just ask Joseph Phillips, 20, winner of the 2002 competition, who now works for the San Francisco Ballet. “There is no other place you can get that much exposure at one time. Everybody comes to this competition. So, it opens doors to a lot of jobs and a lot of contacts.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF USA/IBC
A
The Columbia, S.C., native won the event at a mere 16 years old. Ever since, Phillips has been either dancing as a guest with companies all over the world or globe trotting with the San Francisco cast. For this year’s competition, Phillips will light the torch beginning the ceremonies and he can be found dancing in the opening ceremony. Joining Phillips will be other previous winners, including Danny Tidwell and Adrienne Canterna. Attending the big show in June will also be Garth Fagan’s Dance Company. Fagan is best known for choreographing the Broadway version of “The Lion King.” Fagan and his dance company are scheduled to perform for the Jackson audiences and are sure to delight with their unique dance style. For more info, www.usaibc.com
• THE 62 62Y’ALL MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE • THE Y’ALL MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym61-62.indd 62
4/18/06 10:12:29 PM
SUPREME COURT INSIDER Jan Crawford Greenburg by Tabatha Hunter
There is something magical about the Supreme Court of The United States. It is the place where the buck really does stop and where binding decisions are made. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and home to nine of the most fascinating people in the country.
GREENBURG/PETE SOUZA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE, COURT: ALEX WONG/GETTY
E
ach justice – from Ginsberg to Scalia and Roberts to Stevens – brings with them something new to the bench. Each has their own background, their own opinions and beliefs and each justice is charged with upholding the law in some of the most difficult and controversial cases in the country. With the recent retirement of Texas native Sandra Day O’Connor and the death of William Rehnquist, the Supreme Court is poised to undergo major changes, especially with the two new kids on the bench, Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito. So, as one would imagine, it takes an exceptional and equally bright person to cover the high court. For the Chicago Tribune and The News Hour with Jim Lehrer on PBS, that person is none other than Ryan Crossroads, Alabama’s Joan Crawford Greenburg. Greenburg is reporting at a time that could not be more exciting for the Supreme Court. “The court is poised to change,” says Greenburg, “And the next couple of years are going to be a fascinating time covering the court as the justices revisit old issues and rethink them, and as they take on new issues.” And then there is the possibility of yet another retirement on the bench during President George W. Bush’s term. Greenburg says the talk around Washington is that it may be Justice John Paul Stevens, because he is the oldest, turning 86 this year, while others say that perhaps it will be Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a cancer survivor. “One of the few closely guarded secrets is when a justice is going to retire,” says Greenburg. With her job covering the Supreme Court, Greenburg, 40, gets to do something most journalists only dream about – she gets face time with each of the justices. And though she does not have a
favorite, she did share a little information about those infamous robed figures who rule on the laws. The Supreme Court “is so fun to cover because they (the justices) are nine very different people. Some of them are very funny, like Justice Scalia, and let you know exactly what they think. Some are very quiet and serious, like Justice Souter. And some are very engaging and warm off the bench, like Justice Thomas (a Georgia native), who is quiet on the bench,” offers Greenburg. “There is just a bunch of different personalities with different opinions about the law and they are all up there kind of duking it out to get the right answer on any given day, on any given case,” she says. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Crawford first knew she wanted to be a journalist when she began writing for the school’s student newspaper, The Crimson White. From there she was given an internship with the Chicago Tribune and was hired full-time within three months. Greenburg decided to attend law school at the University of Chicago after working with the Tribune for a couple of years, and returned after she graduated in 1993. Then in 1994, she received the call to cover the Supreme Court in the newspaper’s Washington offices. She’s been there ever since. From there this small town-country girl and diehard Crimson Tide fan was invited to work with Jim Lehrer in 1997. “On News Hour it is very much a conversation about the cases and the law, and you do not know what they are going to ask so you really have to be prepared for everything. That can be kind of scary at first because you hope that you know all the answers and can give coherent answers. You never know until the end of your segment if you have done it right.”
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym63-65.indd 63
63
4/18/06 10:14:45 PM
A
REEL Southerner
by Tabatha Hunter
On those lazy summer days that the South is known for, there is nothing better to do than fish. It is a Southern favorite past-time, picking up crickets from the local bait shop, filling up the cooler with snacks and drinks, grabbing a cane pole and running down to the local lake to cast a few lines and kill one of our famous days.
to snap the line. But fishing is more than just a sport; it’s about more than wrestling with nature and capturing that perfect fish. Fishing is about camaraderie and passion (especially when we go empty-handed); it is about having fun and making memories. But mostly fishing is a way of life that goes hand in hand with being Southern. Just ask professional fisherman Bill Dance. Growing up in Lynchburg, Tenn., Dance could be found constantly fishing with his father and grandfather. It was this time spent with his family that would lead to Dance’s love of fishing and ultimately his career as a fisherman. “The legacy they left me, knowledge and love for fishing, really was the most precious gift of all. It has been a gift that has lasted a lifetime,” says Dance. It is a legacy that the 65-year-old has passed on to his own children, as he has given that same gift his father gave to him—love of fishing—to each of his four children. Dance has no qualms about saying that his fondest memory fishing has 64
not been with the celebrity guests on his popular T.V. show, Bill Dance Outdoors. His fondest memory was not winning the many bass tournaments he captured. Dance’s favorite fishing memory(s) was that he was able to be there with each of his kids when they caught their first fish. Coincidentally, out of six grandchildren, Dance has also been with the three old enough to fish when they hooked their first. In short, Bill Dance’s life is fishing, winning the BASS title seven times. His largest catch is a 13 lb. 2 oz. largemouth bass. He has made a living fishing with beginnings working for lure manufacturers, which eventually led to him hosting a television show for local stations in 1967, then TNN, and now Outdoor Life Network, where he can be found five times a week, 52 weeks a year. “I was lucky enough to turn a hobby into a profession. It has afforded me to the opportunity to meet some of the greatest people on earth — fishermen. It has afforded me the opportunity to travel all over the world and to fish all different types of lakes,” says Dance, who admits that he hopes to fish forever…and then a little bit more. His favorite place to fish is undoubtedly Pickwick Lake on the Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi state lines, because this is the type of lake that offers fishing 12 months a year. “You have
“…Coach Vaught shot the ball cap three times. I had nothing but a bill to pick up… and that is the only time I have been on camera without my ‘T’ cap on.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF OLN
T
hen when you land a fish big enough to eat, or at least brag about after you throw him back, now that’s excitement. And we all have at least one “remember that fish” story we tell to remember that monster bass or catfish that threatened
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym63-65.indd 64
4/18/06 10:15:23 PM
got white bass fishing and excellent small mouth bass fishing, which is my favorite type of fish,” he reveals. Along with fishing, Dance is known for one more thing, his ever-present Tennessee orange baseball cap. It is a hat that has traveled the world and conquered many a fish with Bill, giving the University of Tennessee great publicity along the way. The baseball hat did come off of Dance’s head once during a show though. Dance chuckles as he recounts the story of dove hunting with legendary Ole Miss Football Coach John Vaught. The two friends were walking toward the camera at the end of the show when Vaught stopped and looked at Dance and said something was bothering him. Vaught said there was something that he had to get off of his chest, recounts Dance, and the coach reached over, jerked Dance’s “T” cap off and threw it
on the ground. While on the ground, Vaught shot the ball cap three times. “I had nothing but a bill to pick up,” Dance laughs, “and that is the only time I have been on camera without my ‘T’ cap on.” Dance, who attributes his success to an understanding wife and being able to work with some pretty phenomenal people who take pride in what they do, also offered Y’all some fishing tips. “I think the best fishing tip I can give anybody is go fishing as often as you can,” says Dance. “The best time to go is anytime you can go and go with as many knowledgeable fishermen as you can. Observe, ask questions and try to make it a practice to learn one new thing on every outing.” On that note, we hope to see all y’all with a pole in hand down at the lake!
“My
hometown is all about families.” HANNAH -
Pigeon Forge Resident
From rides and shows that kids love along our Parkway to Dollywood’s KidsFestSM, there’s fun and entertainment everyone will enjoy. Make this a summer to remember here in my hometown.
1-800-367-3184 w w w. m y p i g e o n f o r g e . c o m
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym63-65.indd 65
65
4/18/06 10:15:41 PM
cajun humor De Insurance Man
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. 66
Don an me done suffered a lot of damage from Hurricane Katrina an we done gots to know a hole lot more about insurance an their ways of makin’ sure dat we don’t get too much money. We learned words like: adjustment, depreciation, true value, appointments (should read disappoints) flood zone, rising water, storm surge, and many more. Dis story sort of covers that new information. One day ole Robbie Robichaw’s barn burned down to de ground, so natural he call de insurance man an tole him dat he wanted his money to buy him a new one. De insurance man say, “Hole on dare Robbie, de first tang you gots to understood is dat we don’t jus gave you de whole amount of de insurance. You gots to first make a liss of averytang what you have in dare, lawnmower, tools, averytang.” De insurance man went
on an tole Robbie, “We gots to see wat all dat coss, an de most important tang Robbie, is dat we gots to know how ole all dat stuffs was, ‘cause you know we gonna depreciate de value of wat a bran new barn coss wit all dem tool acordin’ to how ole de barn an tool was. Den we gave you de difference.” Robbie say, “In odder word, you not gonna gave me de $10,000 straight out dat I done pay for?” De insurance man say, “Dats right Robbie, we gots to took out for de age of de barn an tool. Dats what depreciation is all ‘bout.” Robbie say, “ Let me taught ‘bout dat an call you back.” De insuranse man say, “OK Robbie, dat sounds good.” A few days pass by an ole Robbie call dat insurance man back an say, “Well, I been tinking a whole lot bout dat depreciation stuffs you tole me bout an I just wanna know, does de same tang go for de life insurance policy I gots on de wife?”
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym66-69.indd 66
4/18/06 10:17:11 PM
grizzard Put Some South in Yo’ Mouth
Let’s Put An End To Salad Bars
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
At long last, I am getting some assistance in my ongoing crusade against what I consider to be a dastardly affront to the American consumer, the salad bar. In a recent edition of The Wall Street Journal, there was a front- page article indicating that not only are salad bars, in my opinion, an insult to the average American eat-outer (Who wants to go to the trouble and expense of eating out and then have to get up and make his or her own salad?), but they can be a health hazard. The Journal points out that because salad bars usually feature a number of perishable foods and because you don’t know who’s been handling the food before you got up to make your salad, there is a chance you could wind up with food poisoning as a result of a visit to a salad bar. The Journal also points out that people can sneeze on the lettuce, stick their fingers in the blue cheese dressing and drop a hair or two on the feastings as well. Fad got out of hand There are even worse things that can happen. I quote from the Journal’s article: “Jack Williams, a Los Angeles County health official, was piling lettuce on his plate one day when he saw a youngster pick his nose and then use the same hand to pluck a cherry tomato and fling it back.” Grr-oss. What happened to the salad bar in this country is what happens to a great many fads. It got out of hand. Wendy’s has a salad bar, Burger King has a salad bar and it likely won’t end there. I am awaiting the day chiropractors put a salad bar in their offices. Picking up germs at a salad bar isn’t the only risk the customer takes when he or she approaches a salad bar, either. Some restaurants do put a “sneeze
shield” on their salad bars, but the problem there is with a shield, you have to bend over and then reach way in the back, which is where most restaurants put all the good stuff, like the cherry tomatoes. A person could severely injure his or her back, attempting to make a move only a contortionist could pull off without fear of winding up in traction. Come to think of it, perhaps chiropractors are the ones who have been behind this salad bar idea all along. Don’t fix your own Here is what we as Americans should do to get rid of salad bars forever: When you have finished giving your order and the waitress or waiter says, “Help yourself to the salad bar,” you reply, “Are you out of your mind? I worked all day. My wife/husband worked all day. We decided to treat ourselves by going out to dinner. “We want to sit here at this table, have a couple of drinks, and then eat dinner. “We don’t want to have to mix our own drinks. We don’t want to have to prepare our entree, and we do not under any circumstance - want to get up and go to the trouble of fighting the mob at the salad bar. “We demand someone prepare our salad for us. We will tell them exactly what we want on our salad, and we expect them to be brought here at our table promptly and we expect them to be served with a smile. Understand, bean-sprout-breath?” If everyone were that forceful, we could rid our country of salad bars and make it a much better place in which to live, raise a family and eat out. Move quickly before one more nose-picker has the opportunity to get his hands on our tomatoes.
“
When you have finished giving your order and the waitress or waiter says, ‘Help yourself to the salad bar,’ you reply, ‘Are you out of your mind?’
”
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym66-69.indd 67
67
4/18/06 10:17:44 PM
wine
down south CELEBRATING WINE AND DINING IN CHARLESTON
by Doc Lawrence
A walk down Charleston’s King Street is a journey into the deepest roots of the South. One of the country’s oldest cities, Charleston has managed to preserve its rich heritage. While visiting the inaugural Charleston Food and Wine Festival, I recalled my glory days in Europe. Bristol, a charming coastal town in the South of England, and must be a DNA relative of Charleston. From Atlanta, I drove through some of the most important Revolutionary War and Civil War battlefields to the grand old Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston, named after the Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion, “The Swamp Fox,” the nemesis of the British army who introduced redcoats to the American version of guerilla warfare. There’s a trove of cooking history here, and the culinary contributions of the Carolina Lowcountry continues to garner new enthusiasts. Wherever possible, I requested the local signature dish, She-Crab soup, a kitchen creation that legend has it was prepared by a Charleston chef for President George Washington and served at America’s first inaugural. I enjoyed a bowl of this blend of heavy cream, butter, crab roe and cream sherry, at Tristan, a spectacular restaurant, along with a glass of Tattinger Champagne. I wondered if that great smuggler Rhett Butler and his modern entrepreneurial counterpart, Ted Turner, were wowed by this delight as much as me? It seems that wine and food festivals are everywhere, and like movies and television shows, some are much better than others. Charleston, with one of the New World’s great indigenous culinary cultures, also historically boasts a major wine presence, aided no doubt by being a port city and having strong European traditions. The many mansions, fine homes and hotels that for two centuries has entertained royalty, American founding fathers, Confederate generals and those with good taste and high expectations, always had access to and served the finest wines from France, Germany and Italy, a custom that continues today. I quickly concluded that the first Charleston wine and food celebration paid impressive homage to this heritage. One of the Grande Dames of Southern
Cooking is the irrepressible Natalie Dupree, author of many cookbooks and a Charleston resident. The choice of having her serve as the chair of the event seemed wise. It’s comforting to know that the leader of a wine and food event is a great chef with deep Southern roots who also knows that shrimp and grits, barbequed lamb ribs, collard greens and ham hocks, prepared skillfully, pair quite well with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir or a spicy Sangiovase. Tristan, located near the ancient Market, is a trip into the Southern gourmet experience of tomorrow. It’s phenomenal Irish-born Executive Chef Ciaran Duffy blends the flavors, styles and preferences of Lowcountry Carolina with the challenging choices of today, something that eludes many restaurants. Abbie King, a visionary wine director, has skillfully produced a great wine list offering something for everyone while remaining true to the chef ’s mission. Tristan and its other Charleston gourmet counterparts, observes the basic ritual of fine wine and dining. Begin with a fine Champagne or sparkling wine, accompanied by light, savory appetite teasers. Proceed to an appropriate white wine with appetizers (I like to order samples of items from the appetizer menu), and then go for those fuller-bodied reds with most of the entrees. Desserts go quite well with so many wines and this pairing magic is catching on fast and is omnipresent in Charleston. Much like milk in Wisconsin wine is a Charleston staple. New generations here celebrate family, friends and guests through the Jefferson tradition of fine dining where conviviality generates an appreciation for healthy portions of love and laughter, glasses of fine wine and regal gourmet dishes. Charleston just successfully completed its first wine and food gala, a four-day epicurean marathon and by all accounts has earned the right to a bigger and better encore next year. In Charleston, the food is delicious and the wine is selected with care and poured generously. Both Southern and outsider gourmets were impressed and vowed to return. Down here we believe that nothing says thanks better than coming back for a second helping.
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. 68
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym66-69.indd 68
4/18/06 10:18:01 PM
blue collar Texas Traveler
by Bill Engvall
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.
I moved out here to Los Angeles from Texas because I wanted to be an actor since I was a kid. When my dad and I used to watch John Wayne movies, I used to sit there and think, man I want to be an actor. But back then in a Texas town, you didn’t tell your dad you wanted to be an actor. You might as well have said you wanted to be a ballerina. So, when I moved out here, I really studied acting. I’ve been blessed with having two loves and that’s standup and acting. I’ll always do standup because I always believe in the phrase, “You dance with the one who brung you.” I do love acting. To me it’s fun to play different roles and that’s what I love about this sketch show (Blue Collar TV) is that I may get to play four different characters in one show. It’s just being natural. When you try to do too much it becomes jilted and stiff; but if you just roll with it it’s awesome. When I get a character on Blue Collar TV I look at it as how would this guy react if I was talking to him? I use that to pull on what makes it a little more natural. Before moving to Los Angeles, I spent some time in St. Louis. That was one of those sideways moves that actually turned out to be one of the best things that happened to me. I was working at a club in Dallas and they got rid of me. They wanted to go a different way and a guy at the time was running the Funny Bone Comedy Club in St. Louis. My wife, Gail, and I had been talking about going out to L.A., but I wasn’t
“
ready yet and the guy said well, if you’ll come up here I’ll headline you in all my clubs. That was the year and a half I needed to really polish the chops, so when I came out here I was ready. I like it here in California. We live on Manhattan Beach. It’s a little beach town. My daughter and son grew up here. Do I miss Texas? Yeah, but you know what, we got such a great life here. Yeah, the traffic sucks. Jeff (Foxworthy) likes Atlanta and I think that’s cool too because with Jeff and Larry (the Cable Guy), it’s like a marriage, you don’t want to be spending all your time together. Someone said why don’t you do this tour on a bus together and I said, because we’d probably kill each other. Larry lives in Florida and Jeff in Atlanta, so what happens is when we get together, it’s great to see your buddies. So you have that to work off of too. That’s the other great thing about the sketch is we work a month and then we’re off a month, and everybody goes and does their own comedy so when you get together its fun to see the guy, as opposed to having to live with him for eight months. I think the road is what keeps us together because we have our time apart from each other. I’m getting up there and eventually I’ll start slowing down and we’ll spend some more time together. But what’s great is we enjoy the time we have together. It’s not like all the sudden we’ll be together and go, ‘Oh God, what do we do?’
Back then in a Texas town, you didn’t tell your dad you wanted to be an actor. You might as well have said you wanted to be a ballerina.
”
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym66-69.indd 69
69
4/18/06 10:18:33 PM
what southern women
know
Turner South Goes South
by Ronda Rich
Ronda Rich is the best-selling author of What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should) and The Town That Came A-Courtin’. 70
When I first heard the rumors, I barely blinked. When I heard the rumors confirmed as factual news, I blinked back the tears. Say it ain’t so. Say it ain’t true that Fox Sports has purchased Turner South and will turn the network that has paid proud homage to Southern culture into yet another sports channel. The day this sad plan comes to fruition could rival the emotion that Southerners felt on the day of Appomattox. At least, this particular Southerner will feel that way. The South has lost again. As I see it, there are three things terrible wrong with this. First of all, we don’t need another sports channel. This opinion comes from a woman who was once a sports writer. I am also a Southern woman who recognizes the importance of college football, professional baseball and NASCAR racing to the South. After all, there have been plenty of Southern women forced to plan their weddings around fall football schedules. We have an ample amount of sports channels. Enough is enough. If one more sports channel is added to the television line-up, divorce rates will probably climb another five percent. Women, especially Southern women, can be good sports for just so long. In my book about flirting, I wrote unabashedly that knowing about sex gets a man but knowing about sports keeps him. I believe that. Still, another sports channel, even one that is dedicated to Southern sports, is like adding too much water to the gravy. It’s getting too thin. Secondly, what is it with the guys getting all the channels on television? We women deserve better. We should have a channel devoted to make-up, lingerie, high heels and, especially, hair. Big hair. Is that asking too much? One little curtsey to feminine womanhood, one gracious nod to estrogen versus a high five to testosterone. A time slot when hairspray and lip-gloss wins out over sweat and grunts. It’s only right. Here’s the biggest problem, though: Taking Turner South away is another heavy-handed swipe at the region and culture we love so. It is another attempt to bury our uniqueness and hope that we’ll just blend into ordinary Americans. Some corporate geniuses deemed a few years ago that TNN – The Nashville Network – should be revamped and turned into – get this – a channel skewed directly toward men. Down, unceremoniously, went another of my
favorite channels, a channel heavy on Southern-flavor. Turner South provided eight Southern states with programming that celebrated the South with original shows on food, decorating, landscaping, travel and flea market finds. Liars and Legends and the Rick & Bubba Show, a televised version of a syndicated, Birmingham-based radio show, are also gone with the wind. I am particularly going to miss the bluesy, bow-to-the-wonderful-spirit-ofthe-South promos where Southerners poetically – in that beautiful prose unique to our region – waxed eloquently and dramatically about “My South.” A shiver of pride always slid across my body every time I saw one of those commercials. Turner South was the vision of television pioneer Ted Turner, who thought that America was primed to embrace regional cable channels. But in actuality, the only region with enough distinction, flavor and personality to warrant an entire channel to celebrate its culture is the South. Southerners, especially those of us with a long, unblemished lineage of Southern blood, are fiercely proud of our culture. We know we’re different and for that we do not apologize. Hospitality, tradition, food, literature, music, storytelling and amusing quirks are keynotes, the high notes, of our culture. We must not let boardrooms and executives, concerned only with bottom line profit statements, diminish our Southern sensibilities. My fellow Southerners, now more than ever, we must unite and celebrate boldly our heritage. As more and more non-Southerners flock to live in our beloved land, we face a watering down of our traditions and basic practices. Why, it’s even possible, though totally incomprehensible, that sweet tea could disappear from restaurant menus across the Southeast. Then, the next to go would be deviled egg platters, lace doilies and slow-cooking grits. We face a dire situation. We must, in the strong tradition of our ancestors, preserve our culture for the generations to come. We must fight until the end to maintain and practice the distinctions that makes the South and its people truly unique. Turner South, undeniably, is a big loss for us but take heart, my friends. This is only one battle lost. We can still win this war.
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym70-75.indd 70
4/18/06 10:19:49 PM
star gazing PRACTICAL WHIMSY southern hospitality hollywood style
by Joe LoCicero
Georgia-bred and L.A.-based lifestyle expert Joe LoCicero has been bringing Southern hospitality to the Hollywood scene for the past dozen years as an author, TV writer, and entertaining guru. His current book is The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Clear Thinking (Penguin 2005), with his next release slated for January. For practical-yet-whimsical gifts and tips, visit PRACTICALWHIMSY.com.
Toast a Housewarming with a Double-Duty Gift There’s a sector of Hollywood celebrities that gravitate more to the conserve/re-use/ recycling mentality versus the everythingshould-be-shiny-and-new creed. The ones that say it’s better to remodel than to re-build — like Grey’s Anatomy’s Patrick Dempsey, and CSI: Miami’s Khandi Alexander, who’ve craftily renovated L.A. homes. Or that you should drive a Prius to the Oscars instead of take a limo. (That would be Leo DiCaprio’s and Cameron Diaz’s route). In that spirit, you can always approach gift giving – and particularly housewarming gifts – with a two-fer sensibility. That means finding a present that can serve at least two purposes. Let’s face it: most of us don’t need more clutter and piles in our homes, and appreciate a gift that has some versatility… and might even pull double-duty in a newlyacquired space. What I’m not talking here is recycling. Turning empty Coca-Cola cans into a lampshade or fashioning back issues of TV Guide into a modern paper sculpture — while admirable — probably doesn’t fit into most people’s décor. And “re-gifting” is totally off-limits as a mode of using a gift twice. Even though the Seinfeld episode “The Label Maker” brought this term into our gifting vernacular, that doesn’t make the practice acceptable. (If you’re convinced someone would love a present you’ve received, why not surprise them with it on a day or occasion they’d never expect it — not under the auspices of one you probably should have shelled out some bucks for). Here in Southern California, guests invited to a housewarming party tend to take the easy — if still thoughtful — path to being welcomed into or celebrating another’s home. Popular gifts to toss on the pile in the foyer or hand over to the host(ess) are flower bouquets (which unfortunately, often lack a vase), boxes of See’s candies (which unfortunately, often add to a waistline), and bottles of wine (which unfortunately, often are hastily drunk). For a truly thoughtful and useful housewarming gift, think of one that will be used repeatedly (also the better to remember you by), and then include it in clever combination with another item. To do so, jettison putting a gift in a basket (unless your housewarming receiver is a basket-lover). Baskets can be hard to store and — unless it’s Easter season — you typically can only find one or two uses for them (storing magazines and passing bread at the table come to mind). Instead, consider practical gifts that are then whimsically packaged. For instance, new
homeowners can never have enough picture hanging tools, garden gear, organizational accessories, candles, or meals that can be made in a jiffy. So, for the whimsical part: Wrap up the gift in dish towels (which, incidentally, a kitchen can never have too many of). French object and textile designer, Atelier LZC, is drawing raves for dish towels adorned with vibrant silk-screen nature and hearth images that will strike a chic chord in any home. Kitchen utensils, hardware — even a simple dinner — could easily be nestled inside the generously-sized material. And, if your recipient is so inclined, the dish towels — once emptied — can also be easily mounted on a canvas for a funky piece of artwork that could be just the enhancement for a bare wall. Those practical gifts can be wrapped up in an apron as well. Or, try placing your assortment on a serving tray, pizza stone, cake plate, or pie dish, and simply loop and tie some grosgrain ribbon around the gift. And, of course, there’s always the option of a vase to put the practical paraphernalia in that will also come in handy for some flowers that have arrived sans a container. If the practicality of these gifts isn’t jolly enough for you, try re-using another way. While re-gifting is dissed, finding the perfect vintage piece is perfectly O.K. In fact, flea markets, antique shops, and eBay dealers can provide a cool relic from another era that can become the pride of a new homeowner. For instance, many trendy kitchens today feature appliances that are reproductions of days gone by, and a new wave of baby girl nurseries embrace a retro home theme. In either case, consider such pieces as aluminum cake covers and ice pop molds; tin flour sifters patterned with pastry items or floral bouquets; tin bread boxes, picnic baskets, and canisters with graphics depicting neighborhood scenes, roses, polka dots, or basketweaves, just to name a few. And then, of course on the vintage front, there’s always the truly unique… if you can find it. A piece of movie critic Leonard Maltin’s memorabilia collection includes a 1940’s MGM child star-branded “Margaret O’Brien Candy Kitchen”: a cheery, brightly colored package of candy-making equipment complete with the original bottles of cherry and orange flavoring — with graphics that would make a charming addition to a kids room or kitchen. (As long as you have no designs on using — or re-using — the contents included). So — with all these options available — the next time you’re invited to warm a house, think “twice” about what you bring to the party.
MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym70-75.indd 71
71
4/18/06 10:20:05 PM
ms. ms. grits grits A Spring Fling
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. Her newest, Grits Friends Are Forevah is now available. Contact “Ms. Grits” via email at msgrits@yall.com 72
Well, it looks like spring is finally here. Yes, it’s finally time to take off those coats and put on those sundresses, maybe slip on the gloves and do a little gardening. Now you know I’m not actually going to do any gardening myself, I like my gloves silk and my flowers cut, arranged and in a beautiful vase. But that’s not going to stop me from working on my tan. I plan to get out and about this spring to see the blooms on my favorite kind of magnolias and the dogwoods—the kind someone else has treated with tender loving care. And this year I’m doing it as a friend of the Alabama AAA (they’re the people who give you the free maps, in case you were wondering). This job has gotten me thinking about all the fun things GRITS can do together—teen trips to the beach, state parks for the families (staying in the lodge, of course, this GRITS does not camp!), bridge tournaments for the Seasoned Grits… the list could go on and on. The main thing, I’ve come to realize, is that I want travel to be a time to get together. So many of us travel on our own these days. We say, “I’m just so tired, I want to go someplace for a week and not see anybody.” I understand where you’re coming from. I travel so much talking about Girls Raised in the South sometime I just want to sit back with a glass of tea and not see y’all for a while. But as soon as I do, I realize something really important. I miss you. I miss seeing the smiling faces of my fellow Grits, whether it’s at a book signing, a reception or a women’s club meeting. I miss talking to people at church picnics and alumni gatherings. I miss talking to people at the supermarket, but maybe that’s just me. It’s easy to feel isolated these days. It’s easy to feel too busy, then too tired, then too alone. For one thing, we don’t see as much of our neighbors as we used to. I may joke about gardening, but we used to be outside all day in the spring. When I was a kid, we’d all play together. When I was a young mother, we’d sit together and watch our kids play together. Now…well, if I’m not too busy tonight then maybe you’re too busy tonight and we let weeks go by without even saying hello.
We’re more isolated from family, too. Lots of us live in different states. Some of us live across town, but if that town is someplace like Atlanta you might as well be living in a different state. We’re just real busy right now…and all that traffic, well, you understand. That’s one of the reasons I’m starting GRITS Clubs everywhere I go across the South. It’s one thing to talk about how we’re all alike as Sisters of the South, but it’s even better to actually sit down and talk to one another. When you do that, you can find out some amazing things, like maybe that fried okra recipe your momma passed down to you isn’t a family recipe after all. Maybe you’ve got neighbors who make it exactly the same way. And just maybe, you’ve got a neighbor that makes it even better, which in my book means quicker and with less calories.
“
A fence isn’t a way to keep the neighbors out; it’s place to lean when you’re talking to your friends.
”
Sometimes I think I’ve met them all—garden clubs, church clubs, neighborhood clubs. Sweet Potatoes. Magnolias. Camelias. Tennis players, scrapbookers and ladies who lunch. But I know there’s always room for one more get together on every schedule. There’s always time to have a little more fun. There’s always a reward for meeting one new friend. So this spring, along with that sundress, I hope you get out a little hospitality, Grits-style. As I always say, a fence isn’t a way to keep the neighbors out; it’s place to lean when you’re talking to your friends. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from meeting all you lovely ladies, it’s that there’s something better than the fact that we’re all alike; it’s that we’re all different too. So come on over to Alabama, y’all. We’ve got some great group trips planned for you, and we’ve got a million new friends just waiting to greet you with open arms, even if you are from Tennessee. Just go to your local AAA office and tell them Ms. Grits sent you.
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym70-75.indd 72
4/18/06 10:20:24 PM
ym70-75.indd 73
4/18/06 10:20:49 PM
Red Nose Relief by Laurie Stieber
J
eremy Cohen, one of the directors of on-air promotion at CNN in Atlanta, Ga., also happens to be a Shrine clown, with the chosen name, “Krispy.” It was in Jeremy’s capacity as “Krispy,” that he knew he must do something to help and as quickly as possible. Just a few days after Katrina’s landfall, he mobilized forces by contacting major clowning organizations across North America, and with the wholehearted support and unity of many of the organization’s leaders, Red Nose Relief was born. Red Nose Relief ’s Mission: To serve and support all people by bringing smiles, joy, love and laughter to those who have been impacted by a catastrophe. To provide guidelines and train volunteers to work effectively with other humanitarian organizations while administering a unique form of comic relief. I had the extraordinary pleasure of meeting Jeremy “Krispy” Cohen at Joe Muggs Newsstand in Atlanta, to conduct 74
this interview. I am deliberately 15 minutes early for good reason: If Jeremy shows up in full clown makeup, I can either duck down and hide under the table, or gather my composure for a little while and then greet him warmly, pretending not to notice the green wig and white face paint; or I can exit through the bathroom window. I am not inflicted with coulrophobia, defined as the “persistent, abnormal and irrational fear of clowns,” but I am not quite sure I want to share a cup of cappuccino with one either. And then there’s my freshly blow-dried hair to consider … I pray that “Krispy” isn’t wearing a water-squirting daisy on his lapel. Uh oh! A trim and fit, 30-something, handsome, no … make that hottie, enters Joe Muggs and heads straight for my table. With a warm and friendly greeting, he says, “Hi, I’m Jeremy. It’s so nice to meet you.” “You’re ‘Krispy!’ I exclaim, without the slightest bit of tact, ‘but your skin is perfectly normal! It’s great skin. I
thought that, you know, maybe the whole clown idea and the face make-up that goes with it, might have been to … well, cover up teenaged acne scars or some other dermatological misfortune.” “Krispy” does not take offense at all. He smiles, heartily, something he does often and sincerely. Jeremy “Krispy” Cohen has the heart of a clown, which he will repeatedly tell me is all one needs to become one. No special acrobatic skills, no years of song and dance training, no hitting the club scene doing stand-up comedy. “Anyone can become a clown if they have the heart.” That is practically the official mantra and
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEREMY COHEN
Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic loss; damage, devastation and unfathomable suffering that are ongoing to this day. The once thriving and magnificent Gulf Coast of the United States, and its inhabitants, were forever changed. As they struggle to rebuild their homes, businesses, re-seed their land, and resurrect their physical and emotional foundations, the American Red Cross is partnering with Red Nose Relief in their dedication to relieve human suffering.
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym70-75.indd 74
4/18/06 10:25:25 PM
I think it’s beautiful. Y’ALL: How did you select the name “Krispy?” JC: When you pick a clown name, you either choose something that’s a nickname, or a favorite hobby, or a favorite food, which in my case is a Krispy Kreme donut. Warm, yummy, sweet … who doesn’t like a Krispy Kreme donut? It is like heaven on a plate. Y’ALL: Jeremy, this will be painful to answer, but it is important for the public to understand what it was like when you actually took your first step into New Orleans and what you witnessed? JC: My first experience was driving to St. Bernard Parish and not only seeing the devastation, but the smell. The smell is something that I will never forget. The smell was a combination of food, sewage and death. If anyone could ever say they have smelled death, I feel that I have smelled it. It looked like something out of War Of The Worlds. Y’ALL: We have seen the photographs, television news coverage … but to actually be there, standing in the middle of seemingly
CARO ROLI LINA
never ending misery. JC: To see houses thrown into the middle of the street, cars in trees, cars impaled inside of houses, dead bodies. Y’ALL: On a lighter note, how would a teenager, for example, go about learning how to be a clown? JC: Well, since we are a relief organization and not a clown school, we would gladly put anyone interested in touch with the appropriate organizations in their area or region. We welcome anyone who is interested. Perhaps they would like to become involved with hospital clowning, ministry clowning, birthdays … or, they may just want to run off and join the circus.
WE’VE GOT
YOUR HISTORY
Red Nose Relief is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization chartered by the Georgia Secretary of State. Jeremy Cohen is the Director, but has been adamant throughout our interview to recognize the many individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of clown organizations worldwide. Please visit www.rednoserelief.org to learn more about ways that you can help.
384 pp., 195 illus., cloth, $39.95
716 pp., 239 illus., cloth, $45.00
At bookstores or from
800-768-2500 www.sc.edu/uscpress MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym70-75.indd 75
75
4/18/06 10:25:37 PM
ym76-80.indd 76
4/20/06 5:09:01 PM
KNOTTS/OWENS: Frederick M. Brown/Getty
in memoriam
DON KNOTTS The funniest small-town Southern deputy on T.V. wasn’t even from the Deep South. West Virginian Don Knotts, who kept generations of audiences laughing as bumbling “Deputy Barney Fife” on The Andy Griffith Show and would-be swinger landlord “Ralph Furley” on Three’s Company, died at 81 on Feb. 24, 2006. Knotts’ longtime co-worker and friend Andy Griffith commented: “Don was a small man...but everything else about him was large: his mind, his expressions. Don was special. There’s nobody like him. I loved him very much. We had a long and wonderful life together.”
BUCK OWENS Hee Haw host and country music legend Buck Owens died March 25 at his Bakersfield, Calif., home. He was 76. Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. was born outside Sherman, Texas, the son of a sharecropper. The family moved to Arizona when he was 8. Owens’ career was one of the most phenomenal in country music, with a string of more than 20 No. 1 hits. His honky-tonk twang helped create what became known as the “Bakersfield Sound.” Owens’ hits included “Act Naturally” and “Love’s Gonna Live Here.” He co-hosted Hee Haw with Roy Clark for 24 seasons.
CHARLIE HODGE Longtime Elvis Presley friend and bandmember Charlie Hodge died of cancer at age 71, on March 3. The Decatur, Ala., native first met Presley in Memphis after his own Foggy River Boys performed, then the two served in the Army together in Germany, where they became friends. He was with Presley when he met his future wife, Priscilla, and was at Graceland when “The King” died in 1977. Presley hired Hodge in 1960 to be part of his “Memphis Mafia,” and was popularly known as the man who gave Elvis his water and scarves. He would become a background vocalist and rhythm guitarist in Presley’s band.
J. GLENN BEALL JR. Former U.S. Senator from Maryland J. Glenn Beall Jr., who served from 19521964 , died at age 78 on March 24.
HARRY BROWNE Harry Browne, author and investment adviser who twice ran for president as the Libertarian Party candidate in 1996 and 2000, who wrote 12 books that sold more than 2 million copies, died of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in Franklin, Tenn., on March 1. He was 72.
RICHARD BROOKS Former NASCAR “Rookie of the Year” driver Richard Brooks died of a heart attack in Spartanburg, S.C., on Feb. 22. He was 63. Brooks drove for Richard Childress, Cecil Gordon and James Hylton in the 1970s. He also became familiar as a pit reporter on Motor Racing Network broadcasts and was known for his colorful speech. He captured the rookie award in 1969.
KING FLOYD New Orleans soul singer and songwriter King Floyd, best known for his 1970 hit “Groove Me,” which reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 6 on the pop chart, died in his native New Orleans of complications from a stroke and diabetes on March 6. He was 61. CINDY WALKER Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter Cindy Walker, whose songs were recorded by stars ranging from Bing Crosby to Elvis Presley, died in her native Texas at age 87, on March 23. Walker’s songs include “You Don’t Know Me,” “Dream Baby” and “Silver Spurs.”
EDWIN DUHON Louisiana musician Edwin Duhon, who co-founded the Hackberry Ramblers in the 1930s and continued to play with the group for more than 70 years, died at 95 on Feb. 26. ANTHONY BURGER Gospel music pianist and Dove Award nominee Anthony Burger died after a Gaither Homecoming cruise performance on Feb. 22. The Cleveland, Tenn., native was 44.
ODELL HORTON Odell Horton was the first black federal judge in Tennessee since Reconstruction. The Bolivar, Tenn., native was appointed in 1980, and served as chief judge of the district until 1997. He presided over the controversial 1990 bank fraud trial of U.S. Rep. Harold Ford, Sr. Horton declared a mistrial. The judge died in Memphis on Feb. 22. He was 77. MAY/JUNE 2006 • Y’ALL
ym76-80.indd 77
77
4/18/06 10:39:40 PM
festive south May 2 – 14, 2006 Contraband Days Pirate Festival Return to the swashbuckling days of the pirates and buccaneers with a sailboat regatta, carnival rides, food, contests and events. Lake Charles, LA 800-456-7952 contrabanddays.com info@contrabanddays.com May 5 – 7 Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival Celebrate the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry with an annual pirate parade, featuring a fine arts and crafts show, delicious shrimp dishes, live entertainment. Fernandina Beach, FL 866-426-3542 shrimpfestival.com 4info@shrimpfestival.com May 5 – 6 Market Street Festival Offering a variety of fun and family activities. Artists from around the state show off their crafts. Features include a children’s woodworking workshop, glass blowing, a drum maker, caricature drawer, potter, basket weaver and more. Columbus, MS 662-328-6305 marketstreetfestival.com jmiller@columbusmainstreet.com May 5 – 27 Memphis in May International Festival Three signature events presented throughout the month include four mega stages, with Rock & Roll, Alternative, R&B, New Rock and Soul music; World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and the SunTrust Sunset Symphony. Memphis, TN 901-525-4611 memphisinmay.org mim@memphisinmay.org May 5 – 6 Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Cook-Off Over 100 BBQ cooking teams gather to compete. Two days of great food, live music and fantastic children’s activities. A truly unique family event. Huntsville, AL 256-564-8100 rocketcitybbq.com May 6 – 7 Circus Days in Ridgeland An old-fashioned circus that families and people of all ages can enjoy and participate in Ridgeland, MS 800-4686078 visitridgeland.org/circusdays.php info@visitridgeland.org May 6 – 7 The Cotton Pickin’ Fair Family and community oriented event featuring antiques, arts and crafts festival. Delicious country food and desserts. Gay, GA 706-538-6814 cpfair.com info@cpfair.com May 6 – 7 McDonald’s 2006 Air & Sea Show Top military and civilian performances along four miles of beautiful Fort Lauderdale Beach, saluting America’s sailors in an extravagant way. Fort Lauderdale, FL 954-467-3555 nationalsalute.com williamsjo@mdmgroup.com
78
May 6 – 7 North Carolina Strawberry Festival & Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Enjoy the festivities in this small, rural community, including a parade, street vendors, a strawberry cooking contest and more. Chadbourn, NC 910654-3518 ncstrawberryfestival.com dworthington@weblnk.net
June 1 – 5 55th Annual Sun Fun Festival Featured events spanning 60 miles of beaches include beach games, parade, Miss Sun Fun USA, a variety of sporting events, Kids Fair and an air show. Myrtle Beach, SC 843916-7221 sunfunfestival.com
May 12 – 13 Carthage Buggy Festival A family oriented event involving all the communities in the county, offering the best in gospel, country and rock music, along with children’s entertainment. Carthage, NC 910-947-2331 townofcarthage.org ccleetwood@nc.rr.com
June 1 – 10 Fiesta Days Celebration and Boat Parade Commemorate the founding of Pensacola by celebrating the history and culture of the area with a boat parade, colorful street parade, treasure hunts and more. Pensacola, FL 850-433-6512 fiestaoffiveflags.org info@fiestaoffiveflags.org
May 12 – 13 International Bar-B-Q Festival Enjoy food, entertainment, shopping, sporting and special events and Owensboro’s world-famous barbecue down at the river Owensboro, KY 270-926-1100/800-489-1131 owensboromuseum.com info@visitowensboro.com May 18 – 20 Starks Mayhaw Festival Celebration of the mayhaw berry with lots of family fun, including a queen’s pageant, a talent show, a bicycle parade, jelly-cooking demo and country night. Saturday Gospel night. Starks, LA 800456-7952 starks@louisiana.com May 20 Warrenton Spring Festival More than 200 artisans display and sell their handcrafted wares. Food, live music and children’s activities complete the day’s experience. Warrenton, VA 540-347-4414 fauquierchamber.org May 26 – 28 Decatur Arts Festival & Garden Tour Juried fine art exhibit and competitive juried artists market, literary Arts Festival, featuring local playwrights, book signings and more, along with the Decatur Garden Tour. Decatur, GA 404-371-9583 decaturartsalliance.org info@decaturartsalliance.org May 26 – 29 Freedom Weekend Aloft Hot Air Balloons, Concerts, Disc Dog Competition and Beach Blast. Family Friendly! Greenville, SC 864-232-3700 freedomweekend.org fwastaff@aol.com May 26 – June 11 Spoleto Festival USA Flock to Charleston to experience the art, music, dance and culture that mesmerize the city during these 17 magical days and nights. Charleston, SC 843-722-2764 spoletousa.org ticket@spoletousa.org May 27 – 28 Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic Balloonists from the southeast and all over the U.S. participate. See the unbelievable sight of the two-hour balloon glow planned for Saturday night. Decatur, AL 256-340-1534 alabamajubilee.net
June 2-4, 2006 Tupelo Elvis Festival The 8th annual Elvis Presley Festival features live entertainment and a special 50th anniversary parade and concert re-creation of Elvis’ 1956 homecoming concert – in his hometown of Tupelo, Miss., 1-800-533-0611 www.tupelo.net June 8 – Jul. 22 American Dance Festival One of the most prestigious dance festivals brings the best American and international modern and contemporary dance to North Carolina. Durham, NC 919-684-6402 americandancefestival.org adf@americandancefestival.org or lnjones@duke.edu June 9 – 11 Celebrate Fairfax! The largest community wide festival in Northern Virginia showcases live concerts, performing arts, science and technology activities, culinary delights and more. Fairfax, VA 703-324-3247 celebratefairfax.org emily@celebratefairfax.org
June 10 Dickson County Fiddlers Contest Everything from Fiddlers, Cloggers, Buck Dancers, Mandolin players, Square Dancers and Old Time String Bands. Bar-B-Que and homemade crafts round off the fun! Dickson, TN 615-446-2349 dicksonfiddlers.com rhonda@dicks oncountychamber.com June 16 Decatur Beach Party A beach party in downtown Decatur. Sixty tons of sand dumped on the city streets. Come play, sing and dance to “beach music”. Decatur, GA 404-371-9583 wdecaturga.com events@decaturga.com June 17 – Jul. 28th Quadrennial U.S.A. International Ballet Competition Olympic Style Competition where tomorrow’s ballet stars vie for gold, silver and bronze medals, cash awards, scholarships and jobs. Dancers from around the world present some of the world’s best dance performances. Jackson, MS 601-355-9853 usaibc.com usaibc@netdoor.com June 21 – 25 AthFest Music & Arts Festival Highlighting the internationally recognized local and regional music and arts, AthFest features music stages, a nighttime Club Crawl, a Juried Artists’ Market, KidsFest, the Flagpole Athens Music Awards, screening of films by local teens and more. Athens, GA 706-548-1973 athfest.com info@athfest.com
June 21 – 25 Helen Keller Festival Festival honors the life, achievements and influence of “America’s First Lady of Courage”. Features: juried arts and crafts show, athletic events, a parade and musical entertainment. June 9 – 10 Gadsden Area Riverfest Festival, Inc. Tuscumbia, AL 800-344-0783/256383-0783 wraygraphics.com/hkfest/ This festival features nationally known colberttourism@comcast.net artists in country, classic rock & pop music, entertainment for children, and June 22 – 25 the region’s tastiest culinary creations ROMP River of Music Party held along the beautiful Coosa River. Celebrate all things bluegrass! See new Gadsden, AL 256-543-3472 museum exhibits, instrument trade shows, workshops, educational forums, June 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 guided tours and viewings of “Bluegrass The Miracle Worker Play Masters Film Festival. Owensboro, Period costumes, authentic sets and KY 888-mybanjo riverofmusic.org absorbing acting in the presentation mike@bluegrassmuseum.org of this inspiring play performed at the actual location where Helen first June 24 spoke the word W-A-T-E-R. Tuscumbia, Round the Fourth AL 888-329-2124/256-383-4066 Live entertainment on three stages, arts helenkellerbirthplace.org and crafts show, business expo, train hkeller@hiway.net rides, children’s activities, fishing and tennis tournaments and a tribute to June 9 – 11 America. This event provides activities North American Sand Soccer for all ages for celebrating the fourth Championships of July. Conway, SC 843-248-2273 The world’s largest amateur beach roundthefourth.com soccer festival held in one of the bjohnson@conwayscchamber.com top ocean resorts on the Atlantic seaboard. Youth and adult amateur June 30 – Jul 4 beach soccer competition from novice Southeast Old Threshers’ Reunion through advanced. Virginia Beach, VA The largest steam, gas and antique farm 757-368-4600 www.sandsoccer.com machinery show in the southeastern U.S. sandsoccervb@aol.com Denton , NC 800-458-2755 threshers.com manage@threshers.com
Y’ALL • THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
ym76-80.indd 78
4/18/06 10:40:40 PM
y
始all
SUBSCRIBE TODAY and save up to
49%
THE M AGA ZINE OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE
off the cover price !
SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 1-800-935-5185 or www.yall.com YES!
SEND ME 1 YEAR OF Y始ALL MAGAZINE AT THE SPECIAL PRICE OF ONLY $19.95
YES!
I始D LIKE TO GIVE A FRIEND A SUBSCRIPTION TO Y始ALL FOR JUST $12.95 MORE - A SAVINGS OF 49%
MY SUBSCRIPTION
Name
GIFT SUBSCRIPTION
(please print)
Name
Address
Address
City/State/Zip
City/State/Zip
Phone Number
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
ym76-80.indd 79
Bill Me
Payment Enclosed
(please print)
Phone Number MAIL TO: MAGAZINE PROCESSING CENTER P. O. BOX 0567 SELMER, TN 38375-9908
4/18/06 10:41:04 PM
ym76-80.indd 80
4/18/06 10:43:49 PM