Bathing should not be an acquired taste

Friends, some recent experiences have moved me to cover some ground I have walked before and let's say washed before.

Have you ever been sitting around and realized that there was an odor in your proximity. After close examination of your surroundings you came to the conclusion that no animals had crawled up under your chair and died, so there could only be one answer. Your Right Guard has done left.

There is an old joke about taking a bath once a week whether you need it or not.

I know as a child many of us dreaded the word bath. That meant being covered in soap, washing behind your ears and quite a few other things. In many cases you would think we were distantly related to the Wicked Witch of the West, afraid that we would simply melt away from the face of the earth if water ever touched our body. Being dirty was just synonymous with being a kid.

Many of my summers growing up were spent on my grandparents farm. While Bill and Kitty did have running water, inside plumbing was not a convenience they had yet added when I was little.

They bathed much in the same way folks had done for centuries before the advent of modern plumbing — either in the creek that ran through the farm or by heating the water on the fire and pouring it into a bathing tub which was set strategically in one of the rooms in the house.

Queens and kings bathed this way. Oftentimes I have read they bathed with less frequency during the cold harsh winters, fearing the onset of some life threatening ailment. I understand they had very strong perfume back then.

I remember watching the “Beverly Hillbillies” with delight as one of the characters sat soapy in one of those tubs in the middle of the kitchen or courting parlor as Granny poured hot water over them. I guess while many Americans who enjoyed modern conveniences found that funny or quaint, personally, I related with it because I had done the same thing. I knew that was reality.

Baths were always a Saturday adventure at my grandparents. In the summer because it was usually so hot inside, baths were taken outside. It wasn’t like anybody was going to see you way out in the country. The nearest neighbor was better than a couple of miles off as the crow flies. Besides, most of them were busy doing the same thing.

A section of the back porch was dedicated for the washtub, and whether you needed it or not, you were doused with water heated from an open fire. The soap was homemade with lye. And that scrub brush could have been used to scrape paint off the side of the house. At least, that is the way it seemed to a kid in a hurry to get to putting the dirt back on. Of course, the men and women folk had run of the bathing area at different times.

Now this weekly ritual does not mean that cleaning did not occur at other points in the week. Most days folks washed with a rag over the wash basin with a pitcher. It was just on Saturday you got the whole works done at once.

While many wax nostalgic about the good old days, I am proud that these are some experiences that I shared with my ancestors. I’m afraid in our world of modern convenience where we no longer have to carry water from the creek or well to wash ourselves or our clothes, sometimes we forget just how far we have come in such a short time.

Today, with the turn of a handle most of us have all the water we need — cold or hot. We can stand underneath a good, hot shower and cleanse away the grit and grime we pick up along life’s way.

For most, there is no reason not to remember the old saying “cleanliness is next to Godliness.”

If we do bathe regularly, maybe when we get to heaven St. Peter will be less likely to turn us away. I bet there are not that many perfume or deodorant stores up there. Course, I bet by now Sam Walton has probably opened a Wal-Mart.

You can get anything there.


01/11/11

Kornfield County has a get together on RFD-TV and DVD

My mom, my dad and me have just finished a wonderful Saturday night meal of slowly cooked pot roast, tender potatoes and carrots, as we sat around the kitchen table, with the evening news on the black and white Zenith.

We hurry through the clean up as we move into the living room and dad pulls out the on button on the RCA color console and sits back in his recliner, mom sits on the sofa and I spread out on the floor looking up at the screen waiting to hear that banjo sound and see the bright animation that guides us into the next hour of down-home country entertainment. If we were home on Saturday night, then at 7 p.m. we were sitting in front of an episode of “Hee Haw.”

Even after CBS chopped down every show on television with a tree in it or a stalk of corn with cancellation, thankfully, the producers of  “Hee Haw” chose to take it into first run-syndication keeping it alive for more than 20 years.

The show allowed our family to see some of our country favorites sing their hits of the year with some old-time country comedy and some outstanding pickin’ and singin’ performed by an amazing cast of entertainers who for 25 years visited us in our homes across America. All the cast could take the corniest routines and bring them life.

As I grew up as a country performer myself, it was always my hope that I would become one of those who became part of the show’s long history with a guest appearance or even joining the cast.

I got my chance towards the end of the show’s run when I met with one of the producers and we discussed me joining the regular cast as they revamped the show for what would become its final season.

I returned to  “In the Heat of the Night” for another season, and sadly “Hee Haw” came to a close and the opportunity did not materialize for me.

But it is safe to say, I learned to love those folks with each and every episode, they were like kin folks, so as my career paths crossed with Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Buck Trent, the Hagar Twins, Grandpa Jones, Minnie Pearl, Mike Snider, or Lulu Roman, I felt like I was among family who were also stars. And then there were those such as Stringbean, Junior Samples, and Archie Campbell that I knew from the stories of others entertainment friends close to them.

Many of the residents of Kornfield County return in January for a special series of new programs on Gabriel Communications’ ever-popular Country’s Family Reunion on RFD-TV airing on Saturdays. Check local listings for times or visit http://www.rfdtv.com.

Among the stars coming back for “Country’s Family Reunion Salute to the Kornfield,” are with Roy Clark, Buddy Alan (Owens) and Bill Anderson.

One of my favorites is Lulu Roman and she is back as part of the special trip down memory lane.
“It had been a number of years since many of us had seen each other and the reunion was joyous,” reflects Lulu Roman, regular HEE HAW cast member. 

“Several of the cast were missing and it was a firm reminder that for some of us, it was quite possibly the last time we might see each other. It was a very special get together.”

Also appearing during the “Salute to the Kornfield” are Don Harron, Charlie Farquharson, Ramona Jones, John Conlee, Charlie McCoy, Ricky Skaggs, Victoria Hallman, T. Graham Brown, Gordie Tapp, Mike Snider, Johnny Lee, Barbi Benton, Larry Gatlin, Roni Stoneman, Moe Bandy, Gunilla Hutton, The Nashville Edition, The Whites, Jim Ed Brown, Jeff Smith, Gene Watson and Cathy Baker.

So, if you can tune in check out “Country’s Family Reunion Salute to the Kornfield,” and, if not, it’s available in a 4-disc set at www.cfrvideos.com or by calling 1-800-820-5405.

01/04/11

A new year brings the promise of starting over. Many folks see it as a point to make a resolution to complete or change things in their life. Perhaps coming out of the Christmas season gives them hope to make their lives better.

In reality, each new day brings us the chance to improve our lives.

What have you wanted to do? We can start that landscaping project we always wanted to do by researching, formulating a plan and making sure we are going to be adding the new plants at the most optimum time for successful growth when planting season begins.

We can visit with people we care about for whom we never seem to find the time. Perhaps there is an old friend from school, a friend or family member that you feel disconnected with. A short phone call or just a visit might help to bring new life to that relationship.

Remember that long list of repairs on the “Honey do” list for quite a while. I am sure there are an abundance of those items that can be found inside the house away from the cold. There’s nothing like a feeling of accomplishment to help improve the way you feel. Maybe you can get them done and if you are afraid you might miss something on television, they make those things in all sizes, I bet you can find one that can be plugged in nearby the place where you are working so you can listen as you work.

We do not need special days like New Year’s to re-create ourselves but they do give us a moment to pause and think about what things we could do everyday to make our lives and surroundings into what we really want them to be.

Life is an experience in constant growth and learning. When we stop such growth, we are stuck in a rut. I once heard a wise man say a rut is the closest thing to a grave.

Now, I’m not advocating you go out and buy a Ferrari, or spend a $1,000 for a luxurious day at a Palm Springs spa. While I am sure all of us might enjoy driving through town in one of those luxurious autos waving to all those we wish to impress or feeling so pampered after we leave the spa, we all have to live within our means and meet our responsibilities, that is what being an adult is all about. There are people depending on us and often times we have to pass on those types of dreams to make sure there is food on the table, heat in the house, and a roof over our heads.

Limits of budget and responsibility do not preclude people from improving themselves and learning throughout life.

Improvements can be little things. We do not have to take huge steps; many baby steps are still going in the right direction.

It may be as simple as getting up off the couch and taking a leisurely walk with your love ones around the block; turning off the television and reading a good book to your children; finding out more about the community you live in and as a family enjoying all the sites, sounds, and activities including entertainment, politics, clubs, volunteer organizations and church activities.

Surprise the people in your life with something they would not expect you do. Do something that you generally depend on another family member or employee to do. Give them a break, a day or an hour or two off to do something they enjoy while you look after their responsibilities.

A New Year’s resolution to lose weight, quit smoking or take better care of yourself through exercise are important worthy goals for anyone who truly wishes to attain them but many times these are such huge tasks we can fall short and slip back into our previous habits becoming discouraged. The point is we keep trying even though we might falter. It is the small victories that eventually lead to winning the war.

Sometimes it is the simple things that really make a difference in life. What will be remembered by those we encounter? Have we really done our very best with every task today?

Life can grow on you if you let it but the funny thing is it helps to be a participant. After you grow up though, you have to be your own coach and cheerleader, otherwise, you won’t know when to get off the sidelines and get in the game.

What's great is God put us in the driver's seat; it is up to us to put the car in gear and drive. Just remember the goal is not to see how many folks we can run over, rather, it's to see how many we can give a lift along the way.


12/28/11
‘Many a Mile’ with Eddie and Martha Adcock

Two of my favorite folks in the bluegrass music field are Eddie and Martha Adcock.


Eddie and Martha Adcock and Tom Gray

Eddie and I both share the honor of having worked with Bill Monroe and we were together at the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Ky. earlier this fall as we were honored for our contributions to the music.

The Bluegrass Hall of Famer also helped one of the most influential acts in music history - the Country Gentlemen.

He also led the II Generation and toured with a superpicker ensemble known as The Masters in the 1990s.

The banjo stylist and guitarist hit the national news in recent years as he became the first banjo player in history to undergo brain surgery live on camera with banjo in hand in 2008.

The whole process was to help him regain his ability to play after developing an essential tremor - an involuntary trembling in the head or hands.

Though subsequent surgeries have been required with the latest this past summer, he is doing well, performing and has a wonderful new album featuring Eddie and Martha, Twograss entitled – “Many A Mile” for Patuxent Music.

Joining them is another Country Gentlemen and Seldom Scene alum – bassist Tom Gray. Former II Generation bandmate Gene Johnson of Diamond Rio lends his tenor and lead vocals and mandolin playing to the project.
Also making special appearances were former Talk of the Town bandmate Missy Raines and Country Gentlemen Pete Kuykendall and banjoist and engineer Wes Easter.

I was overjoyed to be able to sit in the audience in Owensboro, Ky. and watch Eddie, Martha, Tom and Gene perform one of the most enjoyable sets of music I have heard in years.

The new CD includes many of the songs they featured: Many a Mile, Down Where the Still Waters Flow, New Freedom Bell, He Was a Friend of Mine, Two Little Boys, Amelia Earhart’s Last Flight, Mary Dear, Nightwalk, I Am Weary, Let Me Rest, Matterhorn, Darling Little Joe, Helen, Bringing Mary Home and This Morning at Nine.

I asked Eddie if he had a favorite among the collection.
“Emotionally, one of my favorites to sing, through the years, has been ‘Down Where The Still waters Flow’ – it's great for harmony singing, and harmony stirs me emotionally as much as the words and there's "New Freedom Bell,” he said. “I love Martha's singing on all of them on this CD.”

Martha also mentioned the significance of  “New Freedom Bell.”

“Aside from most of the CD's songs' concerning love, loss, loneliness and death - which are timeless themes, especially in bluegrass music – I care a great deal for "New Freedom Bell," she said. “The song was written by Louise Osborne, the 'Osborne Sister,' to commemorate our airlift to aid Britain in World War II, and to celebrate what some would call the triumph of good over evil. The song just carries a lot of emotion and I rearranged it with successively higher modulations in the choruses to emphasize that.”

Probably one of the pivotal songs historically in the project is the one that almost everyone in bluegrass knows.

"‘Bringing Mary Home’" is special because it was such a hit,” Eddie said. “The Country Gentlemen had several hits, but ‘Bringing Mary Home’ was the biggest we ever had. It should have reached number one in Billboard except for what you might call politics. The music business used to be more flagrantly crooked, and the sales for that single of ours were number one worthy, but that spot was given to a country artist who had actually sold far less. You have to remember that in the ‘50s bluegrass was looked upon as marginal and unworthy of serious attention by the mainstream country music business.”

On the new project they feature songs from the Country Gentlemen. Eddie said as long as Charlie Waller was living, he didn’t feel it was appropriate but now he wanted to return to some of the material he has loved through his life.

“Well, the 'classic' Country Gentlemen are a big part of bluegrass history,” Martha said. “They were iconoclasts and innovators, and they're installed in the IBMA Hall of Fame, the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and several others collectively and individually. Eddie Adcock and Tom Gray are the surviving half of that band. And while those classic songs and instrumentals have continued to be performed by the band, the Gents are now a part-time band for Randy Waller, Charlie's son; and since Eddie has always been invested in it on a deep level, it just seemed the natural thing to do, and the time seemed right. 

“While Charlie, the last original member, was alive and still had the band, both Eddie and I felt that the songs belonged with the band since they were so closely identified with it,” she said. “Now, we just want to enjoy performing them ourselves and help them live on. What a wonderful body of material the Country Gentlemen created.”

Martha and Eddie have one of the prettiest harmony blends in the music especially when supported by Gene or Tom. This collection reflects their hearts and their love of the music as they continue to travel and entertain.

“I'm enjoying (traveling and performing) at least as much, even at 73,” Eddie said. “ I'm certainly happy that I'm able to continue doing it, because I've always enjoyed it. It's what makes me tick. If I have to sit at home a while, I'm really anxious to get back out there.”
Martha added that while their bodies are not as hardy as they once were, that the road and stage are in their blood.

“We enjoy touring and seeing friends and fans across the country and around the world,” she said. “As for Eddie, he always says, ‘my two favorite times are when I get home and when I leave home again.’ Of the two of us, he's the one who can't ever imagine not touring. He's the only guy I know who was willing to have three deadly-dangerous brain surgeries in order to be able to keep on pickin'!”

If you get the chance to see Eddie and Martha Adcock live, don’t miss it, but until they come your way, order a copy of “Many A Mile” either through the mail for $17.50 (including postage and handling) to Martha Adcock, at P.O. Box 219, Lebanon TN 37088 or on the Internet at www.pxrec.com.


12/21/11

Christmas time is on its way….
 
Jingle Bells, Silver Bells and one-horse open sleighs seem to say for me Christmas is on its way.

I hear the bells ringing from every place of wonder, their tones overcome the hustle and bustle and it’s hard to even count their number.

With chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Rudolph shining up his nose, Frosty is dusting off his old top hat, and Grandma watches for reindeer as she crosses the road.

Over the river and through the woods we’ll gather round the O Christmas Tree, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, as we Deck the Halls, with smiles of great glee.

It is sure a White Christmas will be found, so Let It Snow my friend, it will likely not even make a sound.
So, Children Go Where I Send Thee, as Here We Come a Wassailing – there is nothing quite like Christmas Caroling, Caroling to fill the night amazing.

If we are quiet as a mouse, The Night Before Christmas comes this year; Up on the Housetop we might hear the sound of Christmas cheer.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen let nothing you dismay remember “Ho, Ho, Ho,” might be a happy sound, but its not why we have a Christmas day.

O Holy Night, the star was brightly shining, upon a Little Town of Bethlehem where animals were a pining.

Where Away in a Manger, the Silent Night of Mary’s baby boy, was filled as they heard the herald angels singing and the drum of A Little Drummer Boy.

Kings, Angels and Shepherds gathered ‘round Him, because Christ Is Born in Bethlehem.

Whether its Christmas in Kilarney or Bethlehem town, we should Go Tell It on the Mountain with the Hallelujah Chorus that He is where Christmas will always be found.

And though It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Christmas is a day, we should always hold dear. 

12/14/11

Final curtains for a couple of TV “Docs”

Recently two more of my acting friends took their final bows and the curtain closed on their amazing careers.

Many remember Harry Morgan, (1915-2011) who made us laugh so amazingly as part of the ensemble cast of doctors on “M*A*S*H” and also kept the streets safe in “Dragnet.” His acting career spanned from being everything imaginable in golden age of Hollywood films to becoming a television mainstay creating countless characters. I was honored to meet him during my time working at “Grace Under Fire” with my friend Alan Autry. He was a true class act.
The other actor with whom I spent endless hours during my time on “In the Heat of the Night” was Dan Biggers (1931-2011). I remember watching “In the Heat of the Night’s” first episode filmed in Georgia when “‘Doc’ Robb” first encouraged “Chief Gillespie” to retire from the Sparta Police Department for health reasons.

The emotion that was conveyed made you want to have “‘Doc’ Robb” as your family doctor. Gillespie told Robb, “I’ll retire when you do.”
Carroll O’Connor kept his word to “‘Doc’ Robb”, never letting him retire until he did and the show ended.

Probably one of the most visible and versatile of Georgia’s actors he said “I had no idea what a stroke of luck that was,” when he landed the role of “‘Doc’ Robb.”

Following a long career as a high school teacher, school counselor and dean of students, Biggers was then director of historic Berry at the Oak Hill Museum at Berry College in Rome, Ga.

Biggers told me he did not even know he was acting in a series; to him it was just a one-time appearance in a movie.

When his agent, Kathy Hardegree, called for him to return, he thought they needed to add something to the film. Instead, Carroll O’Connor gave him a grand tour of the Covington, Ga., sound stage. In an elaborate, pre-arranged set debut, O’Connor yelled “lights!” — introducing Biggers to the set where Sparta’s coroner would work his magic and assist the Sparta P.D. in solving the almost weekly murders around the small Mississippi town.

His face has become familiar to audiences from the nearly 50 films in which he has appeared, including “Forces of Nature,” “To Dance with the White Dog,” “The Rosa Parks Story” and the “Matlock” opening movie.

In his final role in 2005, he starred opposite Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst in “Elizabethtown.” The film poster featuring his character “Uncle Roy” from that project was displayed at his standing room only celebration of life.

Biggers however knew that it was “Doc” Robb for which he is most recognized and why he received requests to appear at events around the country.

“I could not deny ‘Doc’ Robb was the (character) I liked the most,” he said.

Several years ago he shared a story with me about a drive through a Southern city. While sitting at a stoplight, he had the feeling he was being watched. As he turned he realized someone was at the passenger window, then someone appeared on the other side of the car.The town’s police bicycle squad had pulled him over. He could not figure out what he had done wrong. As he rolled down the window and started to get out, one of the officers stuck his head in and said, “Could we have your autograph?”

Dan and I only shared a handful of scenes when “Officer Randy” would be sent to the hospital to guard a prisoner or bring a crime victim for “Doc” Robb’s care but we spent endless hours behind the scenes. He was always upbeat and gave us so much encouragement.


Dan Biggers and Randall Franks on the coroner's set
of "In the Heat of the Night"


He retired first from education and then from acting, but he stayed active as his health allowed reading to elementary students as part of the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG) “Book Pals” program, speaking at schools about careers in film and working with his church. He received the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award for Georgia.

While he had worked opposite some of films biggest stars, from Andy Griffith to Sandra Bullock, Dan told me years ago what he hoped to hear when he arrived at the pearly gates was  “Welcome teacher.”
I am sure he did…. followed by, “Could I have your autograph?”

Uncle Dud Doolittle and the rickety ladder

My great Uncle Dud Doolittle was an entrepreneur extraordinaire who operated the little general store at Flintville Crossroads.

Now Uncle Dud was as swift as could be. He stood about five-foot-five and was wiry as a well-strung bed frame.

His circular Ben Franklin spectacles offset his gray hair, and he was seldom seen outside his wool, dark green-striped suit and favorite gray beaver hat.

When working in the store, he also wore a black visor on his head that looked odd because it made his bald spot shine as he worked below the store’s light bulb.

With the variety of folks who made his store a regular place to be, he was always finding himself in unique and unusual situations.

Folks were always eager to give a hand, especially Cousin Clara who made a drop by the store a daily ritual.
It was a quiet Friday afternoon in July of 1948. Uncle Dud stood on a rickety wooden ladder putting a shipment of canned peaches in his favorite pyramid display. As he drew his task to close Cousin Clara came in saying, “Sure is hot out there.”

She noticed a can lying below the ladder so she walked over and stepped under the ladder to pick it up. As she raised up, she knocked over the ladder sending Uncle Dud to the floor.

"Doggoned it,” Dud said. “I told you before to stay away from that ladder. Don't you know it is bad luck to walk under a ladder?”

"I didn't know you were superstitious,” Clara said.
“About the only time I am superstitious is when somebody like you walks under a ladder and deliberately sends me to the ground,” he said.

"Do you believe it is seven years bad luck to break a mirror?” Clara asked.

“No sireee! My Uncle Corn Walter broke a mirror, and he did not have a bit of bad luck,” Dud said.

“Why didn't he?” Clara asked.

“He got bit by a rattlesnake and died two days later,” he said.

Throughout the conversation, Dud remained as he had landed on the floor — standing on his head.

“Why are you still like that?” she asked.

"When I stand on my head the blood rushes to my head, but when I stand on my feet the blood don't seem to rush to my feet,” Dud said. “I didn’t know why, so I wanted to just stay here and think about it a minute or two.”
“Why, that’s easy to figure out in your case Uncle Dud,” Clara said. “Blood can't go in to your feets because your feets are full, but it can go into your head cause your head's empty.”

(The characters of Uncle Dud Doolittle and Cousin Clara are the property of Peach Picked Publishing in association with Katona Publishing and are used by permission.)

11/30/11

The colors of things yet to be seen
 
As I drove through the mountains of Arkansas looking at bright yellows, deep reds and variety of greens and browns, I felt a warmness coming over me beckoning back to my childhood riding in the back seat of my parents blue 1964 Chevy Malibu as we made our way through the mountains heading to who knows where.

The adventure of travel was something that we all enjoyed, trying to find something we had not seen, something that would be an experience we could share throughout our memories.

I don’t know what it was that made those trips through the hills and hollers in full color that drew me into a sense of security while yet being awed by the change of the seasons enveloping us.

As we drove I would watch the leaves whisk around in our wake as the car sped through the countryside, often as we would unexpectedly swoop over a hill I would feel my stomach jump like being on a roller coaster.

If we travelled into the night and the temperature began to drop, I was allowed to curl up in the floorboard near the heater vent and I would drift off to sleep until my father scooped me up in his arms and took me into our destination for a night’s rest. Today, I know that is something children will never experience and probably for safety reasons for the best.

We would roll through small town after small town sometimes stopping for a visit, sometimes not, but eventually our journey would take us to somewhere we had never been before.

In a way, I guess in the modern sense this was the pioneering blood deep within our spirits that inspired the need to see something new. Unlike a generation before when travel meant horses, wagons or even train trips, if you could afford it, we were blessed with affordable gasoline and the advantage and freedom of travel by automobile as far as the roads could take us.

Unlike our forbearers, we weren’t the first to see a thing unseen by previous frontiersman, but still there was a sense of the unknown especially for me as a child.
I guess that has never left me, even as I pour over faded photos of those trips, sights that are now just a memory, I still feel that exhilaration, I see the sights through the window of that Malibu.

Even today with the higher cost of gas and travel, I still feel an excitement when I slip behind the wheel and head off to some place I have never been before.

Although after years of travel as an entertainer, I have to travel much farther away to see those unknowns but I still seek the sights.

As you travel in the coming weeks, I hope you and your family and friends, find new sights, make new memories, and are blessed with the beauty of the season of Christmas and the celebration of Hanukkah.


11/23/11


Titanic - a must see
 
There is no other name that seems to loom over nautical history like the White Star Lines’ R.M.S. Titanic.

Its story is highlighted in articles, books, films and televisions shows spanning the past 99 years. Amazing isn’t it, 2012 will be the 100th Anniversary of the story of one of the most fateful voyages of modern history.

The 1997 James Cameron film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet solidified the circumstances around that night the ship hit an iceberg in the minds and hearts of yet another generation to insure that the experience will be present in our minds for many years to come.

Another venue that is providing a more tangible and realistic view of the experiences while honoring the memories of the lives of those who walked upon that unsinkable ship is “Titanic – The World’s Largest Museum Attraction” now located in Branson and Pigeon Forge.

I recently was honored to be a guest along with my brother at the Branson location and spend a wonderful afternoon walking among costumed crew members and passengers as we got a first hand look at what we would have experienced had we been passengers on the boat. With the help of audio aids hung about our necks, we could enter a number at displays around the attraction to learn about what we were seeing and to hear accounts from survivors.

We were greeted by the boarding staff, where I received my boarding pass and was assigned the name of one of the actual passengers –Dr. Washington Dodge, 52, of San Francisco, Calif.

After ticketing, we found ourselves stepping on board the ship where one of the first interactive actions was to feel an iceberg then examine the world’s largest model of the Titanic.

One might think that such an attraction is simply another Hollywood themed attraction playing on the success of the monumental blockbuster movie. Once you enter and especially when you leave you know that is not the case. In my life I have never had a more enjoyable museum experience and a more effective depiction to bring to life a point in time in history.

I have always been fascinated by time travel films and TV, I believe in a way this is the closest I will ever come initially walking among the men who built the ship in Belfast and their tools then moving to learn about the crew working to keep the ship going by filling the 159 furnaces on board with tons of coal.

Another special feature at Branson was an exhibit honoring the dogs on the ship. The museum actually has two mascots representing two of the 10 dogs whose owners paid the equivalent of $200 to get them aboard. Only 3 survived the sinking.

After seeing the pride of their work we found ourselves in the midst of the third class cabin area seeing and hearing how those passengers lived on the ship while learning the real life stories and seeing the artifacts held by so many of those families.

With every step there was something new to learn, something new to see or hear.

We eventually reached the elegant exact replica of the Grand Staircase so vividly seen in the film and walked up to reach the first class experience where we saw how passengers such as the Astors and the Unsinkable Molly Brown lived.

Just when you think that the experience is nearing the end there is more and more. The gallery of photos taken by Father Browne showing the passengers on the ship brought me even more into the experience.

We stood upon the bridge of the ship hearing as orders were given and the stepped out into the cold Atlantic breezes on the deck of the ship. The producers describe it as a 90-minute walking experience.

I even stood upon the alternative decks giving one the impression of what passengers had to try to cling to as the ship reached different points in its dive into the deep.
We learned about the work of the wonderful people who brought this museum together and their efforts to honor the legacy of the passengers.

As we came to end of our visit, we both searched for the fate our passenger had found that night. My passenger - Dr. Brown did survive. There were many survivors who found it hard to face the future after that night.

When my brother and I left, we realized that we had been in there three hours and had not even realized that much time had passed.

I encourage you; if you find yourself visiting either Pigeon Forge or Branson, make sure you include this attraction in your plans especially if you have children. Advance adult tickets are in the $20 range with children around $11 and a family pass for four is available in the $60 range.

You can find out more by visiting http://www.titanicattraction.com/.

11/16/11

Stampeding towards Jim Stafford, Murder Mystery and a shining Silver Dollar
 
When I was kid, I often sought out anything on television which connected with country music.
One such show that I watched was “The Jim Stafford Show.” Stafford found hits in the music scene with songs such as “Swamp Witch” and “Spiders and Snakes” in the early 1970s.

His comedic abilities and musical talents were always appealing to me. I had watched him on many of the classic talk and variety shows of that period.

His varied career includes star-studded shows with some of the biggest talents that once performed in Reno and Las Vegas, gold records, film appearances, music for films, awards and accolades.

Twenty-two years ago, he settled in then a little Ozark community that was exploding with theater opportunities for people to enjoy and made a home for his show there.

I recently was honored to be his guest at his show in Branson, Mo. and I must say I have haven’t laughed that much since sitting and watching the Red Skelton Show so many years ago.



His show is a feast for anyone who needs and uplifting meal of heart-warming funny storytelling. To me, Jim’s talents reflect the seasoned abilities of the greats of comedy - Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and George Burns.
His musical talents on guitar and banjo are out of this world. His show also exhibits the talents of his daughter and son – G.G. and Shea on the show. Both are virtuosos on the piano.

Should you ever plan a trip to Branson, I encourage you to make his show part of the experience. He said many times that evening that he was having fun… It is sure that is what the audience had. I know I did.
You can get tickets in advance by visiting his website www.jimstafford.com or at the door they are in the $35 range.

Another show that I enjoyed while visiting Branson was Ozark Murder Mysteries performed at the Circle B Theater.

My brother and I had a pleasant dining experience with the folks from Minnesota seated next to us. The actors presented our meals as they prepared to serve up a fun evening of murder surrounding a conclave of comedic characters in the production “Speak Easy, Die Hard.”
The Branson setting of the play, crafted by playwright and actor Fred Athay, combines comical local moonshiners, an aspiring country singer and a host of big city hoods all converging towards one ultimate climax of hilarity.



The company includes a variety of actors and actresses who shine in this production and bring a full-on comedic spoof to life. One of the shining highlights of the evening was members of the cast who doubled successfully and convincingly in dual roles – one of those - the talented Helena Lee.

I would be sure to add this to your plans in Branson no matter which show they may be sharing, they are now doing their Christmas show – Who Killed Mr. Scrooge?
Ticket prices range from $30-50. Find out more by visiting www.killerflea.com or www.facebook.com/ozarkmysteries.

Speaking of Christmas shows and entertainment, whether you are nearer to Branson, Mo. or Pigeon Forge, Tenn., it’s a great time to take in the spectacular of Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede (dixiestampede.com/) combined with a visit to and An Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City or Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood.

I visited this season’s Christmas Show at the Stampede and it is an outstanding evening of horse riding, acrobatics and comedy, combined with a wonderful meal. This is something everyone should enjoy at least once, if not again and again.

There is nothing like seeing millions of lights – 4 million to brighten the Christmas season along with seasonal plays, music, crafters and rides. Why not make this one of your Christmas traditions. Visit www.silverdollarcity.com or www.dollywood.com to find out more.

11/09/11

A bass, some microphones and thousands of friends
 
I feel of late as if I am saying goodbye a lot in the words that I write, and in my personal life. In many respects I am blessed that I have known so many people in various walks of life but still sadness abounds when we see those we have walked with in some aspect of our life called home.

Just recently I attended a celebration of life for a talented musician and friend Gene Daniell (1941-2011) from Marietta, Ga. Gene was an acoustic bass player an in his second career a sound engineer supreme making the rounds at some of the biggest bluegrass music festivals in the South and East.

As a youth, Gene was the person who brought me into fiddling for one of the last remaining links to the Georgia Fiddle Bands – Doodle and the Golden River Grass.

He played with many groups in his nearly four decade career but it was this group that carried him into musical history as his fingers forged a rock solid bottom which pushed the music along like the driver of a train.

The Golden River Grass was the standard bearer for the Georgia Fiddle Band sound from the 1970s through the 1990s carrying on the traditions started by The Skillet Lickers, Fiddlin’ John Carson and Moonshine Kate and so many others. I had the honor to be one of four fiddlers including Bill Kee, Paul Wallace and Jerry Wesley who carried that torch joining in early 1985.
Because of Gene and the band, I had the opportunity to perform in front of one of the largest audiences of my career at the National Folk Festival in 1985. I was told 60,000 were in attendance when I kicked off the evening with my rousing fiddle performance of “Liberty.”

For a period in my college period, I also served Gene and his wife Johnnie as a sound tech, doing what had to be done to set up, tear down and keep running the stage of various festivals he worked. He taught me a tremendous amount about how to do that properly.
We said goodbye to the leader of that group Georgia comedian and single-note harmonica player John “Doodle” Thrower (1927-1994) many years ago now.

Doodle was a country comedian whose stories sometimes pushed the envelope. When I came to work with the group, my late mother Pearl sat Doodle down and said “The only way my son can work with you is if you keep your act clean and family friendly.” Doodle agreed and he kept his promise, although he made it a point to stretch just a bit whenever mother was in the audience just to pick at her a bit.

At the celebration, I sat beside the surviving members of the band. Beside me was clawhammer banjo stylist James Watson, 76, whose once strong right arm established a rhythm that made it a breeze for a fiddler to play.

Also there were guitarist C.J. Clackum, and mandolinist and guitarist Wesley Clackum, father and son, who both provided a steady and consistent rhythm and vocals for the group.

The collaboration of the musicians created the energy with which we hit stages from Ohio to Florida, South Carolina to Alabama. This group was a fixture on the biggest bluegrass and folk festivals in the East.

Gene’s role in the group, serving as manager helped to bring greater attention on the raw rustic sounds of the group that seemed to cross over any boundary.

During his tenure Brown’s Guide to Georgia cited the group as one of the top ten acts in the state. Their talents won the attention of the National Council on the Arts bringing them to make repeat appearances at the National Folk Festival. Folklorist Alan Lomax sought out the group to document and feature in his PBS documentary “An Appalachian Journey” for the “American Patchwork” series. They also starred in the PBS series “Tonight at Ferlinghetti’s” as well as other TV shows.

In its career, the group recorded about 100 songs of which I had the honor of fiddling about sixty. I consider these recordings some of the most representative of the traditional sounds of Appalachia and closest to the music of my fiddling Great Grandfather A.J. “Harve” Franks and Great Uncle Tom Franks.

One of my fondest memories is of a Golden River Grass jam session at Holiday Hills Music Park in Florida. Adding to the energy of the jam session as we sang The Carter Family song “Foggy Mountain Top” was my friend Marty Stuart. I remember Marty telling me how much he’d like to bring Doodle and the band to the Opry if he ever had the ability to make it happen. Sadly, by the time Marty’s star had risen to that level he could make it happen, Doodle’s health failed him.
It was an honor to be part of this group who carried on a vital part of Georgia’s musical history and to work with Gene, Doodle, James, Wesley and C.J. I learned a great deal from each member of the group.

If you would like to see the ensemble you may visit Randall Franks TV on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/user/randallfranks.



11/02/11


The lasting effect of friends
 
      John Donne wrote centuries ago “No man is an island.” Sometimes I think we may run our lives in a fashion that we think we are an island.

      If we are blessed, we surround ourselves with family, friends, acquaintances, but are they really part of us and we a part of them? There are those who seldom find their way from their self-exile on their personal island to actually share with others a sunset, a walk on the beach or watching a kite bounce in the sea breeze.

      In the mirror sometimes I see the man looking back at me and wonder if he ever realized where he would be today. If the choices he made would add to the sands of an island exile or build bridges connecting him to the piece of continent making him part of the main, as Donne described. Have I broadened the world of the little boy that once stood there in the mirror or have I simply augmented his isolation.

      Sometimes in life though moments occur, things are said, news arrives that reminds us solidly, that Donne left an indelible footprint in the sand with his premise that no man is an island. No matter how isolated we may choose to become in life, in soul, in mind, we are connected.

      In years past it was by letter and phone calls, today our own private islands are equipped with a umbilical cord connecting us to the internet. As I sit at my computer screen, I can check the status of “Friends” on numerous websites and stay connected to see what is happening. I can find out the latest news without even carrying on a conversation because it is all there to see in bits and bytes.

      Does that make my island more connected or less connected? I can sustain an illusion of being connected to hundreds of people now where before it was maybe a few dozen on Sunday at church or at musical events.

       In recent days, I saw where this new technology helps me stay connected. While reviewing the myriad of sites where I stay connected, I found a note from a childhood friend desiring to right some perceived wrongs and wipe the slate clean. That served as a wonderful bridge re-establishing connection.

      Within the same day, sadly, I found myself looking at a photo that drained the sands of happiness from my heart as I realized a good acting friend was called home by a heart attack back in August. I had missed the news completely.

      He was a man who was a good father, good husband and a loyal friend – Francesco Quinn. I hope you recognize the name, not just because he was a famous son of a famous father - Anthony Quinn, but also because he was a good actor and more than that a good man.

     I came to know him when he guest starred as “Ramon Salazar” on our show “In the Heat of the Night” two decades ago. We began a friendship, which did not come and go with the end of the shoot as so many seem to do. In our visits we talked about our dreams and hopes for career and life. Though he was born in Rome, Italy, I remember one lunch that found us looking at our family roots in Ireland.

    Many years ago I sat in a Los Angeles restaurant with he and his fiancé as they ironed out plans for their coming nuptials. 

    His breakout role was in Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” and he even acted with his father in films such as “The Old Man and the Sea.”