Nashville and Panama City

 

Yesterday, we had an evening social in our neighbor Jane’s carport.  I was offered a beer, which I took.  I think it loosened my tongue.   I told these two true stories:

In late May or early June, 1959, Marietta students went to Panama City.  To  yet be famous singer Billy Joe Royal wanted to go to be with his girlfriend Georgia.  His brother Jack, and Jack’s friend Charlie, and two others wanted to go too.  We had saved $30 so we pooled our money.  We had a total of $35. I don’t know why my parents allowed me to go but somehow I got to go.

In Panama City, we stayed in a cheap hotel for $8 s night, the name was Key of West Motel.  The room’s bathroom was also the bathroom for another room. 

We went to the beach and got all sunburned.  We met up with other friends and we all went back our room to get out of the hot sun and drink cheap beer.  Our friends had yet got a room, mainly because they had no money, so they stayed with us.  It was crowed so some of them used the adjoining room.  In the middle of the night a honeymoon couple rented the adjoining room.  They opened the door and a bunch of friends of our were all over the bed and floor, sunburned, so almost naked.  We were kicked out.  The owner wisely searched our suit cases and found 2 or 3 motel’s towels.

With no money and no place to sleep we drove to Valdosta, Ga to look up Billy Joe’s and Jack’s kinfolks.  They did not have enough room for all of us, so 2 or 3 of us went to their other uncle in Tifton, Ga.  That night the uncle and aunt in Tifton took us to the American Legion in Syvester, Ga. And we all got drunk.  I slept behind their house by a pond that night.

We went back to Valdosta.  Billy Joe played a lot of music on their piano and a guitar.  Their uncle was a member of a local band that played in a furniture warehouse weekly.  He invited Billy Joe to play with them.  That was Bily Joe Royal’s first singing gig.  

Billy Joe decided to stay and play with the band.  He was the one with the car.  Their mother, Mrs. Royal came and brought us back to Marietta.

 

Another true story I told in th carport last night:

In the Spring of 1963 I was to go into the Navy active duty soon.  I wanted one last fling before I went so a bunch of us went to the Grand Old Opry in Nashville.

We went in my Volvo, which my friends just fixed my brakes.  In the mountains between Chattanooga and Nashville going down a steep hill my brakes gave out.  Back then on state highways they had “runaway ramps”… which I’m sure saved our lives.  The same friends that installed my brakes were in the car so they fixed the brakes.

In Nashville we got a room almost next door to the Ryman Auditorium .  Before we went in to the concert we went Woolworths to eat.  We were sitting in a booth in the window when an old man in raggedy clothes with a guitar stood outside and watched us eat.  We motioned for him to come in, which he came in.  We bought him a dinner.  He told us he and Cowboy Kobus grew up together.  He said Cowboy Kobus told him if he was ever in Nashville he would put him on stage at the Grand Ole Opry.

We had balcony seats in the Opry.  We saw several big name stars sing, such as Patsy Cline and I forgot who else.  Then, in the aisle on the first floor I saw the old man in his dirty old raincoat and guitar wanting up the aisle towards the stage.  I told my friends, “Look!  Our buddy!”

Our buddy got only a few more steps and was blocked by ushers or security.  As they drug him off he hollered to Cowboy Kobus to let him up.  Cowboy Kobus went on with his routine without  even looking at his fold friend.

Afterwards we went to a bar named THE JUNGLE.  We made friends with the waitress name “Bunny”.  She told us to call her anytime.  Which we did the next morning and got to listen to her irate husband.

 

Shortly after that, maybe that same night or the next weekend night Cowboy Kobus and Patsey Cline  was killed in a plane wreck in Tennessee.