1 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: What did it look like? It was red red suit. 2 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: It had on the lapels like on lapel, the stitching 3 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: was white, so it stood out against that white cowboy 4 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: boots yea, and red pants. Had a big white belt 5 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: with a belt buckled size of a student Baker hubcap. 6 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: And he had an embroidered coon on the on the 7 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: left lapel. Yep, coon face right there. On this episode 8 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: of the Bargaras podcast, we're diving deep into Southern culture 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: and identity to get a view from the captain's chair 10 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: of Jerry Clower's mind. Does that name ring a bell? 11 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 1: Jerry was thrust into national fame in the nineteen seventies 12 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: when a story he told about coon hunting topped the 13 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 1: country music charts. I'm interested in those odd places where 14 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: rural culture and specifically hunting, touches the mainstream. Old Wilson 15 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: Rawl's bridge the gap with this book where the red 16 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: fern rows, and Jerry did it with comedy about hunting varmouts. 17 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: He's been gone for a long time, but I was 18 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 1: able to go meet up with his old neighbor in 19 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: East Fork, Mississippi and a Mitt County, and he'll give 20 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: us a behind the scenes look into who Jerry was, 21 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: and some of it will surprise you, and believe it 22 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: or not, Old Brent Reeves met Jerry Clower and saw 23 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: his famed gold Cadillac that Brent swears was as long 24 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: as the battleship. Trust me, boys, you're not gonna want 25 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: to miss this one. It was beyond my comprehension that 26 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 1: somebody in my family didn't know him, because the stories 27 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,759 Speaker 1: that he told were stories that I could identify with 28 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: as far as how he grew up. My name is 29 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: Clay Nukelem and this is the Bear Grease Podcast, where 30 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: will expe lord things forgotten but relevant, search for insight 31 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: and unlikely places, and where we'll tell the story of 32 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:12,079 Speaker 1: Americans who lived their lives close to the land, presented 33 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: by f HF gear, American made, purpose built hunting and 34 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: fishing gear that's designed to be as rugged as the 35 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: places we explore. First of all, I want you to 36 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: know that I come from right four Liberty, Mississippi. Now 37 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: that's twelve miles west of McCombe, Mississippi, sixty five miles 38 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: due northeast of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a hundred and 39 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: sixteen miles due north of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was 40 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:52,519 Speaker 1: that that I first saw the light of day out 41 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: of a nick Countess September nine hundred and twenty six. 42 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: I was born there. If you recognize that voice, many 43 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: assumptions could be made about you and your history. You're 44 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: likely over the age of thirty, have some tie to 45 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: the Southern United States, are a fan of old country music, 46 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: and I could likely guess your political leanings. Throughout any 47 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: culture in the world, there are insiders who represent a 48 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: sector of the population. These people are significant and carry 49 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: the values of their people, but their interpretation of those 50 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: values is amplified through time. My friend Steve Ronella recently 51 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: said that if you can ice fish in your state, 52 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: that state isn't in the South, and I completely agree 53 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: with that from a geopolitical boundary standpoint, But I'd like 54 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: to add a second layer of analysis. If your family 55 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: listened to Jerry Clower, you're likely culturally Southern, and I'll 56 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: make a definitive statement. If you don't know who Jerry 57 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: Clower is, you aren't Southern. I'm sorry, or you've been 58 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: locked at a chicken coop your whole life. We've been 59 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: talking about hunting raccoons with hounds and exploring the cultural 60 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: impact of the book Where the Red Fern Grows. We've 61 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: pontificated on that time. Coon Hunting did a tomahawk dunk 62 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: on mainstream culture and they loved it. I'm looking for 63 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: patterns on how to positively portray rural life to a 64 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 1: sector of the population that may not understand it. Wilson 65 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 1: Rawls did it with his book, and we'll see that 66 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: the brilliant humorist Jerry Clower did it by telling a 67 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: human story. You see, Jerry was catapulted into the national 68 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: spotlight in nineteen seventy one because of a short tale 69 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: he told about a coon hunt in Mississippi. The story 70 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: was so intriguing producers from New York City traveled to 71 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: meet him with, in Jerry's words, a pocket full of money, 72 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: and the following contract launched the forty five year old 73 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: fertilizer salesman into immediate stardom. Jerry wasn't a musician, but 74 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: recorded seven full length recordings through m c A Records, 75 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: producing two gold albums and a platinum record, and he 76 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 1: became a member of the Grand Old Opry, wrote four 77 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,720 Speaker 1: books and hosted multiple television shows. Jerry's first album made 78 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 1: more than ten million dollars in the first ten months 79 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 1: and stayed in country's top twenty on the chart for 80 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: thirty weeks. Author Willie Morris said Clower's comic art demonstrates 81 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: the richness of the spoken language in the South and 82 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: all its inwardness, nuance, and sweet. He described it as 83 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: extravagant Southern talk. Jerry would become known as the mouth 84 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: of the South, and in a time of racial upheaval, 85 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: he was outspoken in his support of racial integration and 86 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: support of our Frican Americans. Jerry has been gone since 87 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: n but I traveled to East Fort, Mississippi, in a 88 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,160 Speaker 1: Mitt County to meet with Jerry's longtime neighbor and fellow 89 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: East Fort Baptist Church member, Mr John Newman, who will 90 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: help us unraveled Jerry's life and comedy. Mr John is 91 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 1: a clean shaven, handsome feller in his early seventies with 92 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 1: a headful of white hair, mid lenked side burns, and 93 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: a worn pair of leather boots. But most importantly, he 94 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: knew Jerry well and loved him like a brother. So Jerry. 95 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: He was born in nineteen twenty six. He passed away 96 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 1: in nine at the age of seventy one. What do 97 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: we know about his early life that probably had some 98 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 1: impact on just who he was. Tell me about his 99 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: early history just as a kid, Jerry was born doing 100 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: some real hard times in the history of the country. 101 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: Depressions were pretty common. We went through two of them, 102 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: went through a couple of World wars. Jerry and brother's Sonny, 103 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: both served in World War Two, and his mother told 104 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: me that one of the saddest stories that she could 105 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: relate to in regard to her children and that at 106 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: one time both of them boys were missing. They didn't 107 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: know where they were, but she prayed that God would 108 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 1: look out for him bring him back home safely, and 109 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: it did. But Jerry was brought up in some pretty 110 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: tough times. His mother was a sole provider. They didn't 111 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: have a lot of the luxuries of life, just like 112 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 1: a lot of people, a lot of us that were 113 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: lived in this part of the country that grew up 114 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: in the south during some pretty tough times. Jerry said 115 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: that his county was so poor people couldn't afford to sin, 116 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: and that he ate so much slick shiny boiled ochre 117 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: that when he was a boy, he couldn't keep his 118 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: socks up. Once, when asked if he hadn't been poor, 119 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: if he would have achieved what he did, he said, 120 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: quote no, because I probably would have been arrogant and 121 00:07:55,280 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: I wouldn't have had a coon dog. He was a 122 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 1: joy to be around. He loved everybody. He never let 123 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: his fame or his fortune go to his head. Many times, 124 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: uh different occasions, he would call me up asked me 125 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: what I was doing. This was after he had moved 126 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: back into the East four community. He did said, John, 127 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: come on over, We're gonna put on some coffee. I 128 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 1: want to tell you about where I been, who I saw, 129 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: but ever where he went, anybody that he had in 130 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: contact with, and genuine a lot of people. He knew 131 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 1: people all over the country, politicians, athletes, people from every 132 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 1: walk of life, business characters, so many people that he knew. 133 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: He had a he had an influence on. Now tell 134 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: me how you knew Jerry. I knew Jerry when I 135 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: was just a small child. Jerry was a few years 136 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: older than me at the time. He lived in Yazoo 137 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: City and became a fertilizer salesman day for Mississippi Chemical Corporation, 138 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: and it was just by coincidence and an accident. As 139 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: Jerry has told me before, and as he related in 140 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: some of his stories, he kind of backed into show business. 141 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: But he was all he's a big talker. He was 142 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:05,959 Speaker 1: a good salesman. He had a lovable style character. If 143 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: you met him, you never forgot him. And I think 144 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: he was on a sales pitch over in Texas and 145 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: somebody asked him to Jerry, what to tell him that 146 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: you've got you need to use that you older Michael record. 147 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: So so Jerry was selling fertilizer. He started using just 148 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: some stories just to kind of loosen people up. That's right, 149 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:29,319 Speaker 1: I mean, just just like sales pitch and somebody heard 150 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: it and said you are so funny and the guy 151 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: the guy said, hey, I want to record you tell 152 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: one of these stories, and he did. In nineteen seventy one, 153 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: at the unlikely age of forty five, the fertilizer salesman 154 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 1: recorded his first comedy album titled Jerry Klower from Yazoo City, 155 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: Mississippi Talking with Lemon Label out of Texas. The album 156 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: was a series of stories of Jerry just talking. Each 157 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 1: was titled like a song on an album, and they 158 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: sold over eight thousand records for five dollars each, and 159 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 1: some radio stations started playing it. Then he got the 160 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: attention he needed. The next day, I got a telephone 161 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: call from New York City, said Mr Klawa, I'm vice 162 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: president of a major record company. You have some talents, 163 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 1: and the next time you're in this vicinity, would you 164 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: drop by, we'd like to talk to you. I said, 165 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: I ain't never gonna be in that vicinity. I said, Man, 166 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,560 Speaker 1: you don't leave Yeah City, Missippi, and just dropped by 167 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:41,439 Speaker 1: New York. If y'all want to see Man, you're gonna 168 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:45,920 Speaker 1: have to send for man. Two days later the telephone, 169 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: the Decca label would sign Jerry to a recording contract. 170 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: The album would later become one of his two gold 171 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: record albums, selling over five hundred thousand copies in just 172 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: one month. A gold record is one that sells over 173 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:03,560 Speaker 1: a half million albums. If you remember Robert Morgan's quote 174 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: from our Boon series about how most great artists, explorers 175 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: and writers do the best work of their life in 176 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: their thirties, you'll see that that must not apply to 177 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: fertilizer salesman. Well, that's what's so interesting is that he 178 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: he didn't get into it until you know, he wasn't 179 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 1: born into it. I mean he was, it was later 180 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:28,679 Speaker 1: in his life. That's very rare, I would say it 181 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: is usually people have show business in their targets. From 182 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:37,840 Speaker 1: a young kid, that's something they pursue. That was he 183 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: backed into it. It wasn't what he was trying to it. 184 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: And then so he this guy recorded this record or 185 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:48,679 Speaker 1: recorded him telling some country story. Do you know what 186 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:52,080 Speaker 1: story it was, by chance that he told originally? Yeah? 187 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: I think it was knocked him out, John, Oh really 188 00:11:55,320 --> 00:12:00,319 Speaker 1: it was the coer. Okay, here in lies the reason 189 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: we're talking about Jerry Clower. His all time most popular 190 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:09,520 Speaker 1: story was about raccoon honey with hounds. Very interesting. We'll 191 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: hear more about this story later. I've heard it said 192 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: that he was he was a humorist, not necessarily a comedian, 193 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: which you know, to me, you know, to say, to 194 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: say someone's a comedian just means that they're funny, which 195 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: I think he would, you know, qualify for that. But 196 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: the way he described himself as he said, I don't 197 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 1: tell funny stories. I tell stories funny And That's what 198 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 1: I'm so struck by. As I've listened to so much 199 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: of his stuff is that the stories are often just 200 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,439 Speaker 1: kind of it's it's the normal life of it that 201 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 1: sometimes is what's so interesting. But he has this cast 202 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 1: of characters that he always goes through. So almost all 203 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: his stories, all his all his routines, have this cast 204 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:56,079 Speaker 1: of characters. Can you name most of them? Well, that 205 00:12:56,240 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: was my sale. There's Eugene Rdal Ray Noll Burnell, M L. 206 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:07,439 Speaker 1: New Gene, Eugene, Uncle Versey, ain't pet old man zays 207 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: that was my great grandpa, Mr Versey. Quite a few 208 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 1: of those characters, and so were those real people. Some 209 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,199 Speaker 1: of them were that I know of, and he used 210 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 1: their real names or not. In some instances he did 211 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 1: tell me what you know about some of those characters 212 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: and some of the some of the things that he 213 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: talked about, well, one in particular to my great grandfather, 214 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 1: The story Mr John is about to tell is the 215 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 1: real story that Jerry titled The New Chandelier, and you 216 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,319 Speaker 1: can listen to it on any streaming platform. It was 217 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: included on Jerry Clower's greatest hit album. The Magnolia Electric 218 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:49,079 Speaker 1: Association had just begun to establish rural electric service here 219 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: in our county. That was back into late forties. All 220 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: you had to do was sign up, be willing to 221 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: pay for the poll to be put up in electricity 222 00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: run from that pole to your house, and they took 223 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: care of everything else. So they had notified our church 224 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: that while they were in the community, they would be 225 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: glad to provide our church with electrical service. So the 226 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 1: church had a business meeting monthly business meeting, and it 227 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 1: was brought up said hey man, look at here, here's 228 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: a golden opportunity for us to have electricity lights at 229 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: our church, and we need to think about this. It 230 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 1: was brought up and voted on that we go ahead 231 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: and let them put up to power polls and have electricity. 232 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: And the moderator, which was a pastor, said is there 233 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 1: any amendments or is there any discussion before we vote, 234 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 1: and my great grandpa said, yeah, he had something he 235 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: would like to share. But before that, one of the 236 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 1: ladies in the church said she thought it would be 237 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: a marvelous idea for the church to go ahead and 238 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: get a chandelier since we was gonna have electricity. As 239 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: the amendment was brought up, my great grandpa stood up 240 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: and said he was against that. The moderator said, is 241 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: there any discussion and our conversy that better said, Sir, 242 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 1: I'd like to speak. I want all of you to 243 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 1: know that if we're gonna buy a chandelier, there ain't 244 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 1: nobody in our church. You got enough education that when 245 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: we order it from seas and Roebucket, they could spell it. 246 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: Then if we ordered the chandelier and it got here, 247 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: there's nobody in our church it knows how to play it. 248 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: And what I'm concerned about is we don't need to 249 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: spend this money on no chandelier as bad as we 250 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: need lights in the church. So that actually happened, happened, 251 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: I'll be there. But then technology wasn't like it yesterday. 252 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: Most people have never been no further than fifty or 253 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: sixty miles now. They wasn't exposed to education like we 254 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: are today, didn't have access to uh advancements in technology. 255 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: And he didn't know he was speaking his heartfelt convictions. 256 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: He honestly did not know. In this story, Jerry told 257 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 1: it almost exactly as it happened, but he told it funny. 258 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: And because many of the stories were true or almost true, 259 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: they were relatable and showed the character of the people 260 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: all the while poking a little fun at the stereotypes. 261 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: But because Jerry was at the wheel, because he was 262 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: one of us, it was okay. It made us feel 263 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: okay about being Southern and strangely, maybe even a little 264 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: bit proud of our quirks. You know, the South seems 265 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: to be known for these big characters like storytelling, and 266 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: maybe if you're deeply embedded, and it's hard to see that, 267 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 1: maybe in other places it's not as it's not as prominent. 268 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: But was Jerry surrounded by people that were like him? 269 00:16:57,560 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: And I know nobody else made it in show business, 270 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 1: but was he impacted Probably by people that taught him 271 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: how to tell stories and be funny. I think a 272 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: lot of that just came to him naturally. He associated 273 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: with a lot of people that were of the same 274 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:15,360 Speaker 1: character makeup that he was. I guess in regard to that, 275 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: they just did not have the people orientation to be 276 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: able to express themselves and connect with people the way 277 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 1: he did. Yeah, but I don't think that Jerry ever 278 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:29,399 Speaker 1: realized until he got into show business the impact that 279 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: he did have on people. Yeah. I think there are 280 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: three components to Jerry Clour. Number One, he was undoubtedly 281 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,879 Speaker 1: gifted at collecting stories and delivering them in unreplicatable, funny 282 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:50,440 Speaker 1: and compelling ways. However, number two, no man is an island, 283 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: and I believe he would have learned components of his 284 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: storytelling when he was a boy by listening to others 285 00:17:56,600 --> 00:18:00,400 Speaker 1: in rural Mississippi. I'm sure he collected dialects and picked 286 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 1: up on where to put the emphasis. He learned how 287 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: to use sound effects and put it all together to 288 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: create this unique style. And that brings up number three. 289 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:16,399 Speaker 1: Jerry Clower's style affected the way the South would and 290 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: still does tell stories. Up until researching this podcast, it 291 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 1: had been a while since I listened to Jerry years actually, 292 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 1: and some of his stuff I had never heard. Coming 293 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:33,159 Speaker 1: back into his comedy, I clearly saw his cadence style, dialect, 294 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 1: mannerisms echo through the way that people now tell stories. 295 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:44,679 Speaker 1: He helped interpret for us what was funny. You know 296 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: a lot of people that are comedians are extremely intelligent 297 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:54,359 Speaker 1: number one, and are extremely socially aware. For him to 298 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:59,480 Speaker 1: be able to find the nuance of funny stuff inside 299 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:01,880 Speaker 1: of his every day culture, the stuff that other people 300 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 1: were like walking right past, I mean, just shows what 301 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: alert aware intelligent guy he was. Would you agree with that? 302 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:13,159 Speaker 1: I would Jerry. He had a way of relating to people. 303 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:16,400 Speaker 1: He was a very comical person. But to me, knowing 304 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 1: him as well as I did, he appeared to me 305 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 1: to be a lot more ease in a in a 306 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,679 Speaker 1: private climate. We've been to his house on numerous occasions, 307 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 1: and he was a lot more comical because I think 308 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: he was a lot more at ease with people that 309 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 1: he knew and in a setting that he was familiar with, 310 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:36,479 Speaker 1: or his church, So he was more funny when he 311 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 1: was with people. Yes, definitely, definitely. One thing that, uh, 312 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: I've always been quite proud of. My wife had got 313 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 1: her master's degree over William Carey Cottage and Jerry gave 314 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: her this plaque and recognition of it and it's from 315 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: the Knock Him Out John Foundation. He gave this to 316 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: my wife. When he gave this to her, he told 317 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:01,480 Speaker 1: her how proud he was of her, and he looked 318 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:03,879 Speaker 1: at me and he said, you know, it's a miracle 319 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,879 Speaker 1: that you were able to accomplish make the Dean's List, 320 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: these honors that you have received. It was a miracle. 321 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:11,880 Speaker 1: And with what you have to put up with at 322 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: home and you. He was making reference to me, and 323 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,360 Speaker 1: I said, Jerry, let me tell you what a miracle is. 324 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: I said, I can't sing, and I know that. And 325 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: I said I know you can't either, because I don't 326 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: sit with you before in church and other services. And 327 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 1: you can't sing. I said, you couldn't carry a tune 328 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 1: in the bucket. And I doubt if you know the 329 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 1: difference between a guitar and a piano. Yet you have 330 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:37,439 Speaker 1: been inducted into the Grand Old Opery. That's what you 331 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 1: call a miracle. And he grabbed me around the neck 332 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: with his right hand and with his Bible clanched in 333 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:44,400 Speaker 1: his left hand, and he looked up in the heavens 334 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:47,240 Speaker 1: and tears run down his face and he said, John, 335 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:51,399 Speaker 1: ain't God good? Ain't God good? So it was a 336 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: real moment for him. It was just even while you 337 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: were trying to be funny and just and said, you know, 338 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: making a joke about him not being able to sing, 339 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 1: but being in the Grand Old Opery, it impacted him 340 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: just in that moment. He was just grateful. It's moments 341 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: like this with no cameras or recorders that you can 342 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:15,199 Speaker 1: see inside of someone. Jerry grew up dirt poor. He 343 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: didn't hit the big time until he was in his 344 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:21,200 Speaker 1: mid forties. He truly appreciated what had happened in his life. 345 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:25,400 Speaker 1: I think it hit him hard on October nineteen seventy 346 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: three when he was inducted into the Grand Old Opery. Now, 347 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,199 Speaker 1: if you're familiar with country music, there's no need to 348 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: qualify that statement. But if you're not, this is a 349 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 1: big deal. The Grand Old Opery is a weekly country 350 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,879 Speaker 1: music concert show held in Nashville, Tennessee, that started in 351 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: the nineteen and has played almost every Saturday night for 352 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: the last one hundred years. It's the longest running broadcast 353 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:52,680 Speaker 1: in US history. It's been called the home of American 354 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 1: music and country's most famous stage. The Opery in ducts 355 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:01,200 Speaker 1: certain people as members who are people of influencing country music, 356 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: but usually they're musicians, but Jerry was one of the 357 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: rare inductees that wasn't. Members are required to perform at 358 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: the opera a certain amount of times each year, and 359 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: in its history, the Opery has inducted over two five members. 360 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:21,400 Speaker 1: You guys know Old Brent Reeves. He is Bear Greece's 361 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,800 Speaker 1: goodwill ambassador of the South and our chief corn bread contesseur. 362 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,439 Speaker 1: He grew up in the heyday of Jerry Clower's career, 363 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:32,399 Speaker 1: when listening to the Grand Old Opery was one of 364 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: the highlights of the week. And wildly Brent got to 365 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:40,719 Speaker 1: meet Jerry. Can you imagine a young Brent Reeves meeting 366 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: Jerry Clower? And I had to laugh when I heard 367 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: what Jerry called him. We had what was known. I'm 368 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: not even sure if he's still there. But there was 369 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 1: an event center and it was called the Bradley County 370 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: Cultural Center, cultural hub of the universe as far as 371 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,880 Speaker 1: far as the cultural love of Bradley cow exactly. And 372 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 1: this is in warn Hearts at War in high school 373 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 1: and it was on the campus of the high school there, 374 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: and it was an auditorium and for our junior year 375 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 1: fundraiser we got Jerry Clower that booked him to come 376 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:22,160 Speaker 1: and put on the show that would have been about 377 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,879 Speaker 1: the peak of his I mean, inside the peak of 378 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: his career. Yeah, And I have no clue what it 379 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: cost us to get him. But when he left, he 380 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: handed the check back and said give me back to 381 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 1: the school. He came from his home. He drove up 382 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 1: there himself in the biggest, longest Cadillac I ever saw 383 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 1: by himself. He had. All he wanted was a place 384 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:48,960 Speaker 1: to change, to change into his that suit that he wore, 385 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: that signature. What did it look like? He was red 386 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:55,400 Speaker 1: red suit. It had on the lapels like on wappel, 387 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 1: the stitching was white, so it stood out against that. 388 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 1: And he had an embroidered un on the on the 389 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 1: left lapel. Yep, coon face right there. And I got 390 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: to meet him and he was so nice. Now, how 391 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: did you meet him? Since it was our class and 392 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:12,680 Speaker 1: it was like ten or twelve of us that were 393 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: selected to go over and help set everything up and 394 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 1: to be there to help them since it was our project, 395 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,679 Speaker 1: our fundraiser. So I got out of class early that 396 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: day to go over there and help him. Plus I 397 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:25,120 Speaker 1: wanted to meet him. I mean, this is somebody who 398 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,919 Speaker 1: I had seen on television and heard these stories. My 399 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:31,679 Speaker 1: uh we had the records old operation. Oh yeah, the 400 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 1: whole the big it was a big deal. And uh 401 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,160 Speaker 1: I heard him on the Grand Old Library when my dad, 402 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,359 Speaker 1: and I've told you this before, my dad and I 403 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: were go hunting at night. Of course we were running. 404 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: He was chasing codies then with the pack dogs. But 405 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 1: when until the race got going. We listened to the 406 00:24:49,560 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 1: Grand Old Opery on a m radio in his truck 407 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:55,160 Speaker 1: and a lots sometimes, you know, Saturday nights. Yeah, Jerry 408 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: Claren to be there, and so I've been listening to 409 00:24:57,400 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 1: those stories my whole life. And this was you know 410 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: guy that was in my radio. It was in he 411 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,399 Speaker 1: was in our community, you know, the community that the 412 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 1: culture I guess that I grew up and so it 413 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 1: was it was a big deal him him coming there, 414 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 1: and I remember it being packed full of folks. Now, 415 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:15,680 Speaker 1: so was it open to the public. Yeah, they sold tickets, 416 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: sold tickets sold sponsored by your class, sponsored raised money. 417 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: I got you. And that's what it was. So you 418 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: you said he pulled up in a Cadillac. You saw 419 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:29,880 Speaker 1: his Cadillac? What color was it? Gold? I'm telling you 420 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:34,439 Speaker 1: it was long as a battleship. It was huge. I 421 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:37,359 Speaker 1: heard that he had a gold Cadillac, so I'm just 422 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 1: conn Yeah, yeah, well that's what he was driving. And 423 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:43,320 Speaker 1: like I said, he came by himself. He had a 424 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: dressing room. They brought in some you know, some cold 425 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:49,440 Speaker 1: drinks to drink, and uh, I think somebody brought flowers 426 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:52,240 Speaker 1: and stuff. But he took time to talk to anybody 427 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 1: that wanted to talk to. When I shook his hand 428 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 1: and I was a junior in high school, he said, boy, 429 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 1: that's a man's handshake. That's nice. He said, you were 430 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:04,880 Speaker 1: pretty boy, and uh that's what he said. Are you serious? Yeah? Absolutely, 431 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:07,679 Speaker 1: And we talked. Gonna forget that one. We were a 432 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: pretty boy, He said, you were a pretty boy. And 433 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 1: of course you know manners yesterday and no, sir, he 434 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 1: remarked about that. And we just talked to him. You know, 435 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:18,959 Speaker 1: I tried to talk about I just assumed he had 436 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 1: a pan full of coon dogs at home. I mean, 437 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: but you know, obviously he didn't. And uh, he just 438 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: had one embroidered pel of his red sports coach, which 439 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 1: every man probably should have. You had on white cowboy boots, yeah, 440 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 1: and red pants, had a big white belt with a 441 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:41,480 Speaker 1: belt buckled size of a student Baker hubcap, big fancy shirt. 442 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 1: You know, Pearl snaps on it in that in that 443 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 1: red signal. Jack, do you remember the thing? What did 444 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: he do when he stood up? Was he the only 445 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,119 Speaker 1: act of the night? He was the act? He was? 446 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 1: He was? How long did he speak? I would imagine 447 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 1: about an hour Jerry Clower has famous stories, and he 448 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: kind of he the greatest hits I would assume was 449 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 1: what he he talked about. Of course he did the 450 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:06,879 Speaker 1: one about knock him Out John, you know about you know, 451 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:08,680 Speaker 1: shoot up in here amost this one of us has 452 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: got to have some relief, you know when when he 453 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:15,479 Speaker 1: got up there with the wildcats. Of Jerry's entire career, 454 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 1: his story called Knock Him Out John is his most famous. 455 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: As always. The story starts out at Route four Liberty, Mississippi, 456 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 1: and then he begins to give very specific geographic detail 457 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:33,640 Speaker 1: of where this town is, twelve miles west of McCole, Mississippi, 458 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: sixty five miles due northeast of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and 459 00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:42,160 Speaker 1: a hundred and sixteen miles due north of New Orleans, Louisiana. 460 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: It's so detailed you're drawn in with great curiosity of 461 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:52,560 Speaker 1: why this matters and place did matter to Jerry, just 462 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: like it mattered to Wilson Ross. Then he proceeds to 463 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 1: tell what they've done during the day before they went 464 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: coon hunting that night this particular day, we wasn't too busy. 465 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:07,400 Speaker 1: All we had done is just cut down a few 466 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:10,680 Speaker 1: fence rolls, sutton shells from corn and went to mill, 467 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 1: drew up some water because that was wash day. Help 468 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:18,000 Speaker 1: get the si back. What rooted out from under the 469 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:21,440 Speaker 1: net wire fence sharp and two sticks or stovewood, real 470 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,399 Speaker 1: sharp and pegged them down over the bottom wire of 471 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 1: the fence where the hole couldn't root out the more 472 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: and had a rat killing. If I'm lying, I'm dying. 473 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,719 Speaker 1: Jerry had a knack for using intricate detail of obscure 474 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:43,600 Speaker 1: activities to peak the interests of the listeners. He went on, well, 475 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: this particular day, after we got through the rat killing, 476 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: I walked out on the front porch and I hollowed, 477 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:52,479 Speaker 1: and them dogs come out from mother house barking. They 478 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 1: knew he was going coon hunt. And I hollered again 479 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 1: in my neighbor where across the Saint to patch. Hollered back, 480 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:02,240 Speaker 1: and that meant I'll meet you halfway. We met in 481 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,440 Speaker 1: the middle of that sage patch, and he had his dogs, 482 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 1: Old Brommn Queen and Spot, and I had Tory and 483 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:11,400 Speaker 1: Little Red and old Trailer. And we went out into 484 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:14,440 Speaker 1: the swamps and we started hunting. Oh, we was having 485 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:18,760 Speaker 1: such a fine time. Caught four great Biggins. He and 486 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: the neighbor then run into the landowner Mr Barron, who 487 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 1: had gotten rich by selling cotton for a dollar of 488 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:29,960 Speaker 1: bell during the First World Wars. Incredible detail. And with 489 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: those riches he bought some good coon dogs. Along with 490 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 1: him was John Eubanks, who was known for being a 491 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: professional tree calmer and loved knocking coons out of trees. 492 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: Both of these guys were real people in Jerry's life. 493 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 1: He had some world renowned dogs and we hollered three 494 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 1: or four times and they started hunh and we listened 495 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 1: and directly old brummy old Brammer didn't bark it nothing 496 00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:59,040 Speaker 1: but a coon. He had a deep boys, babe. And 497 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 1: when he cut out on in it was a coon. 498 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 1: Don't worry about no blossom on No bobcat Rum was 499 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 1: running a coon and an old trailer and old high 500 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 1: ball and then famous dogs and Mr Barns got in 501 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 1: there with him, and old John you Banks and Hallahoo 502 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: speak to and my brother's son of Haho look fun 503 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 1: and all it was beautiful. Shortly the dog's falling treed 504 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: on I quote, the biggest sweet gum tree in the 505 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: Amant River swamps, and the group goes to the barking dog. John, 506 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 1: you bags didn't like shooting a coon out, and he 507 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 1: only liked to knock him out of the tree for 508 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:39,840 Speaker 1: the dogs to sword out. So John proceeds to climb 509 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: the tree with a sharp stick in his hand. Knock 510 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: him out, John, It won't be long. And John worked 511 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:49,720 Speaker 1: his way on up to the top of the tree. 512 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 1: And what a bacon. And he reached around in his 513 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 1: overhauls and got that sharp stick, and he drawed back 514 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 1: and he punched the coon. But it wasn't a coon. 515 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:07,240 Speaker 1: It was a lynx. We call him souped up wild 516 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: cats and the can And then Jerry says, that thing 517 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 1: attacked John up in the top of that tree. Jerry 518 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 1: often purposefully mispronounced words, as was the custom of the 519 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: people in his region. What's the matter with John? Knock 520 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 1: him out? John? The things killing me? And John knew that. 521 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 1: Mr Barron told her the pistol it is about to 522 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:37,400 Speaker 1: shoot snakes with. And he kept holing, who shoot this thing? 523 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 1: Have mercy? This thing killing me? Shoot this thing? And 524 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: Mr Barron said, John, I can't shoot up in now, 525 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: I might hit you. John said, well, just shoot up 526 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 1: in here amongst us, one of us got the house 527 00:31:56,360 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 1: from relief. M Jerry's colorful sound effects, the details about 528 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:10,120 Speaker 1: the dogs, the surprise of the wild cat in the tree, 529 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:14,520 Speaker 1: and the absolute distress of John fighting that lynx created 530 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:18,680 Speaker 1: an unforgettable story. Now, something I don't have the answer 531 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: to is why Jerry called it a lynx, which is 532 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:26,560 Speaker 1: a northern cat that never ranged into the American South ever, 533 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:31,240 Speaker 1: kind of like the black panther. Anyway, you gotta listen 534 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:33,800 Speaker 1: to the whole story. You can search for it online 535 00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:47,040 Speaker 1: and it's called a coon hunting story. And Jerry's comedy skits, 536 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 1: he he had multiple, multiple skits that talked about coon 537 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: hunting and multiple skits that talked about quail hunting. Was 538 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 1: he was he a big hunter or was he was 539 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,360 Speaker 1: that just kind of a part of his his background 540 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 1: that he was part of It was part of his background. 541 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 1: He was big quail hunter, big coon hunter, big fisherman. 542 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 1: I had headed to him Comb one day and I 543 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: passed by his house and he was standing at his mailbox, 544 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:16,600 Speaker 1: and I turned and went back. I said, Jerry, what 545 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:18,720 Speaker 1: in the world you doing standing out you in this heat? 546 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 1: He was wiping his forehead with the hankers for your sweating. 547 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 1: And I said, Man, it's hot out here. What you 548 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 1: do in this heat? He said, Well, John, I'm gonna 549 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: tell you the truth. He said, Bass Pro Shop in Jackson, Mississippi, 550 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:31,400 Speaker 1: call me and wanted me to come up there and 551 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: pick out something on the showroom floor. Said there was 552 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: one stipulation. I said, what was that, Jerry? He said 553 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,960 Speaker 1: it had to be a bass boat. So he said, 554 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,320 Speaker 1: I went up picked me out a bass boat, and 555 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 1: they on their way down here and now to deliver it. 556 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:47,360 Speaker 1: And I was afraid that if they missed my driveway 557 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:49,280 Speaker 1: and wound up over at your house, I'd have trouble 558 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 1: getting my boat back. Darn were the coon dogs that 559 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 1: Jerry talked about? Where they real coon dogs that he had? 560 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 1: Bromy and high Ball? And now the man that actually 561 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 1: owned high Ball lived about a mouth across his pasture. 562 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:12,719 Speaker 1: He owned Highball, and uh he was uh a dog 563 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:15,600 Speaker 1: was known all over the country. Back when that dog 564 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,719 Speaker 1: was living. Most folks might not could have told you 565 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:21,160 Speaker 1: who to share for the county was. They might not 566 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 1: knew who the tax successor was, but they knew about 567 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:27,040 Speaker 1: high Ball. Now what kind of dog was high Ball? 568 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:30,560 Speaker 1: I think high Ball was a red bone hound. I believe. 569 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,319 Speaker 1: But there were several other dogs that had some notoriety too. 570 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:37,280 Speaker 1: One of them was Rowdy that was owned by my uncle. 571 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:41,920 Speaker 1: But uh old Spot and Bromy. But back there in 572 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:45,360 Speaker 1: that particular time of history in our community, that was 573 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:49,320 Speaker 1: a big source of recreation and they coon hunted and 574 00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:53,640 Speaker 1: the dogs for hides. Right right setting pass some hides 575 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:56,880 Speaker 1: and you probably heard there is talk about flagging. The 576 00:34:57,120 --> 00:35:00,200 Speaker 1: conductor down on the train asked him did he want 577 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 1: to buy some possum hatch possum meat? That's what he asked. 578 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:06,240 Speaker 1: If he wanted to buy a possum to eat? Yeah, 579 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,200 Speaker 1: he flags him. He flags down, the conductor of the 580 00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: train stops the train. The conductor gets out and says, 581 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:17,320 Speaker 1: what kind of catastrophe has happened that you've stopped the train? 582 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:19,840 Speaker 1: And the guy says, well, I just wondered if you 583 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:24,319 Speaker 1: wanted to buy a possum from us, And the conductor said, 584 00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 1: are you crazy? You stop the train just to ask 585 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:29,239 Speaker 1: us if we wanted to buy a possum And the 586 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:32,279 Speaker 1: guy said yeah. And then the conductor goes, well, it's 587 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:35,800 Speaker 1: crazy that you've done this, but since you have, I 588 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:38,680 Speaker 1: like possum, so how much you want for the possum. 589 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:42,800 Speaker 1: And then and then he said, man said, you idiot. 590 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:47,479 Speaker 1: Do you mean to tell me that you have done 591 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: stopped a hundred car banana train seeing if we wanted 592 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:57,200 Speaker 1: to buy a possum. You must be an idiot. But 593 00:35:57,320 --> 00:35:59,800 Speaker 1: I like possum and int as much as we have stopped. 594 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:02,279 Speaker 1: What do you want for? Marcelle said, we ain't caught 595 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:03,719 Speaker 1: him yet. I just want to see if you want 596 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:14,840 Speaker 1: he want. Jerry's stories were a combination of fact and fiction, 597 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:18,880 Speaker 1: but some of the stories were entirely true. This story 598 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:25,239 Speaker 1: is titled Marcel's Talking Chainsaw. It's on the Greatest Hits album. 599 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:27,520 Speaker 1: So this is a this is a story. This is 600 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:30,560 Speaker 1: one of Jerry Clower's bits that he told over and 601 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:33,600 Speaker 1: it was one of his more famous pieces. Yeah, tell 602 00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:36,480 Speaker 1: me where he got that? The real story behind that one. 603 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:40,440 Speaker 1: Marcelle had been to the puckwood Yard and he come 604 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:42,759 Speaker 1: back by the beer joint and he wanted to get 605 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 1: him one of the big knee high billy washers and 606 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:47,759 Speaker 1: the moon high. And he went to the front door 607 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:50,600 Speaker 1: and knocked on the door, and the man what running 608 00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:52,439 Speaker 1: the beer joints? Said, boy, get away from that door, 609 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:54,960 Speaker 1: said you ain't got no bedness send you. And Marshall 610 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:57,200 Speaker 1: told him, said, well, I ain't onna calls no trouble, said, 611 00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:59,759 Speaker 1: I just want a big soda pop and a moon pie. 612 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:01,960 Speaker 1: Now why did he run them him off? Because this 613 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,200 Speaker 1: is a real story. This is the shell wasn't old 614 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:06,880 Speaker 1: enough to go in there. Okay, He told him to 615 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 1: get away from that door. Marcel went back, truck, pulled 616 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 1: out that my color chainsaw, fired it up and come 617 00:37:12,719 --> 00:37:14,839 Speaker 1: back and stuck it snout of it in that door, 618 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:17,600 Speaker 1: and it ripped that brace and bracket and the hinges 619 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:19,680 Speaker 1: off the door, and that screen tangled up through that 620 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:22,279 Speaker 1: chain as it went around that bar. And folks, give 621 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 1: marcella beer joint. And that happened. That that happens. It's 622 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:29,040 Speaker 1: like that. That happened just before you crossed the amy 623 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:31,520 Speaker 1: A County line. That beer joint was right there on 624 00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:33,839 Speaker 1: the lift. So Jerry just told the story pretty much 625 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:36,840 Speaker 1: like it happened. That's right, except for the brand of 626 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:39,920 Speaker 1: the chainsaw. Tell me, how didn't he did not? I 627 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:43,120 Speaker 1: don't think he remembered what the brand of the chainsaw was. 628 00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:46,280 Speaker 1: But mcculor was the first name that came to his mind, 629 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:48,640 Speaker 1: and he said my color. And when he did, it's 630 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:51,440 Speaker 1: like he told me, said, man, folks started buying mcculor 631 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:54,719 Speaker 1: chain saw. Didn't even know how to crank him. You 632 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:57,279 Speaker 1: know what's so funny about that? And so I was 633 00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:00,239 Speaker 1: born in the nineteen seventy nine. The first chain I 634 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: remember my dad having would have been in the mid eighties, 635 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:04,680 Speaker 1: and it was a mccaullaugh chainsas, which I don't even 636 00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:07,239 Speaker 1: think mccaulluugh's business. I don't think that you told me 637 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:10,719 Speaker 1: mccullus sent Because of that skit and how big it was, 638 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:14,360 Speaker 1: McCullough sent some chainsaws to the family and kind of 639 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:17,640 Speaker 1: helped him out some Follhilers and gold carts. I believe 640 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:20,840 Speaker 1: it was probably Daring sent it to Jerry clod thanks 641 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:25,919 Speaker 1: for plugging mccullor chainsaws. But Jerry could advertise. At one 642 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:29,319 Speaker 1: time he was spokesperson for Christler Corporation. I think at 643 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,200 Speaker 1: one time he was spokesperson for Lincoln. But man that 644 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:36,360 Speaker 1: the promotional items that companies would give him, just hoping 645 00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:38,840 Speaker 1: it would make it into one of his stories. He 646 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:41,640 Speaker 1: cared a lot of weight. He just he was influential 647 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:46,960 Speaker 1: wherever he went. Mr John remembered a funny story about Jerry. 648 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,640 Speaker 1: Jerry was always pulling pranks. He was a prankster. But 649 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:52,960 Speaker 1: he pulled up at church one Sunday morning. He was 650 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:56,240 Speaker 1: the first one there, and I got there just within 651 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:58,640 Speaker 1: a minute or so after he did it, and he 652 00:38:58,719 --> 00:39:00,919 Speaker 1: got out of his car and he made a quick 653 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:04,080 Speaker 1: dash for the church steps. I knew then, and knowing 654 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: Jerry like I did, I knew that he was up 655 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:09,960 Speaker 1: to something. And he had on his bright red coat 656 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:12,640 Speaker 1: and his designer jeans, and he ran up to the 657 00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:15,479 Speaker 1: church steps and he put his foot up on next 658 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:18,239 Speaker 1: to the bottom step, and he pulled his riches leg 659 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:21,840 Speaker 1: up above his cowboy boot so I would be sure 660 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:25,440 Speaker 1: and see the new boots that he had on. But 661 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:28,200 Speaker 1: I walked right by him. I didn't shake hands with him, 662 00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:31,279 Speaker 1: I didn't speak, didn't say good morning, Jerry, how you doing. 663 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:35,839 Speaker 1: I never acknowledged that he was there, walked right past him. 664 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:37,880 Speaker 1: And he ran up behind me and grabbed me around 665 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:40,120 Speaker 1: the neck and he said, John, you know you've seen 666 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:42,680 Speaker 1: them boots. You're just jealous because you ain't got a 667 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 1: pair like him. I want to discuss with Brent Jerry's 668 00:39:48,280 --> 00:39:52,600 Speaker 1: impact on the South. What do you think that impact 669 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:57,240 Speaker 1: of Jerry Clower was on the people of the South, 670 00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:00,200 Speaker 1: you know, because he kind of rose up from the 671 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:05,239 Speaker 1: ashes in a sense of poverty and unlikely character. I mean, 672 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 1: became famous when he was in his forties. He was 673 00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:13,080 Speaker 1: a fertilizer salesman. Yeah, and he became he became famous 674 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,480 Speaker 1: in his forties, which is highly unusual. I mean usually 675 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:18,200 Speaker 1: by that time people are kind of their trajectory is 676 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:23,440 Speaker 1: semi set. And he until he passes away when he 677 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 1: was seventy one, he just has this incredible career, becomes 678 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:31,320 Speaker 1: a member of the Grand Old Opery Rights, multiple books, records, 679 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:35,120 Speaker 1: multiple records, has number one hits on country radio, which 680 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:38,319 Speaker 1: he wasn't even music, but they were playing his his 681 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:43,440 Speaker 1: skits on the radio, and his his style, his mannerisms. 682 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:47,080 Speaker 1: They were very familiar to people in the South, but 683 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:51,480 Speaker 1: very unfamiliar to Oh is that funny? Could that be? 684 00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:55,120 Speaker 1: On the national stage of comedy. What do you think 685 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:58,719 Speaker 1: the impact of Jerry Clower was on the South? I 686 00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:02,239 Speaker 1: can relate, you know. We talked about Wilson Rawls, you know, 687 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:06,200 Speaker 1: and I told you about I could relate to Billy 688 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,560 Speaker 1: in the story. But the tales that Jerry Clower put 689 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:12,520 Speaker 1: himself in. Some of it based on truth and some 690 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:15,080 Speaker 1: of it just played up because he had a great imagination. 691 00:41:15,480 --> 00:41:17,759 Speaker 1: But I could identify with that. It was to the 692 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:20,120 Speaker 1: point to where when we saw I saw him on 693 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:22,920 Speaker 1: television he would host a country music show that came 694 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:27,200 Speaker 1: on on Sunday afternoons. It was beyond my comprehension that 695 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:31,560 Speaker 1: somebody in my family didn't know him, because the stories 696 00:41:31,560 --> 00:41:35,640 Speaker 1: that he told were stories that I could identify with. 697 00:41:35,719 --> 00:41:39,520 Speaker 1: As far as how he grew up our bird hunting, 698 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:42,760 Speaker 1: you know, having a dog that you know try and coons. 699 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:48,399 Speaker 1: He talked about that, and shelling peas and mules, and 700 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:51,520 Speaker 1: going barefooted, and being hot and being so hot that 701 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:55,600 Speaker 1: in the summertime that you wouldn't button up the sides 702 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:58,720 Speaker 1: on your overalls, and eating eating so much bold ochre 703 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:03,319 Speaker 1: that he couldn't keep the socks exactly. These were all 704 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:06,799 Speaker 1: things that talked about I had either done or scene done. 705 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:09,640 Speaker 1: I mean, it was just you weren't seeing that anywhere else. 706 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: So you're this kid being raised in southern Arkansas, which 707 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:16,640 Speaker 1: I will note, even for the South, there are different 708 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:20,760 Speaker 1: kind of cultures inside the South. Like I'm from the South, 709 00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:24,279 Speaker 1: being from Arkansas, but we lived in the highlands, which 710 00:42:24,320 --> 00:42:26,600 Speaker 1: is quite different in you know, where you grew up 711 00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:30,879 Speaker 1: in southeastern Arkansas, where Jerry Clowd lived from, you would 712 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:35,920 Speaker 1: have basically been the same agriculture, same influence of the 713 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:39,839 Speaker 1: river Bottoms Delta, and just a couple hours away. Really yeah, 714 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:42,399 Speaker 1: he just lived on the other side of the Mississippi River. Yeah, 715 00:42:42,719 --> 00:42:46,160 Speaker 1: so you would have had even probably a stronger connection 716 00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:48,319 Speaker 1: to some of that than a lot of people. I 717 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:50,560 Speaker 1: would hear stories, you know, we would hear the funny stories, 718 00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:52,839 Speaker 1: and then my dad would tell one and it would 719 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:56,719 Speaker 1: have the same type. Characters are the same. He would 720 00:42:56,719 --> 00:42:59,200 Speaker 1: talk about a wagon, you know, Jay Clara might tell 721 00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:01,600 Speaker 1: a story about riding the town in a wagon, and 722 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:04,040 Speaker 1: then my dad would tell a story about him riding 723 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:08,480 Speaker 1: in a wagon. So it was easy to transfer, you know, 724 00:43:08,600 --> 00:43:11,719 Speaker 1: my kinship, I guess to the stuff that he was 725 00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:14,640 Speaker 1: talking about, regardless of the subject. And you know, like 726 00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:16,400 Speaker 1: I said, a lot of that stuff he was making up, 727 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:19,280 Speaker 1: but it all, it all went back to the stories 728 00:43:19,280 --> 00:43:21,319 Speaker 1: I've heard all my life and the things that I 729 00:43:21,320 --> 00:43:23,600 Speaker 1: had witnessed with my own eyes. And you know what 730 00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:27,400 Speaker 1: I think it did is I think it validated poor 731 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:31,600 Speaker 1: poverty stricken people in the South. Because you think about 732 00:43:31,840 --> 00:43:34,959 Speaker 1: the media of that time, the country music scene would 733 00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:37,480 Speaker 1: have been focused in some ways on the South. I 734 00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:40,960 Speaker 1: mean not entirely, but there have been famous people, you know, 735 00:43:41,080 --> 00:43:44,160 Speaker 1: Dolly Partoner and Loretta Lynn and all these people, but 736 00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:48,840 Speaker 1: the mainstream influencers of the time certainly would not have 737 00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:51,400 Speaker 1: been from you know, a guy like Jerry Clower. And 738 00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:54,759 Speaker 1: so for him to rise up and to tell our stories, 739 00:43:54,960 --> 00:43:58,520 Speaker 1: you know, quote unquote our stories talking about our people, 740 00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:02,279 Speaker 1: and him being so funny and so likable, you know, 741 00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:05,319 Speaker 1: you wouldn't listen to Jerry Clower and just instinctively say 742 00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:09,759 Speaker 1: this man is intelligent, but highly intelligent man, and and 743 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:13,319 Speaker 1: that made us that that validated us. I read I 744 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:16,759 Speaker 1: read an article one time talking about Jerry Cloud that 745 00:44:17,200 --> 00:44:19,279 Speaker 1: when he was on the Grand Old Offering, he was 746 00:44:19,520 --> 00:44:23,239 Speaker 1: of all the folks on there wearing overalls and and 747 00:44:23,239 --> 00:44:26,120 Speaker 1: playing music and talking about being from the country. He 748 00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:28,000 Speaker 1: was the only guy on there that had a degree 749 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:31,600 Speaker 1: in agriculture to every member of the Grand Old Offery, 750 00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:34,680 Speaker 1: so he had grown up living. He lived what he portrayed, 751 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:36,920 Speaker 1: you know, I mean it was I think you can 752 00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:39,880 Speaker 1: see it's easy to see truth in that and that 753 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:43,200 Speaker 1: it will connect with somebody, even though you may not 754 00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:45,960 Speaker 1: know his background, but you can tell when someone is genuine. 755 00:44:45,960 --> 00:44:48,480 Speaker 1: And it all kept it off when I got to 756 00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:51,800 Speaker 1: meet him in person. But he was a genuine person. 757 00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:54,000 Speaker 1: And what you saw on television and what I saw 758 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:56,840 Speaker 1: on television, now what I listened to on radio, that 759 00:44:57,040 --> 00:45:01,480 Speaker 1: was it was him. Speaking of Jerry's college education, he 760 00:45:01,560 --> 00:45:04,560 Speaker 1: started off at a community college but ended up playing 761 00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:08,399 Speaker 1: football at Mississippi State. Jerry was a pretty big old boy, 762 00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:12,719 Speaker 1: Jerry said. The first college football game he ever went 763 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:15,080 Speaker 1: to in his life he played in it is that right? 764 00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:18,279 Speaker 1: So he he played for? What school? Did he play 765 00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:21,040 Speaker 1: for down here? I think Jerry went to UH. I 766 00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:23,279 Speaker 1: don't know if he went to Southwest Junior College, but 767 00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:25,719 Speaker 1: he went to Mississippi State. But but when he went 768 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:30,719 Speaker 1: to high school, yeah, we had consolidated high school. Did 769 00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:33,040 Speaker 1: they have a football team here? I don't think they did? 770 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:35,520 Speaker 1: So he how did that work? Because that's what I thought. 771 00:45:35,640 --> 00:45:38,480 Speaker 1: I thought he didn't play high school football, but he 772 00:45:38,560 --> 00:45:41,040 Speaker 1: ended up in college football just he was just that 773 00:45:41,120 --> 00:45:43,600 Speaker 1: good of an athlete that he just went and tried 774 00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:46,479 Speaker 1: out for the football team having never played and made 775 00:45:46,520 --> 00:45:54,200 Speaker 1: it played for Mississippi State. I'll be done. In Jerry's humor. 776 00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:58,839 Speaker 1: You'll often hear sports analogies used. I want to dig 777 00:45:58,920 --> 00:46:02,560 Speaker 1: deeper into jerry He's humor and why it was funny. 778 00:46:03,040 --> 00:46:05,360 Speaker 1: First of all, he would start off with an intriguing 779 00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:08,160 Speaker 1: story that you know that had to have happened or 780 00:46:08,160 --> 00:46:11,480 Speaker 1: been made up or partials of both of those things connected. 781 00:46:12,040 --> 00:46:17,560 Speaker 1: And he would give an inordinate amount of detail, usually 782 00:46:17,560 --> 00:46:20,960 Speaker 1: in the beginning, like he would say yeah, he would tell, 783 00:46:21,040 --> 00:46:24,600 Speaker 1: he would give his address and say, I'm from East Fork, Mississippi, 784 00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:27,960 Speaker 1: a hundred and sixty five miles from Baton Rouge. I mean, 785 00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:30,360 Speaker 1: just give you all this, and you're you're just intrigued 786 00:46:30,680 --> 00:46:33,200 Speaker 1: because of the tone of his voice and the ways 787 00:46:33,239 --> 00:46:35,880 Speaker 1: describing it. But you're just like, you have no idea 788 00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:38,480 Speaker 1: why this is relevant, but you're like doing geography in 789 00:46:38,520 --> 00:46:40,200 Speaker 1: your head, you know, like figuring out where he's at. 790 00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:43,279 Speaker 1: And then he starts talking. Then he you know, I've 791 00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:46,319 Speaker 1: heard it said that comedy. The more specific you can 792 00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:49,040 Speaker 1: be inside of comedy, the funnier it is, the more 793 00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:51,120 Speaker 1: you can relate to it. And so he just gives 794 00:46:51,160 --> 00:46:54,759 Speaker 1: these random details all over it and then his accent 795 00:46:55,080 --> 00:46:57,799 Speaker 1: was just I listened to it today and it's it's 796 00:46:57,840 --> 00:47:02,120 Speaker 1: almost an artifact. You know, he's he's been gone about 797 00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:06,799 Speaker 1: twenty four years, Jerry Clowder has he died, and so 798 00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:09,920 Speaker 1: you know, his accent in the way that he structured 799 00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:15,080 Speaker 1: his sentences very unique and probably unique even to that 800 00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:17,920 Speaker 1: part of Mississippi. When you listen back to it, you 801 00:47:17,960 --> 00:47:24,040 Speaker 1: hear sentence structures and completely improper usage of words, but 802 00:47:24,600 --> 00:47:27,920 Speaker 1: that made perfect sense to them and was correct. And 803 00:47:28,200 --> 00:47:32,239 Speaker 1: so the accent was intriguing. The details were intriguing, The 804 00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:35,680 Speaker 1: hooks were perfect, the names and the stories and the 805 00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:39,759 Speaker 1: places where he over exaggerated stuff that you knew he 806 00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:43,760 Speaker 1: was over exaggerating would be super funny. But he often 807 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:49,680 Speaker 1: too hitted country people against city people sometimes and usually 808 00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:53,120 Speaker 1: the guy from the country would not always end up 809 00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:55,959 Speaker 1: looking to be the smartest, but he was usually right. 810 00:47:56,800 --> 00:47:59,440 Speaker 1: And it was usually the hook and that or the 811 00:48:00,200 --> 00:48:03,920 Speaker 1: at home or however you the phrase would be, is 812 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:07,160 Speaker 1: that guy used common sense. The country guy used common 813 00:48:07,200 --> 00:48:11,040 Speaker 1: sense above you know, a college degree or something. You know. 814 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:13,759 Speaker 1: It was like, um, I've always kind of parried it 815 00:48:14,120 --> 00:48:17,200 Speaker 1: with like the Andy Griffith Show, a show that I 816 00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:21,080 Speaker 1: have seen all of them hundreds of times and they 817 00:48:21,200 --> 00:48:24,320 Speaker 1: never get older. Me. Those stories when I hear Jerry Clouds, 818 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:26,959 Speaker 1: they never even I know, I know the punch lines coming, 819 00:48:27,040 --> 00:48:29,279 Speaker 1: I know what's fixing to happen. I could do his 820 00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:33,280 Speaker 1: whole act myself, just about you know. But they're still funny. 821 00:48:33,800 --> 00:48:38,560 Speaker 1: And I think it's it's probably a mixture of nostalgia 822 00:48:38,840 --> 00:48:40,759 Speaker 1: of listening to it and thinking back, you know, with 823 00:48:40,920 --> 00:48:43,359 Speaker 1: me and my dad was down on the pot Leitch road, 824 00:48:43,760 --> 00:48:46,080 Speaker 1: the Timber Company road, waiting for the dogs to trike 825 00:48:46,239 --> 00:48:48,200 Speaker 1: the last time I heard that, or one time that 826 00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:50,440 Speaker 1: I heard this story, And so there's it's just there's 827 00:48:50,480 --> 00:48:52,360 Speaker 1: just a lot of meat in it. It's just a 828 00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:56,600 Speaker 1: lot of good, wholesome storytelling. So there's a book written 829 00:48:56,640 --> 00:48:59,880 Speaker 1: by Jerry Clower called Stories from Home, and what it 830 00:48:59,920 --> 00:49:03,920 Speaker 1: is it's an interview. It's a transcribed interview that they 831 00:49:03,960 --> 00:49:08,120 Speaker 1: did with Jerry Clower, and he talked about a intentional 832 00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:11,640 Speaker 1: decision that he made when he got into comedy to 833 00:49:11,880 --> 00:49:15,920 Speaker 1: keep it clean. And there were people in Hollywood that 834 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:19,120 Speaker 1: advised him like, hey, you're gonna have to be more 835 00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:22,840 Speaker 1: risk a if you want to be successful in this sphere. 836 00:49:23,360 --> 00:49:26,640 Speaker 1: And he just he said he didn't believe him, and 837 00:49:26,719 --> 00:49:30,000 Speaker 1: he he made that decision that he was gonna he 838 00:49:30,040 --> 00:49:31,799 Speaker 1: was gonna try to keep it in bounds, you know. 839 00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:34,799 Speaker 1: And he he teetered on the edge sometimes of you know, 840 00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:38,000 Speaker 1: jokes that might not be appropriate for kids. Every now 841 00:49:38,080 --> 00:49:40,440 Speaker 1: and then he'd say something that would kind of be, 842 00:49:40,719 --> 00:49:43,799 Speaker 1: you know, on the edge. But but it was always like, 843 00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:46,719 Speaker 1: you know, stuff you would let your kids listen to. Now, 844 00:49:46,760 --> 00:49:49,480 Speaker 1: I respected him for having, uh, just having a value 845 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:52,000 Speaker 1: system that he stuck to his whole life. You know. 846 00:49:53,800 --> 00:49:57,480 Speaker 1: I can't speak enough about Jerry's character. I'm impressed by 847 00:49:57,520 --> 00:50:00,200 Speaker 1: stuff like that. And in the book Stories from Home, 848 00:50:00,440 --> 00:50:04,800 Speaker 1: Jerry said, quote, I stayed with m c A Records 849 00:50:04,840 --> 00:50:08,560 Speaker 1: and got to where I liked it. At first, they said, Jerry, 850 00:50:08,760 --> 00:50:11,760 Speaker 1: unless you put a little risk a or vulgar stuff 851 00:50:11,800 --> 00:50:15,200 Speaker 1: on your records, you ain't never gonna be known nationally. 852 00:50:15,640 --> 00:50:19,200 Speaker 1: But I defied them. I have never used risk a 853 00:50:19,560 --> 00:50:27,239 Speaker 1: material end of quote. I've read about his positions on 854 00:50:27,880 --> 00:50:31,520 Speaker 1: race relations in the South and and kind of his 855 00:50:31,640 --> 00:50:34,800 Speaker 1: story with that. He was really ahead of his time. 856 00:50:35,239 --> 00:50:38,520 Speaker 1: He was in a pretty pretty profound way. He was 857 00:50:38,840 --> 00:50:42,640 Speaker 1: What do you think about that? Jerry was as I said, 858 00:50:42,760 --> 00:50:45,440 Speaker 1: he was a devout Christian. He readd every word of 859 00:50:45,480 --> 00:50:48,200 Speaker 1: the Bible to be true, and he accepted the fact 860 00:50:48,200 --> 00:50:53,480 Speaker 1: that God accepted everybody, regardless of race or anything else. 861 00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:57,320 Speaker 1: And Jerry was ahead of his time back then, because 862 00:50:57,320 --> 00:50:59,920 Speaker 1: a lot of people were pretty objective to integrate. You 863 00:51:00,840 --> 00:51:04,160 Speaker 1: didn't want to mangle with black people, and for whatever reason, 864 00:51:04,200 --> 00:51:07,600 Speaker 1: did not associate with him that much. But Jerry did 865 00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:11,160 Speaker 1: and he respected everybody. And I think that's why everybody 866 00:51:11,239 --> 00:51:14,640 Speaker 1: respected him, because he didn't cut any ice with anybody. 867 00:51:14,719 --> 00:51:18,080 Speaker 1: Race color didn't mean anything to him. He loved everybody. 868 00:51:19,680 --> 00:51:23,960 Speaker 1: Jerry's ideas on race grew over time, which speaks to 869 00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:27,080 Speaker 1: his ability to change. In his book, he said he 870 00:51:27,080 --> 00:51:29,719 Speaker 1: grew up with some of the stereotypical mind frames of 871 00:51:29,800 --> 00:51:32,120 Speaker 1: the time, but when he came back from the war, 872 00:51:32,239 --> 00:51:35,759 Speaker 1: he said this quote, after I became a Christian, my 873 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:39,000 Speaker 1: convictions got to pricking my conscience. I would have to 874 00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:42,480 Speaker 1: compromise my Christian convictions if I believe some of the 875 00:51:42,480 --> 00:51:44,879 Speaker 1: things that I had been taught as a child. End 876 00:51:44,880 --> 00:51:48,480 Speaker 1: of quote. Here's another story. It's in reference to the 877 00:51:48,560 --> 00:51:52,640 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty three bombing of the sixteenth Street Baptist Church, 878 00:51:52,840 --> 00:51:58,080 Speaker 1: a black church by the KKK. Jerry said, quote, I 879 00:51:58,160 --> 00:52:02,160 Speaker 1: was in Birmingham selling for Dalizer after they bombed that church. 880 00:52:02,520 --> 00:52:06,000 Speaker 1: They bombed and killed three precious little black children. The 881 00:52:06,080 --> 00:52:09,399 Speaker 1: following Monday, I was driving through Birmingham and I had 882 00:52:09,440 --> 00:52:12,480 Speaker 1: the radio on and this guy was a disc jockey 883 00:52:12,520 --> 00:52:14,960 Speaker 1: and he was black, and he was trying to rally 884 00:52:15,040 --> 00:52:19,440 Speaker 1: all the black children. He said, just say, I'm somebody. 885 00:52:19,960 --> 00:52:22,320 Speaker 1: I stopped at a red light by a school bus 886 00:52:22,520 --> 00:52:24,920 Speaker 1: and a little black boy was looking out the window 887 00:52:24,960 --> 00:52:27,720 Speaker 1: at me. I let the window down and I said, 888 00:52:28,320 --> 00:52:31,479 Speaker 1: I know you are somebody's son. And if I could 889 00:52:31,520 --> 00:52:34,560 Speaker 1: get this scoundrel that bombed you just because you're black, 890 00:52:34,920 --> 00:52:39,520 Speaker 1: I would end of quote. I think this shows Jerry's heart. 891 00:52:40,040 --> 00:52:42,879 Speaker 1: He also had a famous quote where he said, it's 892 00:52:42,920 --> 00:52:46,040 Speaker 1: still a mystery to me how godly people can tie 893 00:52:46,080 --> 00:52:49,560 Speaker 1: their income, give to the poor, read the Bible, pray, 894 00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:53,680 Speaker 1: love folks, and let God run every fiber of their being, 895 00:52:54,160 --> 00:52:59,600 Speaker 1: except how they treat black people. End of quote. That 896 00:53:00,239 --> 00:53:03,879 Speaker 1: was big stuff coming from a white comedian in the 897 00:53:03,920 --> 00:53:08,880 Speaker 1: South in the nineteen seventies. It was Jerry's connection to 898 00:53:09,000 --> 00:53:12,640 Speaker 1: place that made his words carry weight. He grew up 899 00:53:12,640 --> 00:53:17,200 Speaker 1: in segregation, and his ideas on race relations changed after 900 00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:20,840 Speaker 1: he was an adult. As we closed down, I want 901 00:53:21,080 --> 00:53:25,320 Speaker 1: to explore the power of place. Well, what I learned 902 00:53:25,360 --> 00:53:29,560 Speaker 1: from where the Red Fern grows from Sean Tutan literature expert, 903 00:53:30,280 --> 00:53:35,560 Speaker 1: that connection to place, it's really intriguing to people, even 904 00:53:35,840 --> 00:53:39,720 Speaker 1: if they're not connected to that place. So seeing Billy 905 00:53:39,840 --> 00:53:43,840 Speaker 1: Coleman's connection to the Ozarks in a genuine way was 906 00:53:43,880 --> 00:53:47,000 Speaker 1: intriguing because you could look through his eyes and see 907 00:53:47,360 --> 00:53:50,520 Speaker 1: that landscape and his life in the shapes of his life, 908 00:53:50,760 --> 00:53:52,600 Speaker 1: and if even if it's different from you and you've 909 00:53:52,640 --> 00:53:54,640 Speaker 1: never been there and never gonna go there. I think 910 00:53:54,640 --> 00:53:57,359 Speaker 1: that's what they did with Jerry Cloud too, is that 911 00:53:57,400 --> 00:54:03,160 Speaker 1: they saw the rural, poverty stricken South in a lovable, 912 00:54:03,640 --> 00:54:06,279 Speaker 1: nice way. They probably already had that image of it. 913 00:54:06,440 --> 00:54:09,600 Speaker 1: You know, you look back at cartoons and held billies 914 00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:12,720 Speaker 1: and they're you know, wearing one strap overalls and they're barefoot, 915 00:54:12,760 --> 00:54:15,480 Speaker 1: and they've got those crazy looking hats and smoking a 916 00:54:15,520 --> 00:54:18,440 Speaker 1: corn cob pipe and and all of that. So they 917 00:54:18,480 --> 00:54:21,279 Speaker 1: saw that, they saw that part of it immediately. And 918 00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:24,719 Speaker 1: but then he puts those very vivid stories about the 919 00:54:24,840 --> 00:54:27,840 Speaker 1: characters in there, and they're good people then maybe dressed 920 00:54:27,840 --> 00:54:31,680 Speaker 1: that way, but there's there's always a redeeming quality about 921 00:54:31,719 --> 00:54:34,600 Speaker 1: most of them, ye know so, And you can identify 922 00:54:34,760 --> 00:54:36,680 Speaker 1: that with whether you get to be there or get 923 00:54:36,719 --> 00:54:40,719 Speaker 1: to be there or not. Here's John with a couple 924 00:54:40,800 --> 00:54:44,680 Speaker 1: more stories about Jerry. I know one time I went 925 00:54:44,719 --> 00:54:46,560 Speaker 1: over to jails and I took my coon dog. He 926 00:54:46,600 --> 00:54:48,480 Speaker 1: followed me over. I went over on the horse. We 927 00:54:48,560 --> 00:54:51,600 Speaker 1: got in jail yard and a rabbit, a big rabbit, 928 00:54:51,680 --> 00:54:53,759 Speaker 1: run out of one of his home lane Flyer Bay 929 00:54:53,800 --> 00:54:56,359 Speaker 1: It's and my dog took off a treatment. He had 930 00:54:56,400 --> 00:54:58,480 Speaker 1: a real deep bow. Oh you could hear him on 931 00:54:58,520 --> 00:55:04,240 Speaker 1: my way. Who who who? He was just barking trailing 932 00:55:04,280 --> 00:55:06,840 Speaker 1: that rabbit and they was going in flower beds and 933 00:55:06,960 --> 00:55:09,120 Speaker 1: out and Jake and I was holding it the dog, 934 00:55:09,200 --> 00:55:11,760 Speaker 1: trying to stop him because I I knew Miss Homeling 935 00:55:11,800 --> 00:55:14,600 Speaker 1: didn't want that dog in the yard. And about that 936 00:55:14,640 --> 00:55:18,040 Speaker 1: time Jerry come to the door. Jerry Hollard, what are 937 00:55:18,080 --> 00:55:20,960 Speaker 1: you doing? I said, I'm trying to catch his dad 938 00:55:21,000 --> 00:55:23,920 Speaker 1: gum dog. I said, don't you hear him? He said, yeah, 939 00:55:23,960 --> 00:55:26,919 Speaker 1: I do. He said, man, leave a dog alone. He said, 940 00:55:27,160 --> 00:55:29,440 Speaker 1: anything got a voice like that ought to be singing 941 00:55:29,440 --> 00:55:33,560 Speaker 1: in the church choir. Jerry came over one time. I 942 00:55:33,600 --> 00:55:36,600 Speaker 1: forgot what the occasion was, but he at the time 943 00:55:36,640 --> 00:55:38,400 Speaker 1: we had a circle driver. He pulled up in his 944 00:55:38,520 --> 00:55:41,160 Speaker 1: car and he got out, and he had on a 945 00:55:41,200 --> 00:55:43,440 Speaker 1: pair of sandals, and he had on a pair of 946 00:55:43,480 --> 00:55:48,800 Speaker 1: cutoff pants and a real loud color how Walia type shirt. 947 00:55:49,520 --> 00:55:52,560 Speaker 1: That coon dog of mine looked up and seeing Jerry, 948 00:55:52,560 --> 00:55:55,960 Speaker 1: and he done like his shin. He twisted his head 949 00:55:56,719 --> 00:55:59,120 Speaker 1: all that thing was, and he went and got under 950 00:55:59,160 --> 00:56:01,640 Speaker 1: my pickup truck and wouldn't come out. And I told 951 00:56:01,719 --> 00:56:03,319 Speaker 1: Jerry that we was gonna have to go down to 952 00:56:03,400 --> 00:56:05,960 Speaker 1: Liberty and talk with my attorney because he had Runt, 953 00:56:06,000 --> 00:56:09,480 Speaker 1: the best potential young dog he ever had, and that 954 00:56:09,600 --> 00:56:12,680 Speaker 1: if he wanted to settle this out of court, we could. 955 00:56:13,840 --> 00:56:16,520 Speaker 1: He was gonna have to promise me some puppish off 956 00:56:16,640 --> 00:56:19,359 Speaker 1: the next jip, and he knew it was gonna drop 957 00:56:19,360 --> 00:56:20,920 Speaker 1: a litter of puppish. But I mean, we was off 958 00:56:20,960 --> 00:56:23,120 Speaker 1: time pulling stuff like that. What Jerry say when he 959 00:56:23,160 --> 00:56:28,320 Speaker 1: told him about the litigation, he laved, he laughed. Jerry 960 00:56:28,360 --> 00:56:31,839 Speaker 1: toured right up until his passing in n and had 961 00:56:31,920 --> 00:56:35,280 Speaker 1: plans for more records. He gathered his content from people 962 00:56:35,280 --> 00:56:38,879 Speaker 1: in his community and Mr John, his neighbor, told him 963 00:56:38,880 --> 00:56:42,120 Speaker 1: a story that Jerry was very intrigued by. He even 964 00:56:42,160 --> 00:56:43,719 Speaker 1: told him that he was gonna put it on his 965 00:56:43,800 --> 00:56:49,279 Speaker 1: next record. Unfortunately, Jerry never made that record, and we'll 966 00:56:49,360 --> 00:56:53,560 Speaker 1: never hear Jerry tell the story, but we can hear 967 00:56:53,560 --> 00:56:56,479 Speaker 1: it from Mr John, and if you listen, I think 968 00:56:56,560 --> 00:57:01,280 Speaker 1: you can hear Jerry's voice telling it. One of those 969 00:57:01,360 --> 00:57:03,200 Speaker 1: was a fellow that lived here in the community. He 970 00:57:03,239 --> 00:57:05,640 Speaker 1: was a lot older than Jerry. He he lived to 971 00:57:05,640 --> 00:57:08,120 Speaker 1: be I guess on up in his late nineties. But 972 00:57:08,360 --> 00:57:11,200 Speaker 1: as he began to get older, he reached the poet 973 00:57:11,239 --> 00:57:13,640 Speaker 1: in life where his family encouraged him to go ahead 974 00:57:13,640 --> 00:57:15,600 Speaker 1: and buy him a car. You know, he'd have his 975 00:57:15,640 --> 00:57:18,280 Speaker 1: own transportation. He could get out and go. He didn't 976 00:57:18,280 --> 00:57:20,240 Speaker 1: have to get nobody to take him where he wanted 977 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:23,520 Speaker 1: to go. He'd have his own wheels. So he bought 978 00:57:23,600 --> 00:57:27,000 Speaker 1: him a sixty two Chevrolet Biscayne, and he got him 979 00:57:27,000 --> 00:57:29,320 Speaker 1: some driver's license. But he could get out and go 980 00:57:29,400 --> 00:57:32,040 Speaker 1: where he wanted to. But they knew he was gonna 981 00:57:32,120 --> 00:57:34,920 Speaker 1: have to have a tag car. Tag in some insurance 982 00:57:35,280 --> 00:57:38,400 Speaker 1: and that they would have trouble getting him to differentiate 983 00:57:38,440 --> 00:57:41,720 Speaker 1: between the liability and the collision, the comprehension and all that. 984 00:57:42,040 --> 00:57:44,680 Speaker 1: He just wouldn't understand it, and he would create an 985 00:57:44,760 --> 00:57:47,480 Speaker 1: argument because he felt like it he didn't need all 986 00:57:47,520 --> 00:57:50,040 Speaker 1: that junk if it was his car. They just told 987 00:57:50,120 --> 00:57:54,040 Speaker 1: him said, well, Uncle Tom said, if you've got insurance 988 00:57:54,040 --> 00:57:56,800 Speaker 1: and you ever involved in an accident, the insurance will 989 00:57:56,840 --> 00:57:59,120 Speaker 1: buy you another car. That was just a simple way 990 00:57:59,440 --> 00:58:03,360 Speaker 1: to get him understand and bypassed the comprehension, the liability, 991 00:58:03,960 --> 00:58:06,880 Speaker 1: collision and everything else through the Guard Automobile insurance. So 992 00:58:07,400 --> 00:58:10,240 Speaker 1: he went to town every Saturday morning, but a stop 993 00:58:10,240 --> 00:58:13,600 Speaker 1: sign didn't mean nothing to him because he had always 994 00:58:13,680 --> 00:58:16,360 Speaker 1: went in that direction and he felt like people ought 995 00:58:16,400 --> 00:58:19,480 Speaker 1: to respect him because that was the road he had 996 00:58:19,480 --> 00:58:22,520 Speaker 1: always traveled and he wasn't gonna stop for nobody. So 997 00:58:23,240 --> 00:58:27,280 Speaker 1: it happened he ran stop signed one Saturday morning and 998 00:58:27,320 --> 00:58:30,240 Speaker 1: a fella from Baton Rouge running to him, hit him, 999 00:58:30,440 --> 00:58:33,160 Speaker 1: turned his car bottom side up, told Uncle Tom I 1000 00:58:33,280 --> 00:58:36,480 Speaker 1: wanted didn't kill him, so they called the law. He wouldn't. 1001 00:58:36,520 --> 00:58:38,280 Speaker 1: He wouldn't go to the hospital in the amlets. He 1002 00:58:38,400 --> 00:58:41,640 Speaker 1: just set by his car, and the state trooper came 1003 00:58:41,680 --> 00:58:45,160 Speaker 1: out and investigated the accidental. He knew Uncle Tom, and 1004 00:58:45,240 --> 00:58:47,480 Speaker 1: he just didn't know how he was gonna get across 1005 00:58:47,520 --> 00:58:50,000 Speaker 1: to him that he was in the fault. So he 1006 00:58:50,040 --> 00:58:52,560 Speaker 1: went up to him and he said. Uncle Tom said, uh, 1007 00:58:53,280 --> 00:58:58,080 Speaker 1: I've investigated the accident, and said it's pretty conclusive as 1008 00:58:58,120 --> 00:59:00,120 Speaker 1: to what happened. And he said, I'd like to have 1009 00:59:00,200 --> 00:59:02,600 Speaker 1: your version of what happened here. Uncle Tom said, well, 1010 00:59:02,600 --> 00:59:04,680 Speaker 1: I said, I was headed over to my comb. We're 1011 00:59:04,720 --> 00:59:07,080 Speaker 1: gonna get me a hair cut, gonna get some groceries, 1012 00:59:07,120 --> 00:59:09,440 Speaker 1: and said, I come down this road all time, everybody 1013 00:59:09,480 --> 00:59:11,919 Speaker 1: knows it. And then this idiot from Baton Rouge comes 1014 00:59:11,960 --> 00:59:15,080 Speaker 1: flying through him and he hits me, tears my car up, 1015 00:59:15,880 --> 00:59:18,040 Speaker 1: and so that's what happened in the state trooper said 1016 00:59:18,080 --> 00:59:19,680 Speaker 1: he didn't know how he was gonna explain that to 1017 00:59:19,760 --> 00:59:21,640 Speaker 1: Uncle Tom, but he said. Uncle Tom said, I'm gonna 1018 00:59:21,840 --> 00:59:23,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to tell you now. I said, uh, 1019 00:59:23,640 --> 00:59:26,800 Speaker 1: I've investigated accident. He said, uh, it's my dea to 1020 00:59:26,840 --> 00:59:28,760 Speaker 1: inform you, and I'm gonna have to give you a citation. 1021 00:59:29,080 --> 00:59:31,439 Speaker 1: And Uncle Tom said, well, son, I appreciated it. Mighty 1022 00:59:31,560 --> 00:59:34,280 Speaker 1: nice of you know, said I don't know nothing about it. 1023 00:59:34,360 --> 00:59:37,800 Speaker 1: Forward said I never did like a Chrysler product, and 1024 00:59:37,840 --> 00:59:40,840 Speaker 1: said I ain't never rode in or drove or citation. 1025 00:59:41,440 --> 00:59:43,720 Speaker 1: And if it's all right what everybody was involved, I'd 1026 00:59:43,800 --> 00:59:50,880 Speaker 1: rather have another chival leg u But Jerry rolled when 1027 00:59:50,880 --> 00:59:53,240 Speaker 1: I told him. He said, that's going in my n 1028 00:59:54,120 --> 00:59:57,000 Speaker 1: that's going in my next album. And and that was 1029 00:59:57,080 --> 01:00:00,040 Speaker 1: the last night and he ever was at home to 1030 01:00:00,160 --> 01:00:05,760 Speaker 1: talk a long time. In the foreword of the book 1031 01:00:05,880 --> 01:00:11,760 Speaker 1: Stories from Home, Willie Morris says, quote, all our distinguished 1032 01:00:11,760 --> 01:00:16,320 Speaker 1: American humorists have been serious people, their hearts as rueful 1033 01:00:16,440 --> 01:00:19,960 Speaker 1: as they are married. I'm funny because I'm sad. It 1034 01:00:20,080 --> 01:00:24,120 Speaker 1: was attributed to Mark Twain, and I'm sad because I'm funny. 1035 01:00:24,800 --> 01:00:29,040 Speaker 1: Jerry Clour is an artist of deep values, values which 1036 01:00:29,120 --> 01:00:36,360 Speaker 1: yet exists in our civilization. Hard work, loyalty, honesty, community, family, friendship, generosity, love, 1037 01:00:36,800 --> 01:00:41,480 Speaker 1: and with all a vibrant aversion to the hypocritical, the bogus, 1038 01:00:41,520 --> 01:00:46,040 Speaker 1: and the unpitying, not to mention an instinctual distaste for 1039 01:00:46,160 --> 01:00:51,880 Speaker 1: cynical barber's dilatory hitchhikers, and all souls of greed. He 1040 01:00:52,000 --> 01:00:57,720 Speaker 1: understands the world because he assiduously lived it. End of quote. 1041 01:00:58,600 --> 01:01:02,880 Speaker 1: Jerry Clower was a complex and brilliant man, deeply connected 1042 01:01:02,920 --> 01:01:06,600 Speaker 1: to place, sure in his identity, loyal to his people, 1043 01:01:06,960 --> 01:01:10,520 Speaker 1: but also intolerant of his errors. He gave voice to 1044 01:01:10,560 --> 01:01:13,320 Speaker 1: the South and dignity to a group of people coming 1045 01:01:13,320 --> 01:01:17,080 Speaker 1: out of a rough time, people often misunderstood by the nation. 1046 01:01:17,600 --> 01:01:20,640 Speaker 1: He was deeply connected to the land as a hunter 1047 01:01:20,680 --> 01:01:24,400 Speaker 1: and fisherman, and attributed his time in the Coon Woods 1048 01:01:24,440 --> 01:01:28,000 Speaker 1: to building the fabric of his character, a throwback to 1049 01:01:28,080 --> 01:01:32,440 Speaker 1: the ideology that Daniel Boone's legacy ushered into the American psyche. 1050 01:01:33,040 --> 01:01:35,240 Speaker 1: Like I said from the beginning of our series on 1051 01:01:35,280 --> 01:01:38,960 Speaker 1: Where the Red Fern Grows, I'm fascinated when hunting touches 1052 01:01:39,000 --> 01:01:43,760 Speaker 1: pop culture and positive ways. Just like Wilson Rawls, Jerry 1053 01:01:43,880 --> 01:01:46,320 Speaker 1: wrapped up our way of life and put it in 1054 01:01:46,400 --> 01:01:50,439 Speaker 1: a human story, and people loved it. As we look 1055 01:01:50,480 --> 01:01:53,400 Speaker 1: to the future of hunting and rural life, I think 1056 01:01:53,440 --> 01:01:56,160 Speaker 1: we have a pattern here. We've got to have a 1057 01:01:56,240 --> 01:01:59,840 Speaker 1: deep love of the land, it's wildness and its critters, 1058 01:02:00,320 --> 01:02:04,000 Speaker 1: but we've also got to love the people that live 1059 01:02:04,120 --> 01:02:08,320 Speaker 1: from its bounty. Wildness only makes sense to people that 1060 01:02:08,480 --> 01:02:11,800 Speaker 1: don't know it firsthand when it's wrapped in the life 1061 01:02:12,200 --> 01:02:16,800 Speaker 1: of a human. So we, like Jerry, have to become 1062 01:02:16,880 --> 01:02:23,680 Speaker 1: better storytellers, storytellers of the human experience, because stories carry 1063 01:02:24,080 --> 01:02:30,760 Speaker 1: our culture. Thanks so much for listening to Bear Greefs. 1064 01:02:31,000 --> 01:02:33,760 Speaker 1: You can listen to all Jerry's albums on all the 1065 01:02:33,880 --> 01:02:37,200 Speaker 1: major streaming platforms and you're sure to get a laugh 1066 01:02:37,240 --> 01:02:40,200 Speaker 1: out of it. Please share our podcast with your in 1067 01:02:40,360 --> 01:02:44,040 Speaker 1: laws and you're crazy hill billy neighbors this week. We'll 1068 01:02:44,040 --> 01:02:47,080 Speaker 1: talk to you next time on the Bear Greece Render.