NCM Sept/Oct 2023

Tribute to Newnan’s Own Country Music Legend

Alan! Ha y65th,

Best of Coweta’s Top Musicians/Bands

❙ DOUG KEES

❙ STEVEN MOORE

❙ KRIS YOUMANS & HER MIGHTY FINE BAND

BRINGING MEDICAL CARE BACK TO THE SQUARE

Newnan is well-known for its role as a hospital town for injured Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War. Many of the large antebellum homes downtown were pressed into service.

In 1925, Newnan Hospital on Jackson Street was created. Originally, it contained two wards—one with four beds for men and one with four beds for women. Over time, many additions were constructed to meet increasing demand. By the mid-1940s, the hospital had several dozen beds and a children’s ward.

We are bringing high quality medical care back to historical Downtown Newnan. Our building was built in 1900 and has previously been Brothers, C.S. Toggery, as well as other numerous businesses. We have renovated the space down to the studs, it looks beautiful and we are eager for the community to see it.

We treat vein disease, which includes signs and symptoms such as varicose veins, spider veins, swelling, heavy/ tired legs, restless legs, itching/ burning/ cramping, skin discoloration, ulcers, etc. All procedures and ultrasounds are done in our office and 90% of treatments are covered by insurance.

8 East Court Square Newnan, GA 30263

678-833-1444

&

The Women's Specialists of Fayette comprise a healthcare team that understands that women have special healthcare needs throughout their lives.

Our specialists are trained in the field of women's medicine which includes obstetrical and gynecological services such as pregnancy care, family planning needs and counseling, annual examinations, and minor office surgical procedures.

In addition, specialized care is available in areas such as high risk pregnancy and gynecological/ urogynecological surgery.

William T. Cook, M.D.

Marlo Carter, M.D. Matthew Ralsten, M.D.

Nicole E. Quinn, M.D. Yvonne Conaway, N.P. Nykia Burke-Bray, M.D. Blair Mitchell-Handley, M.D.

Sheriff Lenn Wood and the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office would like to celebrate the amazing talent and timeless music of our very own Alan Jackson on his 65th birthday. With his iconic voice and relatable, heartfelt lyrics, Alan has touched the hearts of many in our community, and worldwide, for decades. worldwide, for decades.

Back Row L-R: Col. James Yarbrough, D/O Sara Vega, Major Warren Campbell, JTO Randall Smith, D/O Brandon Ganey, JTC Crystal Aspinwall; Front Row L-R: Capt. Morgan Stephenson, JTO Laqueda Brann, Major Eric Smith.

Colonel James Yarbrough (left) and Sheriff Lenn Wood (right) lead operations at Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.

K-9 Handler Adam Montgomery and K-9 Titan performing a demonstration at Mantracker Training.

Schedule an appointment today at southernveincare.com or call 770-683-8346.

NEWNAN OFFICE

2959 Sharpsburg McCollum Rd. Newnan, GA 30265

770-683-8346

PEACHTREE CITY OFFICE

1975 Highway 54 West, Suite 110 Peachtree City, GA 30269 770-683-8346

A Publication of The Newnan Times-Herald

Publishers C. Clayton Neely

Elizabeth C. Neely

Editor Jackie Kennedy

Creative Directors Sandy Hiser, Sonya Studt

Graphic Designer Erin Scott

Contributing Writers Jenny Enderlin

Frances Kidd

Jennifer London

Gail McGlothin

Caroline Nicholson

Photography April McGlothin-Eller

Chris Martin

Sara Moore

Advertising Manager Misha Benson

Multimedia Sales Specialist Debby Dye

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION call 770.253.1576 or email advertise@newnan.com

Newnan-Coweta Magazine is published bi-monthly by The Newnan Times-Herald, Inc., 16 Jefferson Street, Newnan, GA 30263.

Newnan-Coweta Magazine is distributed in home-delivery copies of The Newnan Times-Herald and at businesses and offices throughout Coweta County On the web: newnancowetamagazine.com

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© 2023 by The Newnan Times-Herald, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

DR. GARNET CRADDOCK

Leg Pain, Swelling, Aches, Fatigue, Restless Legs or Unsightly Veins?

–GARY SILISKI

This might be the most friendly, professional, and thorough medical office I have ever visited. Every staff member showed genuine compassion and care beyond my expectations.

those

Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice Awards: Doug Kees, Steven Moore and Kris Youmans & Her Mighty Fine Band. By Jennifer London, Caroline Nicholson and Jenny Enderlin

our

40 |

Alan In observance of Alan Jackson’s 65th birthday in October, we stroll down music memory lane with the local boy who became an international superstar. By Jackie Kennedy

66 | Tributes to Alan Jackson

90 Both our routine columnist, Toby Nix, and contributing writer, Blue Cole, share their thoughts on the homegrown country music icon. By Blue Cole, page 66, and Toby Nix, page 90.

Shoulder Pain or Injury?

As the most versatile joint in the human body, our shoulder joint provides us with a tremendous amount of flexibility. However, this range of motion can lead to shoulder pain or discomfort. In most cases, pain in the shoulder can be the result of one of four main causes: inflammation, instability, arthritis, or a fracture. Whether you’re suffering from a recent injury, such as a rotator cuff tear or shoulder dislocation, or the pain in your shoulder has developed over time from shoulder tendonitis (medically referred to as tendinitis) or bursitis, our shoulder doctors at Georgia Bone & Joint understand your desire for pain relief.

➤ Cover Photo by Chris Martin, see Cover Feature, page 40.

Happy Birthday, Alan Jackson!

On October 17, Newnan’s native son and country music superstar Alan Jackson turns 65. This edition, our Music Issue, is dedicated to him as our way of saying “Happy Birthday!”

What can we say about AJ that hasn’t already been said? That’s the dilemma when compiling articles about a living legend for his hometown magazine.

Folks from around here – where he came from – know that Alan’s the baby brother of four sisters, all raised by Daddy Gene, a mechanic with Ford, and Mama Ruth Jackson, a lunchroom lady. Plenty of Alan’s classmates still live here and have memories of playing with their pal at Elm Street Elementary or talking cars and girls at Newnan High School. Most everybody knows he married Denise, his NHS sweetheart, in 1979 and has three daughters as beautiful as their mother.

If you don’t know the particulars about Alan’s local ties, you’re likely familiar with a few of his songs, even if you’re not a country music fan. If you were scanning radio stations back in 1992, you may have heard him singing “Chattahoochee” and tuned in to hear the song about the river in our backyard. There’s no way you got through 2001 and 2002 without hearing “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” considered by many the best song to capture the mood of the nation after 9/11.

In this issue – which is basically our love letter to Alan Jackson – we’ve tried to gather a few things about him that you don’t know or haven’t heard. To do that, we reached out to his two sisters who still live in Newnan, twins Cathy Wright and Carol Glover, who helped us track down photos, find information, and solicit comments from Alan’s family members and old friends. While his family members knew we were putting this together, we tried to keep it a secret and special birthday gift for Alan, in hopes that when he sees this tribute from his hometown, he’ll be surprised – and reminded of how beloved he remains in Newnan and Coweta County.

Also in this issue, we spotlight the top three Best of Coweta winners in the local music category. To see what Doug Kees, Steven Moore and Kris Youmans & Her Mighty Fine Band are up to these days, see page 29. Read about a Newnan nonprofit, More Music Foundation, that works to interest children in playing musical instruments as a way to build confidence and enhance education, see page 22.

And don’t miss columns by Blue Cole, page 66, and Toby Nix, page 90, who penned their own “love letters” to AJ. No doubt, they express what so many of us think and feel about Alan Jackson. Thanks, guys, for putting it into words.

Happy Birthday, Alan, from all of us at Newnan-Coweta Magazine and The Newnan Times-Herald. And many more.

Jackie Kennedy, Editor magazine@newnan.com

Newnan-Coweta Magazine staffers join the Best of Coweta celebration in August, from left, top: Sonya Studt. Middle: Debby Dye and Beth Neely. Bottom: Misha Benson, Jackie Kennedy and Sandy Hiser. For more on the Best of Coweta reception to honor the 2023 winners, see page 80.

Roll Call

Jennifer London lives in Newnan with her daughter. The two use their travels as inspiration for stories they create with Jennifer writing and her daughter illustrating. Jennifer believes that everyone has a story to tell, and she loves being a freelance writer and meeting new people.

Caroline Nicholson loves disappearing behind a book and falling into fictional worlds. She’s working toward her Master of Arts in English at the University of West Georgia and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in creative writing to become a college English and creative writing professor. In time, she hopes to publish her own young adult novel.

Jenny Enderlin graduated cum laude from Florida State University with an English degree. She enjoys volunteering with the NewnanCoweta Historical Society, Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, Coweta County Democrat Party, One Roof and Backstreet Community Arts.

Frances Kidd is a Newnan native who spent most of her adult years working as a nonprofit and marketing consultant. Although she’s an avid traveler, she never lost her Southern accent. If she’s not in Georgia, you can find her out in the country in Italy.

Gail McGlothin is a nonprofit consultant and grant writer. When she's not searching for starfish on the Oregon coast, kayaking, reading or playing board games with her grandchildren, She helps voters get governmentissued picture IDs.

The Rev. April McGlothin-Eller is the director of Church and Community Engagement at Wellroot Family Services, a ministry of the United Methodist Church. In her free time, she fancies herself a musician, artist and photographer.

Sara Moore’s warm and welcoming nature influences her photography by putting her subjects at ease. She enjoys living the quiet country life while residing in Newnan with her husband, horses, dogs, chickens and ducks.

HERE’S TO YOU ALAN JACKSON!

Why Alan Jackson? It’s his birthday (Oct. 17). And boy do we love birthdays around here. And the festive times that go along with them. So why not applaud this Newnan native turned country music superstar? It’s a perfect example of how our residents bring their high spirits to life every day. (Or, to put it another way, we never pass up a chance to celebrate.) So, hats off to you, Alan. Keep up the great songs. And we’ll keep up the good cheer.

Remember playing Nintendo? Remember playing Sega Genesis?

“Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo and the Battle that Defined a Generation” is a detailed and nostalgic account of the battle between Nintendo and Sega.

Written by Blake Harris, the book focuses on the story of executive Tom Kalinske taking over Sega and battling against Nintendo for market share in the video game market. Nintendo dominated the video game market after Atari (remember Atari?) fell apart in the 1980s. Nintendo was significantly challenged – and even surpassed at one point, by Sega, in the early 1990s.

Also covered are the macroeconomics of Japanese businesses like Nintendo and Sega operating in America. It's detailed how the differences of opinions, and in decision-making, between the two cultures eventually led to the demise of Sega.

Harris does a good job with business numbers, incorporating interviews with the key players, and sharing personal stories from everyone involved. Anybody who has

Read a good book lately?

‘Console Wars: Sega vs. Nintendo and the Battle that Defined a Generation’

Reviewed by JESS BARRON

played or is familiar with video games will enjoy this book, which includes plenty of good marketing and business philosophies and practices as well.

But it's the human side of the book – covering the story from the perspective of Tom Kalinske and others – that really makes this an interesting read.

Pick up the controller, I mean “Console Wars,” and enjoy!

“Console Wars” by Blake Harris; published by Dey Street Books, June 2015; 576 pages; 4.5 stars.

Jess Barron is a Realtor who lives and works in Newnan. Vice President and Associate Broker with Lindsey’s Inc. Realtors, he’s a member of the Million Dollar Club and serves on The Heritage School Board of Trustees. He also serves the community as a board commissioner with the Housing Authority of Newnan and as a director with the Foundation of Wesley Woods.

Share your favorite new read with Newnan-Coweta Magazine by writing a book review for possible publication in an upcoming issue. Keep your review at 200-300 words and please include the author’s name, page count and date of publication.

Send your review with your contact information to magazine@ newnan.com or mail to Newnan-Coweta Magazine, 16 Jefferson St., Newnan, GA 30263.

C'mon, Get Happy

It’s nearly impossible to be sad while listening to polka music. Trust me, I know as I was born in Wisconsin, a magical land where beer, cheese and polka reign supreme. Hearing that “oomph pa pa” warrants a wedding or festival with worlds of tubas, bratwurst and swirling skirts.

At home, my parents listened to albums and I loved looking at the covers. The one that rendered me speechless was the very adult and very mysterious cover of “Whipped Cream and Other Delights” by Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass. It depicted a woman wearing only whipped cream! Why? Did she taste it? And why no cherry? How did they remove it all after the photoshoot? Spoons? A hose?

My young mind was baffled.

Soon after, 8-track tape players overtook the album arena and, boy, did my parents go in full gusto. We began to perform in-house “talent shows” creating dances to specific songs. My dad’s song was Glen Campbell’s “Sunflower.” I still remember his dance routine which included the midsong pause when it clicked over to a different track.

The Partridge Family was my pick, David Cassidy being my first love. I wore a pleather jacket with a gazillion zippers, my mashup tribute to my second love, Fonzie.

As a teen, I began to listen to The B-52s, David Bowie and the Cars. Out of character was my obsession with Air Supply’s “I’m All Out of Love,” which fueled my penchant for the dramatic, leading me to toss my heartbroken body atop the canopy bed, sobbing and pleading for Scott Baio to write me back.

In college, I was given a ‘76 Dodge Aspen from my boyfriend’s dad. It was a junkyard gem. The front doors often didn’t work, so I mastered the backseat crawlover maneuver. The car’s name was Oscar, a tribute both to the boyfriend’s dad plus a nod to the two gold trophies (plus deer antlers) mounted to the hood. The best surprise? Oscar had an 8-track tape player!

Thrift store hunts unearthed Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Elvis, and I even found old Partridge Family 8-tracks. Though I never found any Bowie, polka 8-tracks were aplenty. My grandma gave me an 8-track she found at a garage sale sporting a photo of astrological signs. I popped it in to hear a zodiac zinger. Grandma had bought me a tape of an underground funk master named Blowfly who was famous for his “blueness.” To be frank, his lyrics were naughty and fierce, yet full of great rhythm. I played it for every person who rode in my car.

Decades later, I was in a comedic polka band and we actually got to open for Blowfly at a bar in Minneapolis. Before the show, I relaxed with “Mr. Blowfly” while he drank herbal tea. I told him the story of Grandma unintentionally introducing me to his music and how strange it was that my 8-track experience had come full circle. He was sweet, kind and soft spoken – the opposite of his stage persona. Showtime started and Blowfly was born, donned in leotards and cape, a swanky superhero for the suggestive.

Longing for a Partridge Family remake of “C’mon, Get Happy” with a polka pulse and a bit of Blowfly to boot, I realize my playlist might be complete for I revisit these memories of music. I rewind them like a worn cassette tape, straining to hear all the notes as I drive down a sunflower-lined road in a rusted out car named Oscar. NCM

Minnesota made yet Newnan Strong, Faith Farrell is involved with Newnan Theatre Company and Backstreet Arts. Her artwork can be viewed at faithfarrellart.com.

The Barrons, from left: Chip, Tom, Jess and Frank

More Kids, More Community, More Music Foundation!

Written by FRANCES KIDD | Photos Courtesy of PATHWAYS CENTER

Chad Staples seeks to cultivate community through the unifying art of playing music. Staples is the founder and director of More Music Foundation, a Coweta nonprofit with a mission to provide music instruction, knowledge, instruments and community to children.

“This program changes the way kids think,” says Staples. “They see they can set a goal and reach it.”

He has seen that realization change children’s lives.

Staples formerly worked as a painter at Delta Airlines where he sustained two on-the-job injuries, each resulting in back surgery that required a long recovery. But he made good use of his time. After the first surgery, Staples returned to Delta in a job with the Delta Care and Scholarship Fund where he was in charge of the annual 5K race. Under his leadership, the race was more successful than ever, leading Delta to assign him to organize the next year’s race, which raised an astonishing $100,000.

Facing another long recovery after his second surgery, Staples started going to Bridging the Gap, in Newnan, on Saturdays to sing and play his guitar. Parents began to talk with him about their kids wanting to learn music, and he discovered a need for music education for at-risk, low-income kids. He left Delta in December 2020 and, the next month, wrote the first business plan for More Music Foundation. A little more than a year later, the organization launched its first program.

“I attribute it to several factors: my time in the nonprofit world at Delta, understanding the need while

serving at Bridging the Gap, and playing and loving music my whole life,” says Staples, noting how the generosity of family and friends helped raise the initial funding.

Among the foundation’s programs are workshops at Ruth Hill Elementary School every third Saturday and Music Mondays at Pathways Center, in Newnan, where Staples plays music with younger clients and encourages them to use music to help deal with their issues.

A behavioral health care organization, Pathways Center serves children, adolescents and adults by addressing an array of mental health and substance abuse issues. Staples says the work he does there is the most difficult thing he does – but is also very rewarding.

“We’ve seen how Chad’s work relates to the kids,” says Abigail Alvarez, Pathways’ director of client engagement who oversees curriculum development for therapeutic intervention programs. “He comes in and is able to gauge how his audience is and can adjust his day’s program to them.”

Walk into the reception area at Pathways, and it’s impossible to miss the large plexiglass box in the wall. In July, it was stocked with different colored ping pong balls featuring the initials of Pathways clients. Each color represented a different activity at Pathways – the activity the client enjoyed most that day.

“It’s in the front lobby,” says Alvarez, “because when parents come to pick up their child, we want them to see what has been most important to their child, so they can think about introducing similar activities at home.” (On the day NCM visited, most of the ping pong balls were orange, representing music activities.)

Another popular More Music Foundation program is Learn to Earn. Partnering with local Boys & Girls Clubs, Staples teaches music at clubs twice a week. Students who have shown significant

More Music Foundation Founder/ Director Chad Staples plays guitar for clients at Pathways Center in Newnan.

“Success with music can change a child’s cognitive and social abilities, and it transcends into all parts of their life.”

– Chad Staples

advancement earn a guitar and a scholarship for weekly private music lessons.

Theresa River and her granddaughter Serenity

“Reni” Inman met Staples at Bridging the Gap and again at a nonprofit event where Staples asked her how things were going. River told him that she and her late husband had always wanted Reni to take piano lessons. Staples offered to sponsor Reni, and local piano teacher Cheryl Woods agreed to give Reni lessons.

But Staples didn’t stop there. He also procured a donated keyboard for Reni so that she could practice her music at home.

“She’s been taking lessons for a little over a year, and last year she was a color guard for the band at East Coweta, where she is a sophomore this fall,” says River. “Now that she’s more confident with her piano, she’s joining the band and will be playing

Ann McPherson Flemming, founder of Elevating Grace Foundation, met Staples during an online foster care training class. A few months later, her son Jaden started going to the Boys & Girls Club where he met Staples; after completing the Learn

to Earn program in 2022, Jaden received a guitar in a presentation at Ruth Hill Elementary.

“Jaden was overwhelmed with emotions,” says Flemming. “I’m so honored that Chad’s made us a part of this. Jaden has always loved music and this experience has been the driving force for him to break out of his shyness. He’s now in sixth grade at Arnall Middle where he’s joined the chorus at school. He’s lost his anxiety at being the center of attention.”

Both Reni and Jaden were part of the 2022 Make More Music Festival, a concert celebrating the foundation's first anniversary with students entertaining the guests.

To provide even more music instruction, Staples raises money and develops partnerships with local music teachers, both in the county school system and private teachers. In 2022, More Music partnered with Bridging the Gap’s Christmas in Coweta by providing keyboards and one lesson a month to 20 students. In May, More Music was the recipient of a $15,000 grant from Newnan Junior Service League.

Along with music instruction, the foundation strives to provide a sense of community by getting the music kids together for bowling, eating and hanging out, according to Staples.

“I gauge our success from watching the kids figure out that they can do something difficult,” says Staples. “Success with music can change a child’s cognitive and social abilities, and it transcends into all parts of their life.”

When asked what the foundation needs most, Staples immediately responds: donated instruments in good condition.

“But my real dream,” he adds, “is to have our own building so the kids know they have a place they can always come and play music.” NCM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALAN...

from your hometown!

LOCAL MUSICIANS/BANDS

Listen to the Music

BEST OF COWETA’S TOP 3 MUSICIANS/BANDS AS VOTED ON BY NEWNAN-COWETA MAGAZINE READERS

There’s a bunch of singing and guitar playing going on in Coweta County.

On any given weekend, performers with Coweta addresses can be found on stage picking their best and singing their hearts out.

With a wealth of talented musicians and bands in our midst, it’s an honor to be voted Best Local Musician/Band by those who have listened to the songs or watched the acts perform. In Newnan-Coweta Magazine’s fifth annual Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice Awards, our readers awarded the top 3 spots to Doug Kees, Steven Moore, and Kris Youmans & Her Mighty Fine Band.

Here, we take a closer look at these local musicians, songwriters and guitarists whose gift for song is – no doubt about it – a gift for Coweta.

Introduction by JACKIE KENNEDY

Photo courtesy of Steven Moore

Photo by Rick Diamond

Photo courtesy of Kris Youmans

COWETA MUSIC

Doug Kees:

MAKING MUSIC, TEACHING MUSIC, LOVING THE MUSIC LIFE

Written by JENNIFER LONDON | Photographed by RICK DIAMOND PHOTOGRAPHY

Doug Kees has been voted Coweta’s Best Local Musician for the past five years, demonstrating the incredible talent that he possesses.

Yet, it’s the relationships that fellow musicians have developed with him, and the musical instruction bestowed upon his students, that prove what a beacon his music and energy are for this community and his fans.

Kees started teaching private guitar lessons in April 1989. What began as an endeavor to teach for six to eight weeks turned into 11 years.

By the year 2000, with lessons growing to 90 a week and his teaching space outgrown, Kees moved his business, Musicology, to its current location at 48 Spring Street in downtown Newnan. He brought in more teachers, encompassing a variety of musical instrument lessons and teaching all ages, starting at 4.

His poetic nature guides his vision and perspective.

“You’re going where you’re supposed to go, just sit in the canoe and float,” says Kees. “I thought I just need to lay back and I’m gonna wind up down river where I’m supposed to be – and it was definitely that.”

Over the summer, Musicology offers Rock Band Camp, which runs for five mornings with two dozen high school kids and concludes with a performance at the Alamo where students showcase what they learned in the week.

“They’re unfreakingbelievable,” says Kees. “They’re not doing easy songs.”

Kees gives this advice to students dreaming of a music career: “The main thing is to learn to do as many things in the industries as you can. The

LEFT Doug Kees, Newnan’s local guitar hero, performs throughout the Southeast.

Photo by Rick Diamond Photography

reality is all the people I know who are actually making a living doing just music, they do a lot of different aspects of it.”

Songwriting and Sweethearts

In recent years, Kees has been recording instrumentals.

“A lot of times, I’ll do an Instagram post,” he says. “I’ll get up in the morning, get a cup of coffee and noodle.”

Initially, he recorded solo acoustic music, then he added a full band.

His wife, Nicole Andrews-Kees, comments: “He did the song ‘Sweetheart’ for me. He’ll write songs for me or about things happening in our lives. It’s pretty aweinspiring because he has so much talent, but he’s so modest and humble about it. He’s definitely someone who conveys how he’s feeling through written language.”

According to Andrews-Kees, there are stacks of handwritten notes that her husband has written to her since they started dating in 2014.

“I feel like his songwriting, even though there may not be words to the music, that’s still such a strong expression of who he is, whether through music or through written word,” she says.

Kees has recorded several new songs set to release in September. His new songs, as well as previously released music, are available on Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify and iTunes.

“The reason for doing these songs in September is just the satisfaction of creating,” Kees says. “People respond to it in a way that’s positive and say good things about it and it makes them feel a certain way, and so it’s just a gift to hopefully lessen the ugliness out there.”

Kees says watching the reaction to his solo work has been interesting.

“It’s all instrumental, and I think a lot of big truths are beyond words,” he says. “I think a lot of times what separates people is trying to verbally define what we think or how we perceive things. I think regardless of people’s philosophical or political or religious point of view, people respond the same to just pure music, and I think it’s been interesting to see that.”

On tour with Michelle Malone

Along with his solo acoustic work, Kees routinely performs with fellow musician Michelle Malone, a singer-songwriter popular in the Atlanta music scene for years.

“Most of what we do is Michelle Malone’s music and she has 17 to 18 albums and a 30-year career,” says Kees. “We play either as a duo or four- or five-piece band. She and I probably do 150 shows a year, which is tremendous.”

Kees and Malone began working together in 2017 doing the reunion tour for her first band, Drag the River.

“It worked out well,” says Malone. “He fit right in like a glove, and learned the parts from the record. That was our first time playing together. I asked him to play on my record, it came out in 2018, called ‘Slings and Arrows.’ He played quite a bit of guitar on that and, again, we just seem to work well together. We’re very simpatico.”

Malone tells of the moment the lightbulb went off when she heard Kees play “Autumn Leaves” on guitar: “I love Christmas and I love classic Christmas music, and not everybody can play that stuff. Well, guess who can? Doug! He’s just able to fulfill all these very different roles in the same way that I can sing them, right? He can play them and, apparently, it was just meant to be.”

That lightbulb moment segued into The Hot Toddies, a trio consisting of Malone, Kees and upright bassist Robby Handley performing classic Christmas music with a punchy vibe. From Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, the group performs at venues throughout Metro Atlanta, playing Christmas tunes from the late 1940s, ’50s and

Doug Kees routinely performs with Atlanta-based singer Michelle Malone.

’60s with a jazzed up, rock-and-roll sound. Kees also performs with Malone in a group they call Canyonland, which covers 1970s music from California’s Laurel Canyon, including tunes from Jackson Browne, The Eagles, and others of that era with the same LA vibe.

“Michelle and I had been out there playing for three weeks up and down the coast, and we flew home March 2 of 2020,” Kees recalls. “We had Pacific Ocean and Big Sur and everything in our heads, and then stayed home for a year and she started writing songs with that sort of on her. So her album “1977” was very much that, and so it has a lot of that vibe and Canyonland kind of grew out of that.”

Malone reflects: “I’m just glad that we’re playing together. He wants to play music with me, and we get along so well, and he’s so amenable to all the things that we have to do. He’s very flexible, so he’s just wonderful. When I bring him songs that I’ve written, he seems to know what to do with them, and we work so well together in the studio as well. We can really finesse what

we both hear. I just can’t say enough wonderful things about Doug – and not just how well he plays and how well we get along, but how well we work together.”

Learning from a guitar hero

Nashville-based singer-songwriter, producer and musician Adam Wright fondly recalls guitar lessons in Newnan from his teacher Doug Kees.

“When I met Doug, I think I was 12 years old,” says Wright, the son of Newnan residents Lamar and Cathy Wright. “I’d heard a Chuck Berry record and flipped out and said ‘I have to have a guitar.’ At some point, my dad hears about Newnan Music. I walked in there, and Doug changed my life.”

Wright calls it “the most formidable” time in his music development.

“I was still sort of soaking everything up and my fingers were just sort of learning how to do everything, so to have a guy like him instructing me in all of that made all the difference in the world,” he says. “For those of us in a small town in Georgia in the ’80s who wanted to be a part of the music that we heard on the radio and in our tape collection, I mean he was a godsend. He was the conduit to the magic of music, particularly rock-and-roll for me that just seemed unreachable. It was even more fantastic that he just looked rock-and-roll. He had this really long red hair and he wore rock-and-roll clothes and he played guitar like our guitar heroes. He showed me what was cool about music and what was not cool about music and what was important.”

Wright, who penned four of the Top 50 most played tunes on Bluegrass radio in 2021 and had top tunes on the charts this year also, relishes the fact that he’s been able to perform live with his teacher.

“I’ve done some shows with him in Newnan and he’s come up to Nashville a time or two and sat in when me and my band were playing, so we have performed together but we’ve not been on tour together,” Wright says. “We have worked together professionally but most of our relationship was student-teacher and then, you know, friends.”

Stay tuned

On Sept. 13, Kees will perform at Below the Neck (in the basement of Redneck Gourmet) in Newnan, and he’ll play at Napoleon’s in Atlanta on Sept. 14.

Jonathan Hickman, a Newnan attorney and filmmaker with JWH Productions, plans to release a short documentary on Kees, also in September. The documentary will be linked on Kees’ website at dougkees.com and on YouTube. NCM

Photo by Rick Diamond Photography

Steven Moore:

MUSIC AS AN OUTLET –AND A WAY OF LIFE

Written by CAROLINE NICHOLSON |

Born in August of 2001, Steven Warner Moore had a fairly typical small-town childhood, one familiar to those of us who grew up unable to go to the grocery store without seeing a familiar face.

A Newnan native, Moore always knew how to dream big, starting as a young kid when he crafted a costume out of construction paper in the hopes of becoming Superman. However, as the years went by, he left that dream in the closet alongside his makeshift costume. Moore struggled to find the grownup answer to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

But there had always been one constant in his life: music.

Around the age of 10, Moore began playing guitar at First Baptist Church of Moreland. Music had been around for him before then; he says he grew up listening to country music from the 1980s and ’90s.

Photos courtesy of STEVEN MOORE

Photo courtesy

Steven Moore is gaining a great local following in Coweta County.

While learning to play, Moore didn’t think much about music. It was just something he was learning to do, he recalls; that is, until high school when his view on music changed. It was at this point that he went from just playing music to writing his own songs.

According to Moore, music transformed into something so meaningful.

“Music became an outlet for everything,” he says. “If I was having a good day and all this fun stuff was going on, I could write about it and have this memory and story about it. And if things were bad, music was a way to let it out and a way to cope with whatever. There’s so many different things you can do with it, and you can use it how you want.”

Moore exemplifies this idea – that you can use music however you want. His career started in the midst of a tragedy for the community he grew up in.

In late March of 2021, an EF-4 tornado ravaged Newnan, impacting the lives of those closest to Moore. At the time, he was attending Georgia Southern University in Statesboro when he got a phone call from the executive pastry chef at Heirloom Donuts asking if he would come play at a benefit event to raise money and support for those affected by the tornado.

This event opened the singer-songwriter’s eyes to the joys of playing music for people, and from there he began performing on a more regular basis. His first show after the benefit was at Abide Brewing Company in June 2021, and from there his music career took off. A few months after playing his first show, his first song, “Stuck,” was released in October 2021.

Moore shares that he draws a great deal of musical inspiration from his fellow Newnan native Alan Jackson. Making his debut all the more special was when, at his release party for “Stuck,” Moore received a video message from Jackson congratulating him on the new single.

Moore released two more singles in early 2022 and an EP titled “Got it All” last February. His dedication to music and performing is paying off. His shows are packed with fans and supporters, and he earned the second place spot in NCM’s Best of Coweta’s Best Local Band/ Musician category for 2023.

Along with strong lyrics and good musicianship, Moore and his band deliver a great show that’s bound to get the crowd moving. Moore says he and his band seek to get audience members of all ages up on their feet dancing and having a great time.

Moving forward, Moore plans to ride this music wave as far as he can. But at the same time, he understands how challenging the music industry can be and recognizes there are thousands of others who share his dream.

As a backup plan, he’s currently working toward getting a real estate license but spends the rest of his time focusing on music. He has shows planned for the rest of the year across Coweta County.

Moore’s small-town upbringing combined with his ambition and drive create an unstoppable young man who doesn’t shy away from the uphill battle it might take to achieve his goals. Above all else, he says, “I’m going to take this as far as I can; it’s too much fun not to!”

Keep up with Steven Moore’s upcoming shows at stevenmooremusic.com. NCM

“Music became an outlet for everything,”

– Steven Moore

Steven Moore sings his heart out during a 2022 show in Newnan.

Photos by Lily Hass

NO. 3 BEST LOCAL MUSICIAN/BAND

Kris Youmans & Her Mighty Fine Band

Written by JENNY ENDERLIN | Photos courtesy of KRIS YOUMANS

If you ask Kris Youmans what style of music her band plays, she will tell you “it’s a little this and that.”

Some might call it Americana western swing, others folk-country, but all who hear it call it amazing.

Kris Youmans & Her Mighty Fine Band were Georgia Country Artists of the Year in 2016 (and finalists nearly every year since), featured on Georgia Public Broadcasting in 2019, and have opened for Bret Michaels and The SteelDrivers.

The band tours annually, but can be found playing at local hotspots like The Cellar, Ashley Park’s Groovin’ on the Green, Mainstreet Newnan events, Senoia’s Alive After Five, Line Creek Microbrewery and RPM.

“IT’S ALL ABOUT FAMILY, FAITH AND FUN”

Youmans's musical career began early in life. At the age of 16, she busked along River Street in Savannah where she grew up. Eventually she married and had children, though during that season of life, she rarely played outside of church.

“And then I went back to it,” says Youmans. She’s been playing locally for the past 20 years. At first, she played solo gigs, but she wished to connect with other musicians. A friend introduced her to Warren Hall.

“He plays the pedal steel guitar,” says Youmans. “That’s what makes country music special – that pedal steel. Whenever you hear a country song, it’s in the background.”

Hall and Youmans clicked instantly – and not just in a musical sense. They have been together as a couple for 17 years and married for the last two.

BELOW

“We love Barefoot Slim,” says fellow band member David Puett, referring to Hall by his nickname. The lap and steel guitarist plays barefoot because his long legs will not fit underneath his instrument if he wears shoes – and because it was summertime when he first began to play and it was too hot for footwear.

“It’s how I learned, and shoes feel awkward now, so I just stuck with that,” says Hall.

The rest of the band includes Jerry Lee who plays drums and “the twins,” including Puett, who plays guitar and bass, and Patrick Thompson on upright bass, mandolin and banjo. Their fathers were members of the same band when they were kids, so they have known each other their entire lives. In the 1990s, they played alternative metal together before branching into other genres.

“They’ve always been together musically one way or another,” says Youmans. Though the two men still both love rock, they now teach music, have families and serve on their church praise teams.

The five band members are a tight-knit group whose conversations are filled with playful banter,

Kris Youmans's brother Mickey Youmans, far left, joins the band on harmonica when they play in Savannah. Joining him, from left, are David Puett on guitar, Jerry Lee on drums, Kris Youmans, Patrick Thompson on bass and Warren Hall on pedal steel guitar.

COWETA MUSIC

and it is clear they respect one another immensely.

“It’s just fun,” says Lee. “They’re like a family.”

“Not to be sappy or anything, but we’re blessed with this,” says Hall. “We count our blessings every time we play a gig.”

“Don’t get sappy,” laughs Puett.

“But it’s true, it’s true!” says Hall. “We know they could play with anybody, so we try to show respect and appreciation, and Kris is really good about considering the needs of families.”

“Yeah, I’m big on that,” says Youmans, who says her children are her biggest supporters. Likewise, she prioritizes her band members’ familial obligations. Youmans is extremely driven but values encouragement over competitiveness, unlike what she has seen occur in a lot of music scenes elsewhere.

“I have to say in Newnan, it’s not really like that,” she notes. “People help each other, they support each other. There’s this network of musicians. Everybody’s passing information back and forth.”

Youmans puts on the Blues Plate Special fundraiser for Meals on Wheels every year, and she created Newnan Unplugged as a way of giving new artists the chance to play publicly.

“I’m constantly trying to provide opportunities for someone that’s just starting out,” she says.

Youmans is responsible for providing their first stage performances to musicians like Sara Greer, Mary Martin, Sasha Hurtado of the TV show “The Voice,” and Callista Clark, who plays at The Grand Ole Opry.

Says Youmans: “I always tell young people just starting out, ‘Yeah, you just played a great set of cover songs; that really was great. So, are you writing anything?’”

Songwriting paves the way, according to Youmans.

“That’s where you’re going to make it,” she says. “To me, one thing that’s important is to encourage young songwriters to go ahead and get stuff out there. Songwriting is, to me, the basis of everything musical.”

Together, the band has produced tunes like “Crazy Nancy,” “Crescent Moon,” and “Whitfield Avenue.” They’re about to release their second album.

When asked what makes Kris Youmans & Her Mighty Fine Band so successful, the members point in unison to Kris.

“No. It’s. Not!” she responds, slapping the table with each word for emphasis. “It is not me. You know why it’s not me? Because I love the fact of the band. I like the band, the whole feeling of everybody working together. It takes everybody contributing to it.”

She is quick to brag about her fellow musicians’ talent and explain how each contributes to song creation, from suggesting sounds like crickets or gunshots in the background to helping write the arrangement.

“I couldn’t do it without all of them,” she concludes. NCM

Catch Doug Kees Band

Photo credit: Rick Diamond Photography

Alan!Birthday,

Shown in one of his most recent publicity photos, Newnan native Alan Jackson has “kept it country” since his first big hit in 1990.

Things 65

You May or May Not Know about Alan Jackson

Written and compiled by JACKIE KENNEDY Photos courtesy of CATHY WRIGHT AND CAROL GLOVER

It’s hard to believe the long-legged and lanky blond hunk who skied his way into American hearts wearing ripped jeans and a cowboy hat is about to turn 65.

But it’s true. The songwriter and video star of “Chattahoochee,” country music superstar Alan Jackson’s about to hit threescore and five.

Born in Newnan on Oct. 17, 1958, to Eugene “Daddy Gene” and “Mama Ruth” Jackson, Alan is the youngest of five siblings and the only brother to sisters Diane Dawson, of Heard County; twins Cathy Wright and Carol Glover, both of Newnan; and Connie Davis, who lives in West Virginia.

Alan graduated from Newnan High School in 1976 and moved to Nashville a decade later to make a go at making music. His first big hit came in 1990, and a legendary career grew from there.

In honor of Newnan’s native son on his birthday, NewnanCoweta Magazine presents 65 things readers may or may not know about the hometown boy who achieved international fame.

Gone Country

Things 65

35 No. 1 Hits

Alan Jackson has had 35 No. 1 hits, including “Chattahoochee,” “Don’t Rock the Jukebox,” “Gone Country,” “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” and “Little Man.” His first album was released in 1990, and the song with the same name as the album, “Here In The Real World,” was his first No. 1 single. Also in 1990, Alan made his first Grand Ole Opry appearance and began his first major concert tour, opening for Clint Black. (alanjackson.com)

Mama Ruth and Daddy Gene pose with a cardboard cutout of their country star son in 1990, the year he was nominated for four CMA awards, including Horizon (Best New Artist) Award, Album, Single and Song of the Year.

Meeting Denise

Alan met his future wife, Denise, in 1976 at Dairy Queen in Newnan. They married December 15, 1979, and have three daughters: Mattie Denise, Alexandra “Ali” Jane and Dani Grace. The couple welcomed their first grandchild, Jackson Alvie Bradshaw, son of Ali and Sam Bradshaw, on December 13, 2023, just two days shy of Alan and Denise’s 43rd anniversary. (family interviews)

3 Boats, Cars & Planes

The writer/singer of “Drive (for Daddy Gene)” has said: “Boats and cars. I’ve gotten so many good songs out of those things, because growing up boats and cars is what I loved to do, I still do. And a lot of the language suits country music.” Says his wife Denise: “He loves restoring and collecting antique cars and boats. He has his private pilot’s license and seaplane rating, has flown his own amphibious seaplane, and has flown crosscountry with a co-pilot.”

(alanjackson.com, Denise Jackson)

Denise and Alan pose for prom pictures at Newnan High School.

4

“Lil‘ Red Riding Hood”

Alan’s first musical performance was when, in second grade, he sang “Lil’ Red Riding Hood” by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs. He got his first guitar at age 16 when his parents purchased one for $ 50 and, yes, he still has it. (Favorites, Firsts and Fun Facts)

Says Alan’s sister, Cathy Wright: “This is our first boat. Daddy was trying to find some sort of recreation we could do to keep the family together, and that’s when we started learning to ski at Lake Blalock and camping out at Lake Martin in Alabama. Alan wrote about a later boat in the ‘Drive’ song.” With Mama Ruth in white in back and Alan in front at age 2, his sisters are, from left: Cathy, Connie, Carol and Diane.

Can you find Alan in his third grade class picture? In Alma Park’s class at Elm Street Elementary School, he’s fifth from left on the top row!

“It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”

In 2003, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” became Alan’s 30th No. 1 single and stayed at the top of the charts for eight weeks. He and Jimmy Buffet claimed CMA’s top award for Vocal Event of the Year for that song, and Alan also was named CMA Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year. (alanjackson.com)

It’s Five O’clock Somewhere

While “It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" was routinely playing on radios across the continent in July 2003, Alan treated the whole Jackson family to a weeklong vacation in the Bahamas. From left to right are, front: Dani, Alli and Mattie Jackson, Mama Ruth, Carol and Banks Glover, Cathy and Lamar Wright, Angela Wright, and Patrick, Connie and Pat Davis. Back: Alan and Denise, Douglas and Diane Dawson, Adam and Shannon Wright, Julie Frank, Josh Kirby, Candace and Philip Frank, Brian Wright, Rob Davis, Katie Dawson and Jimmy Dawson.

AJ’s Good Time Bar in Nashville

In 2016, Alan opened AJ’s Good Time Bar at 421 Broadway in downtown Nashville. The same year, he and George Strait performed "Remember When" and "Troubadour" at the 50th CMA Awards show. (alanjackson.com)

Childhood Tussles and a 7-shaped Scar

Alan has two scars on his forehead that together make the number 7, according to his sister Carol Glover, who tells the story of the childhood scars: “He and Diane were pillow fighting in the kitchen, and Alan hit his forehead on one of the door facings. Another time, either Diane or Connie stuck their foot out and tripped him, and he hit his head on the edge of the coffee table, and we all got a spanking. Every time he got hurt, all of us sisters got a spanking, whether we were even there or not. I don't think Alan got a spanking ever in his life! The two scars together make the number 7 on his forehead, and he eventually started wearing a hat to cover up the scars."

In what Cody Deal believes is Alan Jackson's first official promotional portrait, the country singer's 7-shaped scar is visible. (Photo by Bob Shapiro)

10 Back to the Beginning: Dixie Steel

Alan attended Elm Street Elementary and graduated from Newnan High School in 1976. He got his first paying job at age 12 in a local shoe repair shop. He waited tables at Sprayberry’s, sold cars at Newnan Motor Company (now Mike Fitzpatrick), and had jobs in and around Newnan as a furniture delivery boy at Maxwell-Prince, a forklift driver at K-Mart, and a mechanic at Highland Marina, on West Point Lake in LaGrange, where he wrote many of his first songs.

(alanjackson.com, Carol Glover)

Growing Up in Newnan 9/11: Where Were You?

After 9/11, Jackson debuted "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" on the 2001 CMA Awards show. A year later at the CMAs, he won Song and Single of the Year for that song, as well as Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year for “Drive.” He made CMA history in 2002 with the most nominations (10) in a single year, becoming the most nominated artist in CMA history. “Where Were You” came in at No. 1 in 2010 when CMT ranked the “40 Greatest Songs of the Decade.” (alanjackson.com)

Cody Deal shares the story of Dixie Steel, the first band Alan Jackson played in: “I met Alan at a wedding where he was singing in the mid-1980s. After the wedding, he came over to my house for the reception, and he noticed I had some musical equipment downstairs. We struck up a conversation, and I explained that I had a small band and we were looking for a singer. It started there. The other guys in my band were a little skeptical at first because we played mostly rock music and they weren’t into country and didn’t want to switch to country music. I told them, ‘You've got to hear this guy,’ and after hearing him sing a couple songs, they said, ‘OK, we'll do country!’ We named the band Dixie Steel after a box of nails we saw on my basement floor where we rehearsed. We played around the south side of Atlanta and at several small venues around Newnan, including Jimbeau’s Pub [formerly Duncan’s BBQ]. Alan began to gain a following. After a while he decided to move to Nashville and have a go at it. I knew he would make it. It was his stage presence, his songwriting talents, and he just had the strongest voice of anybody I’d ever been associated with. I remember standing on stage with him and his voice coming through the monitors at me and it would just stand the hair up on the back of my neck, it was just that powerful.”

Alan, standing at center, was lead singer for Dixie Steel, a Newnan-based band he joined in the mid-1980s. Band members were, seated, Marty Rogers; standing, from left: Eddie Norton, Billy Beckom, Alan, Mark Riggs and Cody Deal.

Alan Jackson, shown in his senior portrait, graduated from Newnan High School in 1976.

11 Early Doubts

Cody Deal, who moved from Newnan to Wedowee, Ala., after retiring from working as a general contractor and private investigator, recalls Alan's early years in Nashville: "He got discouraged at the beginning. He would send me cassette tapes of songs he was working on, and I always tried to encourage him. It wasn't this thing where he went to Nashville and immediately became a superstar. He worked at it. He would doubt himself, though. I'd say, 'Man, do you ever listen to yourself sing? How can you doubt yourself?' When he first went to Nashville, our band members got together and told him we'd continue on without him and if it didn't work out for him up there, he could come back and we'd have a place open for him in the band. After he had that first hit, 'Here in the Real World,' he called me and said, 'I think y'all can go ahead and fill that spot.'"

Visualizing Home

Alan has said: “When I write, I visualize back home and growing up. I say this, ‘Real country songs are life and love and heartache, drinking and Mama and having a good time, kinda like that David Alan Coe song.’ But it’s the sounds of the instruments, too. The steel and acoustic guitar, the fiddle, those things have a sound and a tone – and getting that right, the way those things make you feel, that’s country, too.” (alanjackson.com)

“Let It Be Christmas”

In 2002, Alan released "Let It Be Christmas," his second holiday album, along with a holiday TV special on CMT. His first holiday album was titled "Honky Tonk Christmas." He released "The Bluegrass Album" in 2013, debuting it at Carnegie Hall in New York City. (alanjackson.com)

Alan signed with Arista Nashville in 1989 as their first country artist and released his first single, "Blue Blooded Woman," which didn't reach the top of the charts. That soon changed with hit after hit. To date, Alan has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. (alanjackson.com, Wikipedia)

CMA, ACM & CMT Awards

“Chattahoochee” won CMA Single and Video of the Year in 1993. In 1994, “Livin’ On Love” became Alan's 15th No. 1 single. One of the most-nominated artists in Country Music Association (CMA) Awards history, Alan has won 16 CMAs, including Entertainer of the Year three times. He's won 19 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards and, in 2022, he was named Artist of a Lifetime at the CMT Music Awards. (alanjackson.com)

“Livin’

On Love” was Alan’s 15th No. 1 single.

“Man, do you ever listen to yourself sing? How can you doubt yourself?”

– Cody Deal

16

Fourth of July in Newnan

Alan returned to Newnan in 1996 for that year’s Fourth of July Parade and sang a couple of songs with Cody Deal and his new band, Wild Eyed Dream, at a fundraiser for the high school that night, according to Cody, who adds: "I’m shocked we even pulled that off. I’d asked his manager if Alan was going to sing with us, and he said no, he'll only sing with his band. But later Alan called me from the bus and said he was going to sing a couple songs with us. We were a nervous wreck because we hadn’t practiced the songs. You’ve got this superstar about to sing with you, but we pulled it off. We did ‘Chattahoochee’ and ‘Gone Country’ and it went well.”

Top, Bobby Welch drives a convertible for Alan and his family, who were featured in Newnan's 1996 Fourth of July parade. Later that night, Alan performed with his first bandmate, Cody Deal, at a Newnan High School fundraiser, above.

(Photos by The Newnan Times-Herald)

Musical Influences 17

Alan's musical influences are George Jones, Hank Williams Sr., Hank Williams Jr., Merle Haggard, George Strait, John Conlee, John Anderson and Gene Watson. (Favorites, Firsts and Fun Facts)

18 20 Saga of the ’55 T-Bird Weather Channel Junkie

In 1973, Alan, then 15, bought a 1955 Thunderbird convertible and worked with his dad to fix it up to drive when he got his driver's license. He sold the car in 1979 to make a down payment for his and Denise's first home. Denise tracked down the T-Bird and surprised Alan with it as a Christmas gift in 1993.

(family interviews)

Alan is a Weather Channel junkie with every TV at his house typically set to automatically turn on to that channel. His favorite TV show is “The Andy Griffith Show” and his favorite movies include “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” “Gone With The Wind” and “On Golden Pond.” (Favorites, Firsts and Fun Facts)

His Heart has always been in Real Country Music Last Call: One More for the Road

In May 2021, Alan's “Where Have You Gone” debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Current Country Album Chart. In the summer of 2022, his “Last Call: One More for the Road” tour included sold-out and capacity crowds. He currently has no scheduled concerts on his website. (alanjackson.com)

Alan has said: “I never felt the need to chase anything different than I did. I just did what I liked and was lucky enough to connect with people who love the same kind of country music I do. My heart was in the real country music, that was what I wanted to do, and I thought if my career lasts three or four years, I’d be happy.” (alanjackson.com)

High school sweethearts, Alan and Denise prepare to take his classic 1955 T-Bird for a spin around town.

Country Music Hall of Fame

Alan has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Songwriters Hall of Fame, Georgia Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry. Loretta Lynn inducted Alan into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2017. (alanjackson.com)

23 Pulling Pranks

Says Alan's brother-in-law Lamar Wright: “Like his dad, Alan loves to pull pranks on people – and still does. Back in the 1970s, he worked with me at MaxwellPrince Furniture Store on Temple Avenue as a delivery boy. Most of our strong arms were high school and college students. Alan had a knack for sound effects like imitating a vacuum cleaner. More than one customer fell prey to him as he could see the customer looking at the unplugged vacuum cleaners but they could not see him. All that was required was their touching a vacuum, and jumping out of their skin when it sprang to life!

It was also during this time period that John Denver had a very popular song, 'Thank God I’m a Country Boy,’ which was the first song the Jackson family ever heard Alan sing; he sang it while starring in his senior class play. At the furniture store, Alan had all the boys singing his lyrics to ‘Thank God I’m a Delivery Boy.’ He could also stop cars by simulating a police siren, and he can make a really good train sound – and bird noises. He could imitate the voices of famous country stars, which he used to do early on when he sang their songs. We were thrilled when we first heard him using his own beautiful voice when he sang.”

Alan Jackson was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1991 and has played there many times since.

As the youngest child and only boy in the Jackson bunch, Alan not only got away with a bit of mischief –he also was assigned to keep his sisters out of mischief! The photos here, from left, show Alan as an infant (a), toddler (b), first grader (c) and 10-year-old (d).

24 Spying on Sisters

When Cathy Jackson and Lamar Wright started dating, Cathy was 14, Lamar was 17, and 7-year-old Alan was charged with keeping an eye on them. Says Cathy: "A lot of our time together was spent in my mother’s living room. My parents used Alan as a spy to check on us to make sure we were not 'getting too friendly.' His job was to come into the living room (in his pajamas) and see if the lights were still on. Then he reported to the parents. They needn’t have worried. Lamar was very well behaved!"

26

25 Man of Many Talents

Adam Wright considers his Uncle Alan a man of many talents: "He’s a talented drawer. He has sketches of race cars, trucks and boats. They’re really good. My Aunt Diane, the oldest sister, could draw and paint, so I guess that’s in the family recipe somewhere. And he's a joker. One time when I was about 10 or so, he walked up and asked if I’d ever seen a match burn twice. I said, 'No!' He lit a match and said, 'One,' blew it out, and touched the stillhot end to my arm and said, 'Two!' Funnier now than it was back then!"

Stolen Wedding Gifts

Carol Glover recalls an early incident of bum luck: "Alan and Denise got their first house from behind First Baptist Church. They moved it out to Corinth Road, fixed it up, and it was the cutest rustic farmhouse. It was their first home and it was adorable. They got married, went on their honeymoon, and when they came back home to their new house, it had been burglarized and all their wedding presents were gone."

Alan Comes “Home” for His Parents’ 50th

Alan's favorite of the songs he's written is “Home.” Written for his mother as a Mother's Day gift and released as a single in 1996, it became his 20th No. 1 hit. The same year, his parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Newnan with about 250 family and friends.

(alanjackson.com; Favorites, Firsts and Fun Facts)

In 1996, Alan’s single, “Home,” reached the top of the charts, and his parents celebrated their 50th anniversary. Top: Alan and his sisters grew up in this house, which still stands on Franklin Road. Left: Feted by family and friends, Daddy Gene and Mama Ruth enjoy their 50th anniversary celebration with Alan and his oldest daughter,

play for his parents’ 50th,

A Successful Musician... and a Good Man

Soon after he arrived in Newnan as the new minister of music at First Baptist Church, L.C. Lane got to know Alan and his family. Lane recalls: “Alan had just finished high school, and it was good to have him, Carol, Cathy and Lamar as a part of our choir program. Those were some good family voices adding to the team of musicians. Those guitar lessons and other classes eventually developed into the School of the Arts at First Baptist, which still teaches today. I came across a program for ‘The Seven Last Words of Christ’ years later and was reminded that Alan was playing the part of one of the two thieves. I wanted to let him know that it was not ‘type casting.’ I’ll always treasure singing together, especially the duet he came up with where I sang ‘You’ve Got a Friend’ and Alan superimposed ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’ on top. I think we should do that again sometime. I'm so proud of Alan and his success as a musician – but also how he’s developed into a good man. God bless, my friend.”

29 Favorite Actor & Actress

Alan's favorite actor is Jack Nicholson and his favorite actress is Sandra Bullock (Favorites, Firsts and Fun Facts)

Favorite Song by Another

Alan’s favorite song by another is “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones. A great friend of “the possum,” Alan performed Jones’ signature song to close the country music legend's memorial service at the Grand Ole Opry in 2013.

(Favorites, Firsts and Fun Facts)

Mattie. Right: Alan and his group, The Strayhorns,

from left: Robbie Flint, Brian Franklin, Bruce Rutherford, Alan, Mark McClurg and Roger Bob Wills.

funeral with an old recording of her reading from The Bible).” The song includes a recording of Mama Ruth reading scripture. “That was sweet,” Alan has said. “Towards the last few years, she had a scratchy voice. But she was just such a sweet woman, a sweet, sweet lady.” (alanjackson.com)

“Small Town Southern Man”

In 2008, “Small Town Southern Man” became Alan's 32nd No. 1 single. It was followed by “Good Time” as the second No. 1 hit from the "Good Times" album. (alanjackson.com)

Blue Plate & Maxwell House

On tour, Alan is never without Blue Plate Mayonnaise and Maxwell House Coffee. In 1994, Alan put out a cookbook, “Who Says You Can’t Cook It All,” containing family recipes. He still makes good cornbread and pancakes from scratch. (Denise Jackson)

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Alan has won two American Music Awards, two Grammy Awards, three Billboard Awards and 1 Gospel Music Association Dove Award. He was honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the CMA Awards in October 2022 and was named Artist of a Lifetime by CMT the month before. In 2010, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (alanjackson.com)

met Glen Campbell while she was working as a flight attendant. Not long after, she and Alan moved to Nashville where, in 1986, he signed as a songwriter with Campbell's publishing company. (alanjackson.com, Cody Deal)

Rubbing Shoulders with the Greats

Alan has worked with numerous superstars. In 2011, he finished an incomplete Hank Williams song, “You’ve Been Lonesome, Too,“ for Dylan's project, “The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams.” The same year, he won a Grammy Award for Country Song of the Year with the Zac Brown Band for “As She's Walking Away.” He sang “Respect” with the Four Tops, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston at an Arista Records Grammy Party. (alanjackson.com, Favorites, Firsts and Fun Facts)

Above: Alan appeared with Glen Campbell on “HeeHaw” in the early 1990s. Below: He does a bit in the cornfield with Grandpa Jones.

Is it any wonder why

Uncle Hat

Alan Jackson’s great-nieces and -nephews call him Uncle Hat. Brian Wright explains how that came to be: “My son Cole was probably 2 at the time and wasn’t much of a talker. He was trying to tell us something about ‘Uncle Ah-wan’ but couldn’t get it out. So he said, ‘You know, Uncle Hat.’ It made perfect sense; he always has on a hat of some sort. So, we've referred to him as Uncle Hat since then.”

38 Tool Time

In 1996, Alan appeared on TV’s “Home Improvement” where he sang “Mercury Blues” on Tim (the Toolman) Taylor’s fictitious handyman show, “Tool Time.” The same year, Alan headlined the Fruit of the Loom Country Fest at Atlanta Motor Speedway where an estimated 275,000 in attendance made it one of the largest one-day ticketed events. (alanjackson.com)

Tim Allen, left, and Alan Jackson are shown on set in 1996, when the country star performed on Allen’s hit TV show.

Alan’s great-nephews and -nieces call him Uncle Hat?

Denise “Spills the Tea” on Alan

Denise Jackson shares a few things you may not know about her husband:

• He likes “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars.

• He has a Karaoke Barn on their property called AJ’s Good Time Barn.

• His “go-to” karaoke duet with Denise is “ Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man.”

• He bought his first cowboy hat at the Coweta County Fair when he was 17.

• He can wiggle his ears.

40 Benefit Concerts for His Hometown

Alan raised more than $200,000 with a 2001 concert in Newnan to build and benefit Angel’s House, the local children’s shelter. Above, 20 years later, a benefit concert for tornado victims raised $2 million after an EF4 tornado ravaged Newnan in March 2021. The “Where I Come From: Tornado Benefit Featuring Alan Jackson” sold out within hours of going on sale, and what became an all-day music festival drew more than 20,000 fans to Coweta County Fairgrounds for entertainment from various local and national artists with Alan capping the day with an evening concert. (Newnan-Coweta Magazine)

Alan can rock a cowboy hat.

41 Pet Squirrel Monkey: Peanut

Alan and his sisters had a pet squirrel monkey named Peanut. Says his sister Carol Glover: “All of us loved animals and had every kind of pet there was to have. Daddy brought a squirrel monkey home from a fishing trip in Florida. It was in a cage and was wild. We tamed it, and it ended up living in the willow trees out in the yard and would sleep in the cage at night. He'd jump down from the willow tree and plop on your shoulder. That would scare visitors to death. When Mama came home from the grocery store, he’d run inside the car and grab eggs and bananas. Mama would give Peanut toast and hot chocolate every morning for breakfast. That's what we all had, so she'd give him some, too.”

42 A Love for All Animals, Including Possums

Alan's sister Cathy Wright shares more on Alan's love for all animals: “One cold morning in March in the early 1980s when I was teaching second grade, Alan came bursting into my classroom with his arms full of tiny baby possums he had found in the middle of a road. The mother had been killed but was surrounded by her babies. He scooped them up and brought them to me. He knew I would take care of them. My students and I promptly put them into our clothes against our skin and warmed them up. Then I took them home with me. The ’80s were a different time!”

43

Midnight in Montgomery

In 1995, Alan and several fans visited Hank Williams’s grave at midnight and sang “I Saw The Light” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” (alanjackson.com)

Alan’s a couple months shy of his first birthday in this photo with the family dog, a collie named Champ.

“50 Most Beautiful People”

In 1992, Alan guest-starred on TV’s “Matlock” with Andy Griffith. The same year, he was named one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in the World.” Also In 1992, 11-year-old Justin Timberlake sang Alan’s song, “Love’s Got A Hold On You,” on Star Search. (alanjackson.com)

45

Turned Down for a Loan

After several local banks turned Alan down for a loan to move to Nashville to pursue a music career, his oldest sister, Diane, loaned him the $10,000 he needed. (family interviews)

46 ASCAP Awards

Alan has won 46 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Country Song Awards, seven ASCAP Songwriter/Artist of the Year Awards, and the ASCAP Heritage Award as the most performed country music songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years. In 2010, he received ASCAP’s highest honor, the Founder’s Award, whose past recipients include Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and James Taylor. (alanjackson.com)

Contributions to Other Artists

Alan Jackson’s contributions to other artists’ albums or movies include:

• “Redneck Games” with Jeff Foxworthy, “Crank It Up: The Music Album”

• “ Boats to Build ” and “ Hey Good Lookin’ ” on Jimmy Buffett's “ License to Chill ”

• “A Good Year for the Roses” with George Jones and “I Don’t Need Your Rocking Chair” with George Jones and guests on “George Jones: 50 Years of Hits”

• “ Look At Me” for “ Billy: The Early Years – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ” from movie about Evangelist Billy Graham

• “Chattahoochee” for “ W. – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” from movie about George W. Bush.”

• “A Million Ways to Die” from “A Million Ways to Die In the West – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.”(alanjackson.com)

Standing Up for a Friend

During the 1999 CMA Awards show, Alan and his band stopped performing their own song, “Pop a Top,” to perform “Choices” by George Jones. Because the CMA was only going to allow Jones to sing a small portion of his song, Jones boycotted the show. Taking a stand for his friend, Alan sang part of “Choices” and received an enthusiastic standing ovation from his fellow artists. (wideopencountry.com)

Alan was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" in 1992, when this picture of him performing in Tulelake, Calif., was made.

49 A Giving Brother, A Generous Son

Known for his thoughtful generosity, Alan surprised his sisters at Christmas 2002 by giving each one their own brand new Thunderbird. Before that, he surprised his nephew Philip Frank with a CJ-7 Jeep on his 16th birthday and later with an SUV with car seat when Philip and Candace’s first child Sarah was born, according to Philip's mom, Carol Glover, who adds: “Alan did a lot of things for Mama and Daddy, too, including remodeling their house twice. At their retirement, he surprised them with a gift of a tour of the United States with a bus and a driver and the whole thing mapped out. They took Clayton and Janis Waugh and the four of them toured the United States from June 15 to July 21 in 1995. They went to St. Louis; Rapid City, South Dakota; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, the Grand Canyon and many more places. I was in San Francisco at a convention and ran into Mama and Daddy on a boat in the harbor outside of Alcatraz. That was crazy!”

Right: Alan gave each of his four sisters a new T-Bird for Christmas in 2002. Below: In 1995, he footed the bill for a fiveweek tour out west for his parents and their friends, from left: Clayton and Janis Waugh, Ruth and Gene Jackson, shown here in San Francisco, the day they surprisingly ran into Carol at the harbor.

50

No Telling How Much

No one will ever come close to knowing what all their brother has done for others, his sisters agree. Says Carol: “He does a lot of charitable things, but he doesn't advertise them. You'll see other stars publicize the things they do; he does not. Most of what he does is related to anything that benefits children, especially disabled or disadvantaged children. There's no telling how much he does that people will never know about, because that's the way he wants it.”

In 1999, Alan recorded “Murder On Music Row” with George Strait; the following year, the song won CMA Vocal Event of the Year. The song railed against pop country tunes on the radio versus the traditional songs of their country music heroes.

(alanjackson.com)

“Murder on Music Row”

52 Diagnosed with CMT Disease

In September 2021, Alan revealed to the public that he has Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, also known as hereditary motor sensory neuropathy. He made the announcement on the TODAY show, sharing that he was diagnosed with the degenerative nerve disease 10 years earlier. He said the disease was causing him to have balance problems. Related to muscular dystrophy, CMT causes damage to the peripheral nerves, leading to muscle weakness, atrophy and varying degrees of loss of sensation in the lower legs and feet. Alan’s oldest sister, Diane Dawson, also has CMT, as did their father.

54 Songs for Daughters

Alan penned “You’ll Always Be My Baby (Written for Daughters’ Weddings)” and “I Do (Written for Daughters’ Weddings)” for his daughter. “The first I wrote for Mattie’s wedding, the summer of 2017, but it was so hard to do, I told ’em, ‘I wrote this for all of you. I’m not writing another!' The second just came out one day.” (alanjackson.com)

Performing for Presidents

Alan has performed for four consecutive U.S. Presidents: George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Married on Uncle Alan’s “Boat”

Brian and Angela (Carlisle) Wright were married February 15, 2004, on the bow of Uncle Alan's yacht in West Palm Beach, Fla. Afterwards, their reception was held at the same bar featured in Alan’s “It’s Five O-Clock Somewhere” video with Jimmy Buffett. (Cathy Wright)

Homemade Gift Cards 56

Alan gave homemade gift cards to Cathy and Lamar Wright when he was a young teen with a Honda 175CL motorcycle. “We never redeemed them and still have them,” says Cathy. “Since then, he has given us some fabulous rides on private jets and yachts, including a special yacht trip down the St. Johns River to celebrate our mother's birthday.”

(The Newnan Times-Herald)

(Denise Jackson)

The Jackson family celebrates the wedding of Brian and Angela Wright.

Cathy and Lamar Wright never redeemed Alan’s coupon for a free motorcycle ride on his Honda, but he more than made up for it over the years, including in 2007 when he treated the family to a cruise down St. Johns River in Florida, from left, front: Cathy Wright and Carol Glover.

Connie Davis, Ruth Jackson and Diane Dawson.

Middle:

Back: Alan Jackson.

In funeral service for 35 years, Lamar Wright says he’s amazed at the impact Alan’s “Precious Memories” has had on families dealing with end-oflife situations. Says Lamar: “When that album was first released, home hospice care was just gaining traction. The nurses who provided the home care would bring a CD player along and play that while they worked because it had a calming effect on their patients. When families are planning services for family members, the great majority will include one or more of these songs. That’s pretty remarkable for a project that was never intended for any ears but those of his mom.” At his mother's request, Alan released the album of gospel hymns in 2006, and it became the first gospel album to debut at No. 1 on the Country Album Charts. Arista Nashville celebrated the album going platinum by presenting Alan's mother, Ruth, and Denise’s mother, Nell, each with a check for $100,000 to donate to their favorite local charities. (Lamar and Cathy Wright, alanjackson.com)

66 Top 100 Billboard Hits 58

As of September 2023, Alan has had 66 Top 100 Billboard hits. He has written or co-written 26 No. 1 songs, including two recorded by other artists. (alanjackson.com)

Alan Jackson Highway & Mural

A six-mile stretch of Interstate 85 was renamed “Alan Jackson Highway” in 2004 to honor the hometown hero. After learning of the honor, Alan said, “I’m not sure I'm quite qualified for the main highway. Maybe they should’ve picked a dirt road or something.” In 2018, he again was honored in his hometown, this time with a 24x40-foot mural at 11 N. Court Square in Newnan. (alanjackson.com, Contact Music. July 13, 2004)

60

“Predictable as Hell”

According to Alan’s nephew Brian Wright: “He hates being told what to do. He refuses to do something if everybody else is doing it. He’s an extremely visual person, both aesthetically and life planning. He’s very creative and always needs a creative outlet or project to work on. He’s a neat freak and can’t stand when glass is not clean. He’s generous and charitable and does not want recognition. He’s very thoughtful and knows what people like/want. He’s predictable as hell. If I don’t talk to him for six months, I can tell you what he’s probably doing at any moment.”

At 6-foot 4-inches, Alan looms even larger in the 24x40-foot mural that depicts him in his signature cowboy hat and boots while seated on his favorite motorcycle. Muralist Tim Davis, of Nashville, created the large-scale painting for the project spearheaded by the Newnan ArtRez program. (Newnan-Coweta Magazine March/April 2019 issue, photo by Clay Neely)

The Jackson family celebrates “Precious Memories” going platinum, from left, Alan and Denise’s daughters, Mattie, Ali and Dani. Adults from left: Denise, Alan, Mama Ruth and Miss Nell.

“Precious Memories”

Growing up with Alan & Denise 61

Ame Whitlock, of Newnan, remembers growing up with her future husband Eddie, along with Alan and Denise: “The Jacksons and the Whitlocks have been longtime friends. The four of us grew up within one mile of each other. We went to church. Nisey and I went to Unity where my father was the minister. Alan and Eddie went to First Baptist. Hymns were the lullabies of our childhood. We often sang hymns, had a bit of eggnog and laughed until tears ran down our faces. Laughed at ourselves, with each other and laughed at shared memories. Laughter. Eggnog. One time Eddie pulled off the road on the way to Helen with the Jacksons. (It sounded like) a police car was coming up fast. Little did we know that it was Alan, who is quite talented with sound effects!”

Recorded Eagles’

Alan recorded the Eagles’ song “Tequila Sunrise” for the group’s album, “Common Thread: Songs of the Eagles.” (AJ's Bar Trivia)

Simple Guy, Simple Tastes

His uncle has a preference for country cooking, according to Adam Wright, who says about Alan: “He had this chef one time, very accomplished in the culinary world, had her own restaurant making really fancy, sophisticated cuisine. He hired her to make downhome country dishes. I think it was the biggest challenge of her culinary career. For loving simple country food, his palette is really refined. His taste and smell are off the charts. I think she nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to get the right ‘scald’ on country green beans. He kind of reminds me of Uncle Jed from ‘The Beverly Hillbillies.’ He has everything in the world and lives in a big, nice house, but is still just a simple guy with simple tastes.”

Rarely seen with a beard, Alan's shown with one here.

“Tequila Sunrise”

The Only Thing That’s Changed 64

Says Cody Deal: “He’s just a good guy. He deserves the recognition he’s gotten, every bit of it. I don’t know anybody who’s worked harder and is more humble. You watch when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame: You see his humility in that induction – that tells you who he is. That’s the way he was in the beginning, and that’s never changed. The only thing that’s changed about Alan Jackson is his bank account. That man is a legend. He’s one of the best who’s ever uttered a song.”

65 Heart’s Still There

Alan Jackson said recently: “I know I’ve changed, but I’m still pretty much the same person who came to Nashville all those years ago. I still eat beans and cornbread. I fool with my cars, and I like to go outside and watch the sunset… things I did when I was 20 years old. My heart’s still there. I still think like that, have those values. That’s how I was raised, so those things don’t change. I kept what I love and believe in.” (alanjackson.com)

Cody Deal

“He’s just a good guy. He deserves the recognition he’s gotten, every bit of it...

That man is a legend. He’s one of the best who’s ever uttered a song.”

Where Were You WHEN THE WORLD STOPPED TURNiN’ THAT SEPTEMBER DAY?

The Salvation Army Newnan Service Center

670 Jefferson St., Newnan 770-251-8181 | facebook.com/TSANewnan

Hillcrest Chapel

1 Bullsboro Drive, Newnan 770-253-4723 hillcrestchapelcares.com

Coweta Charter School K-8 Tuition-Free School 6675 East Highway 16, Senoia cowetacharter.org

Law Of ce of Michael West 36 South Court Square Ste. 300 Newnan 404-913-1529 lawof ceofmichaelwest.com

Insignia Senior Living 27 Belt Road, Newnan 770-251-6639 insigniaseniorliving.com

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Coweta-Newnan Of ce

1201 Lower Fayetteville Road, Newnan Linda Huff-Managing Broker | 770-254-8333

coweta.BHHSGA.comNewnan

Computer Advantage

2105 Sharpsburg McCollum Rd. Newnan 770-461-2147 computeradvantage.us

Odyssey Charter School 14 St. John Circle Newnan odysseycharterschool.net

Cathedral of Christ the King 4881 GA-34 East Sharpsburg 770-252-2428 ctk.life

St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church

3 Village Road, Newnan 770-253-1888 smmcatholic.org

DTHExpeditors

5158 Kennedy Rd. Suite H, Forest Park 770-253-7630 dthx.net

Litz Tire & Automotive 3855 Lower Fayetteville Rd., Newnan 770-683-3500

Coweta County Board of Commissioners

22 East Broad Street Newnan 770-254-2601 coweta.ga.us

White Oak Golden K Kiwanis Newnan whiteoakgoldenk.org

Hemrick's Super Thrift 10 Franklin Rd., Newnan 770-253-6667

Town and Country Restaurant

8B Franklin Rd., Newnan 770-251-8070 townandcountrynewnan.com

Cancer Treatment Centers of America - City of Hope 600 Celebrate Life Parkway, Newnan 833-282-2285 cancercenter.com

Coweta Cities & County Employees Federal Credit Union 43 Jefferson Parkway, Newnan 770-253-2273 ccefcu.org

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Simply the Best

A tribute to Alan Jackson

Written by BLUE COLE

It can be dangerous saying anyone is the greatest at anything. The discussion grows more personal the closer it hits home. Most of us in the Greater Atlanta area could care less that Tom Brady is the greatest Minuteman in Patriot history, but if you claim Steve Spurrier is the greatest SEC quarterback in history… step back.

Coweta has a wonderful tradition of writers and storytellers. This hit home earlier this year with the publication of Newnan-Coweta Magazine’s March-April issue, which was devoted to writers, storytellers and fable makers. As I flipped through the pages, I realized Coweta’s crop of writers isn’t just a modern phenomenon; our storytelling tradition goes back generations. We are familiar with novelist Erskine Caldwell and columnist Lewis Grizzard. Margaret Anne Barnes, author of "Murder in Coweta County," was a prolific writer for the modern Newnan Times-Herald, which is more than 150 years old and borne out of multiple earlier iterations. Even the wider

Three Rivers Region of west central Georgia boasts well known writing talent, including novelist Ferrol Sams who lived in Fayetteville.

These individuals are probably the best known writers Coweta County has produced, but storytelling is a little different. The oral art form is a genesis of the written word with the pre-plotting that takes place before a story gains permanence and lands on paper. And boy, do we have storytellers among us!

Who hasn’t grown up on a front stoop listening to grandfathers and fathers-in-law and uncles swap tall tales? Some of the stories aren’t to be believed: Did they really get a cow on top of Newnan High? Did so-and-so really shoot what’s his name in the buttocks with a shotgun? These things probably happened, and even if they didn’t, these stories were good enough to tell again, and again, and once more, even if a little more embellished.

So, who is Coweta’s greatest storyteller?

We have dozens to choose from, from both today and yesterday, including preachers, family members and country store sitters. But for me, it’s pretty simple: Alan Jackson is Coweta’s greatest storyteller.

Sure, he’s a musician who picks the guitar pretty well, and he ain’t a bad singer. But with that, he tells us stories. Good stories, by God.

A story is nothing more than a setting, a character and an emotion. For writers, the emotion is usually conflict, which drives the story forward to create more story to be read. Mr. Jackson gives us a setting, an emotion, and shows us the depth of the little man through his words. He tells us stories of growing up on the "Chattahoochee" and having a "Good Time," and going for a "Drive (With Daddy Gene)." These stories reflect Coweta County from years ago, recalling landmarks and people.

Take a look at his lyrics. In "Good Time," he sings, "the Waffle House way out yonder, on the other side of town.” If you’ve been around Newnan for a little while, you might think it’s the current one, east of the interstate, next to Dunkin’ Donuts. Not so fast, my friends! I’ve always thought

Alan Jackson, at left, is Coweta's greatest storyteller, according to Blue Cole.

it was the original Waffle House, west of 85, where the Nissan dealership is now. If one starts at the Chattahoochee on a Friday night and heads east, well, there was a Waffle House way out yonder.

What about "Drive," Jackson’s tribute to his father, Eugene Jackson? I get chills when I think of learning to drive, balanced on a hill and still learning the clutch. And there are more chills when I think of teaching my daughters to drive. Thigpen Road may have been dirt, but many of us learned to drive on washboard gravel. Jackson told us that story first, and I see the echoes of it in my life.

As a father of daughters, Jackson pens songs that are sketches of life, moments captured while raising little girls into powerful women. We want to capture those memories and moments surrounding them. By sharing a diary of time with his children, Jackson shares his joys of fatherhood while reminding us of our own.

Not all of Jackson’s stories are about the good life and fun living. "Midnight in Montgomery" is a haunting tune that reminds us of the cost of fame and the demons that sometimes follow. It’s also a tribute from one storyteller, Alan Jackson, to another, Hank Williams Sr.

After one of our nation’s greatest tragedies on Sept. 11, 2001, Jackson wrote and performed "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)." That song said so many of the things we were feeling. It’s been 22 years since 9/11, and Jackson’s song remains undated and uplifting – and without a doubt, the best song written to capture the nation’s mood after that tragedy. There are days I wish we could recapture that feeling, and his song is a good place to start.

Religion is both complex and simple, and I struggle with the complexity of the big questions it presents. But when I listen to Jackson’s album, "Precious Memories," it brings back the simplicity and love that only a small country church can bring – with a mistuned piano, three chords and a bunch of singing ladies in the choir. The white frame church may be gone, but the love and memories remain.

This is what good storytelling does – and why it’s important. It preserves the traditions, values and history of an era – and an area. It highlights the variety in a community, and Jackson has done that by singing about his hometown, which is our town.

Alan Jackson has done more for Coweta than reminding us of our past by producing gold records or playing in benefit concerts. For many of us, he rescued the memories, which might have slipped away, and preserved them by putting stories to music. Each time we listen, we’re reminded of a simpler place and time wrapped up in sweet memories we don’t want to forget. He tells us it’s okay to be "Little Bitty," and he encourages us to try "Livin’ on Love" and to keep "Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow."

And, for those of us who get caught up in the moment, he’s reminded us to write down the name of the waitress before we marry her.

Good advice, Mr. Jackson. Thank you for that, and so much more. NCM

Hemrick's Grocery & Deli Expanding

to Serve You Even Better

Colon Hemrick got his first taste of the grocery business at 12 years old when he bagged groceries at the West End SuperStore, located in Newnan at the corner of Temple Avenue and Bonnell Street, where Buck's Tires is now.

Back then, grocery stores were smaller, not like the huge supermarkets of today. He would ride his bicycle from his home on Sprayberry Road to go to work.

"I started bagging groceries, mopping floors, whatever they needed, and I worked there through high school,” says Hemrick.

He eventually worked for Kroger in Atlanta, and it wasn't long until he was in management. Then he had the chance to buy his own store, and Hemrick's was born.

"It gets in your blood, I guess, the grocery industry," he says.

The business has come a long way since Hemrick opened his first small grocery store in 1972.

“We're not a supermarket," he says. "We’re not a convenience store. We are a grocery store. It's unique in that we've got groceries, meat and produce."

If you're looking to pick up an ice-cold beer though, you're out of luck. "We've never done the lottery or alcohol," says Hemrick. "We have a lot of customers who trade with us because we don't."

Large coolers of beer are such a prominent part of most convenience stores that some people said Hemrick's couldn't survive without selling it.

"We've done pretty good," Hemrick says, sitting in

his office with his son Craig. "Christmas is always the biggest day of the year."

That day, Hemrick's is the only store in the area with a significant grocery selection that remains open, according to Colon.

The first Hemrick's Grocery was at the other end of Temple Avenue, in the triangle between Fair Street and Temple Avenue. Colon bought it because the store owner, Mr. Watts, was retiring.

"This store came available, and I thought it was a good deal," says Colon. “Business was tough to begin with. We almost starved the first few years. My wife and I were the only employees. We couldn't afford any employees." Hemrick said.

Currently, Hemrick’s has close to 40 employees, including full- and part-time.

Hemrick's added gasoline in 1978 and opened a second store where Welcome Road forks off from Franklin Highway. They also started selling cars and later had a John Deere tractor dealership across from the Welcome Road store. That's when Colon sold the first store.

In the mid-1980s, the owners of the Welcome Road building – who didn't want to sell to Hemrick – decided they wanted the store back. The Hemricks took a big risk and built their own 10,000-square-foot building on a huge 3.5-acre lot.

"It was a pretty big gamble for what it cost back then," Colon recalls. "It took a lot of years for it to start making money. We struggled a long time, like everything else.”

Colon installed gas pumps, and the oil company decided to put in some more.

"When they saw how much volume we did here, they had to put in more pumps," he adds. "Nobody would have ever thought we would do the volume we did."

The gas pumps are topped by a massive canopy that goes all the way to the front of the store, keeping customers dry during heavy rains.

“The canopy cost a lot of money to install, but people appreciate it,” says Hemrick.

Next door, Colon built a car dealership and also added a U-Haul rental business. In the late 1980s, the store began operating 24 hours a day and has stayed this way ever since.

Craig's grandfather and Colon’s father-in-law, Enver Mckenzie, worked the midnight shift.

"It's a different world after midnight, and he loved it," Craig says of his grandfather Mckenzie, who would come in to work with a Bible in one hand and a gun in the other. "People just called him 'the preacher.'"

Along the right side of the store was a video rental shop. In 1999, Hemrick decided to remodel and put in the deli instead. It's become a huge part of Hemrick's appeal.

L-R: Craig Hemrick, son; Debbie Argo, sister-in-law; Colon Hemrick, owner; Caleb Myers, grandson; Lawson Myers, grandson; Mackenzie Myers, granddaughter; Betty Davis, sister; Chad Davis, nephew.

"They start cooking at 3 in the morning and start serving biscuits around 5," says Colon. "It's all homemade; they use lard in the biscuits, like your grandma used to make."

Craig says some customers eat there three times a day. Also in 1999, Hemrick's added an automatic car wash. It did so well that they added a second automatic bay within a year. A few years later, they added six self-serve car wash bays and a large vacuum island on the end of the property. In 2021, they replaced both automatic machines with brand new state-of-the-art automatic washes and also upgraded all the self-serve bays and vacuums. The new car washes have done extremely well ever since, according to the Hemricks.

In 2010, Hemrick's partnered with a new wholesaler, AWG, to increase the grocery selection and to be competitive on price. Now, there's a meat-cutter on staff seven days a week.

Hemrick says he'd been thinking about adding a sandwich shop for several years, and Blimpie was the obvious choice. When Bernie and Ellie Farrington operated a Blimpie near the Kroger on Bullsboro Drive, Hemrick would pick up lunch there every day. It's been closed for years, as has the Raymond Hill Road location. Hemrick's Blimpie's store opened in November 2018 and has been incredibly popular, according to Craig.

"It's been amazing," he says.

Colon Hemrick was asked about his next big idea for the iconic store. He says there's still a lot of land out back, so maybe they'll add some storage units.

For now, the family is concerned with expanding the food service. In addition to the Blimpie and the Deli, there is now an Uncle Maddio’s Pizza open in the food court. Coming in the near future will be a another restaurant, as well as a UPS Store beside the food court. Because of the large size of the store, they were able to simply reconfigure some things to make room for the new additions as opposed to adding an addition onto the building.

Hemrick's is – and always has been – a family business. Colon's nephew, Chad Davis, is the store manager. Craig runs all of the food service and oversees the second and third shifts for the store. Colon's sister Betty is a cashier. Sister-in-law Debbie runs the books, and "all the nephews, at one time, have worked here," according to Colon.

In 2018, a third generation started at Hemrick's. Colon's granddaughter, Mackenzie Myers, began working at Blimpie and has been there for nearly five years. In 2020, Myers began working as the office manager for the food side of the business and is also Craig’s assistant manager in running the restaurants.

This year, in June, Colon’s oldest grandson, Caleb Myers, began working stocking shelves, and Lawson, the next oldest grandson, will most likely join Caleb next summer.

Hemrick's ended up on the west side of Newnan because that's where a store was available more than 40 years ago, but Colon says he loves being on the west side.

While other portions of Coweta have grown by leaps and bounds, "This is Newnan, on this side," he says. "The people on this side of town, to me, they're the best customers, the most loyal people. If you treat them right, they're going to come back."

The store has evolved over the years, and Colon Hemrick has tried other businesses. "This is the only thing we've been able to make a good living at," he says. "You stick with what brung you. It's a blessing. We've been fortunate."

Colon and Barbara Hemrick, founders of Hemrick's Grocery & Deli.

Colon Hemrick with grandchildren Karis Myers, Caleb Myers, Lawson Myers and Mackenzie Myers.

Photo courtesy of Colon Hemrick

pepper, garlic powder, and then add all to cooked linguine. – Barb Wetherington, “Something easy for busy

Food to Sing to

Written by GAIL MCGLOTHIN | Photographed by APRIL MCGLOTHIN-ELLER

The psychology behind music and food is fascinating. Fast music encourages diners to eat faster, while loud music encourages them to eat fast and leave. I, for one, don’t go back to restaurants that encourage me to leave.

I’ve heard that bars sell more alcohol in a room filled with classical music. At our house, show tunes, volume on low, is the favorite background music for meals.

Listening to Hank Williams’s “Jambalaya, (On the Bayou)” takes one down to south Louisiana where zydeco music can be found every night and every weekend in Lafayette, the heart of Cajun country, where crawfish pie and file gumbo are favorite dishes. Familiar notes are squeezed out of accordions while bows run across fiddles with amazing speed. Old and young play from their zydeco heritage of Cajun music, blues, jazz and African American tunes. Beer heads the playlist on Cajun meals, along with oyster po-boys, seafood gumbo and shrimp etouffee. Crawfish pie is on the menu and is a quick and easy meal for home cooks.

“New York, New York” was first sung by Liza Minelli but popularized by Frank Sinatra. Now performed by any number of stars including Lady Gaga and The Three Tenors, the popular tune evokes a fast-moving slideshow of Lady Liberty, Broadway, Little Italy, China Town, Harlem, and on and on.

Jazz was popularized in Harlem, followed by swing. Songs and tunes from musical theater on Broadway continue to cross the country. So much new comes out of New York, but classic opera performances fill theaters around town. Lindy’s, the famous but now closed deli, was home of Lindy’s Cheesecake, thought to be the most

famous cheesecake ever. The recipe was closely guarded but has escaped into the universe, lucky for us.

Nashville is the home of country music and Ryman Auditorium. Nashville was where country music went live into homes while families were gathered around a single radio for the Grand Ole Opry. Nashville also is known for Hot Chicken and is the home of Moon Pies and Goo Goo Clusters, the first candy bar with different types of candy in one product. If you do not want to make one at home, you can go to the Goo Goo Clusters store in Nashville and watch yours being made.

Chicago’s music platform is overloaded. When poor black workers migrated to this industrial city to escape the aftermath of Reconstruction, they brought with them the blues and jazz that evolved into a distinctive Chicago style. Gospel music took root out of Chicago, and a genre of music called House Music grew when the nightclub scene took off. Chicago also has its favorite foods – deep dish pizza, the Chicago Dog with tomatoes on it, and flaming saganaki cheese, a must-have in Greek restaurants. Also, brownies were born in Chicago, and Italian beef sandwiches are a hit.

Portland’s music scene produced a prolific number of artists who went on to national fame. A major claim to fame is that Kurt Cobain was said to have met his wife Courtney Love at the Satyricon Club in Portland. The nation’s food truck industry might not have been invented in Portland but they certainly perfected it. One of the more popular food trucks there is Nong’s Khao Man Gai. I think of it as Thai chicken and rice, the Thai version of my go-to comfort food.

Lindy’s Famous Cheesecake, see recipe on page 74.

Crawfish Pie

1 pound frozen, cooked crawfish tails

¼ cup butter

1 teaspoon Zatarain’s liquid shrimp or crab boil

1 medium onion

1 green bell pepper

3 stalks celery

2 large cloves garlic

Tony Chachere’s, to taste

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 Boiled egg, sliced

2 unbaked pie crusts

Sauté crawfish tails in butter about 5 minutes. Remove crawfish from pan into a bowl; stir crab boil into crawfish. Add chopped onion, pepper and celery to pan juices and sauté over medium heat until tender. Throw in garlic and cook 1 more minute. Return tails to pan; add soup, and Tony’s, stirring to mix well. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir in boiled egg slices. Pour into bottom of one pie crust and top with second crust. Bake at 400 degrees until brown. Serves 6.

Lindy’s Famous Cheesecake

Crust:

1 cup flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 egg yolk

¼ cup butter

Combine flour, sugar and vanilla. Mix yolk and butter with fingers until dough leaves side of bowl. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan. Remove the side. Roll a third of dough on to bottom of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Cool. Press remaining dough on side of pan, ¾ of the way up. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

Filling:

2½ pounds cream cheese

1¾ cups granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons grated lemon peel

1½ teaspoons grated orange peel

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

¼ cup heavy cream

In large bowl of electric mixer, combine cheese, sugar, peels and vanilla. Add eggs and yolks, 1 at a time, beating after each addition, only until mixture is well combined. Beat in cream. Pour filling into assembled springform pan. Bake 10 minutes at 500 degrees. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees. Bake 1 hour longer. Cool on wire rack; refrigerate at least 3 hours. Serve plain or with sauces.

Goo Goo Clusters

1 (11-ounce) bag miniature marshmallows

1 (12-ounce) bag white chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

1½ t ablespoons butter

1 bag caramel candies

1 cup cooked, salted, skinless peanuts

1 (12-ounce) bag milk chocolate chips

2 t ablespoons shortening

To make nougat layer, place mini-marshmallows, chocolate chips, vanilla and butter in a microwave bowl and microwave 45 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir vigorously. Microwave for 15 additional seconds, if needed; stir vigorously. If necessary, microwave again at 15-second intervals until melted. When totally melted, pour into a parchment lined or greased 8x10-inch baking dish and let cool. While nougat layer cools, unwrap caramels.

When nougat is firm, cut with biscuit cutter or shape into rounds. Set on parchment paper. Put two unwrapped caramels in a small Pyrex dish and microwave in increments or until soft. With hands, shape into a round the same size as the nougats. Press caramel layer onto nougat. Press 8 to 10 peanut halves into the caramel. When complete, place all in refrigerator to harden.

Place chocolate chips along with shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds; stir vigorously to melt. Microwave at 15 second intervals, if more time is needed for melting. Using your finger or two forks, coat the cold candy round by dipping bottom in first, then turn to coat top. Place on parchment paper to harden.

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches

"Dipped in beef broth and topped with giardiniera, the Italian Beef Sandwich is a messy yum not to be missed."

3 cups beef bouillon or package beef broth

1 loaf Italian bread

1½ pounds roast beef from deli, sliced thin

1 cup giardiniera, pickled vegetables

Warm beef bouillon. Slice Italian bread loaf into sandwich lengths. Cut open one side, leaving the bread hinged. Swipe individual slices roast beef into broth and pile onto the bread. Repeat until the sandwich is full of beef. Spoon giardiniera on top of the beef, close sandwich, and press with hands. Serve with a small bowl of broth to dip each bite. Alternatively, dip sandwich into broth and serve.

Khao Man Gai Chicken

Chicken:

12 cups water

2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced ½-inch wide

2 t ablespoons salt

7 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

4 pounds chicken

Rice:

1 t ablespoon oil

¼ cup onion, chopped fine

2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut in half longwise

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups rice

Sauce:

¼ cup Thai soybean paste

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup white vinegar

2 t ablespoons sugar

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Thai chili, minced (or substitute ½ teaspoon red chili flakes)

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

2 green onions, sliced thin

1 cup fresh cilantro, for garnish Green onion, for garnish

For chicken and broth, combine water, ginger, salt, and garlic in large Dutch oven. Add chicken to pot, breast side up, and bring to simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 35 to 40 minutes until done but not falling off the bone. Transfer chicken to bowl, cover, and let rest while making rice.

For rice, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and salt; cook about 2 minutes until onion is softened. Add rice and cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until edges begin to turn translucent. Stir in 3½ cups broth from chicken and bring to boil over mediumhigh heat. Stir once more, then cover and reduce heat to low medium. Cook for 20 minutes. Move saucepan from heat and let sit, covered, until ready to serve.

For sauce, while rice is cooking, whisk all ingredients in bowl until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Gently warm.

To serve, rewarm remaining broth over medium heat. Debone the chicken’s breast meat and slice into ½-inch thick pieces. Slice thighs and legs into ½-inch thick pieces. For each serving, pack rice into a custard cup and unmold onto each plate. Arrange white or dark meat around rice. Garnish with cilantro. Place plate at each place setting, allowing everyone to pour warmed sauce over rice and chicken. Serve with 1 cup of hot broth, sprinkled with green onion tops.

Bake Your Best Christmas Cookies

Newnan-Coweta Magazine announces its sixth annual Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest with judging set for Sept. 22.

Three Categories: Traditional Cookies

Decorated Cookies

Cookies by Kids (for kids 12 and under)

First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in each category with one first place winner named Grand Prize Champion. Winners and their recipes will be featured in our November/ December Holiday issue!

Entrants must submit six to 12 cookies with the recipe and the entrant’s name, phone number and email address, plus the category they are entering: Traditional, Decorated or Cookies by Kids.

All entries must be brought to Newnan-Coweta Magazine offices at 16 Jefferson Street in Newnan on Thursday, Sept. 21, between 2 and 5 p.m. or on Friday, Sept. 22, between 9 a.m. and 12 noon. An independent panel of judges will make their decisions based on cookie taste and appearance on the afternoon of Sept. 22. Winners will be contacted the following week and awarded a holiday gift basket packed with prizes from our generous local business sponsors.

Celebrating the Best of Coweta

Written by JACKIE KENNEDY | Photographed by SARA MOORE

Newnan-Coweta Magazine hosted its 2023 Best of Coweta first place winners at a reception held Aug. 3 at Blue Fern in Newnan. Keeping in this year's "Brady Bunch" theme, winners were invited to the photo booth where their mugs were taken in true Best of Coweta Bunch-style.

The Best of Coweta Readers' Choice Awards are held each year in March with winners announced in the July/August issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine.

1. Ute Anonsen was named this year’s Best Massage Therapist and shared the honors with her staff at True Balance Center, from left, top: Rebecca Helfers, massage therapist; Ute Anonsen, breathing coach/massage therapist; and Bailey Oliveira, massage therapist. Bottom: Susie Cuebas, marketing specialist, and Christina Revelle, massage therapist.

2. Voted Best Roofing Service in Coweta County, the Hero Roofing staff celebrating their win at our August reception are, from left, top: Blake Adams, marketing director; Alicia Mullins, general manager; and Nick Branon, CEO. Bottom: J.C. Steele, sales representative.

3. From left, Ashley Luke and Nathan Metts represented Life of the South Catering, which was named Best Catering Service by Newnan-Coweta Magazine readers.

4. From left, Rachel Trimble, sales accountant, and Nicki Galanti, sales director, represented Warrior Restoration, winner of Best Home Repair/Remodeling.

Maria Addison and Brian Lau, owners of Il Porto di Venezia, voted as Coweta’s Best Italian Food, shared food and friendship at the reception.

Leschke Pierce, of Newnan, was one of 10 Newnan-Coweta Magazine Best of Coweta (BoC) voters to win a $25 gift card as thanks for taking part in this year’s

3.

4.

Krista

BoC Readers’ Choice Awards. Other winners were Katie Hammond, Robert Grgetic, Marilyn Martin, Taylor Windom, Melissa Gahring and Autumn Pannell, all of Newnan; Philip Price, Stan Roughton and Hunter White. Big thanks to Coweta-Fayette EMC, which sponsors the Best of Coweta competition and gift card drawing each year!

Photo by Chris Martin

Photo by Jackie Kennedy

artwork by 2022 best in show winner nathan miller

Blacktop

In May, photographer Gordon Kilgore stepped out the back door of his Sharpsburg home to discover this young white-tailed deer fawn bedded down among the ferns.

“The fawn was not more than a day or two old, and even though it saw me, it never moved,” said Kilgore. “I eased back and went to the house to get my camera.”

Ron Schuck is a firm believer in the old saying, “Be on your best behavior because you never know when the camera’s on you.” A pair of squirrel pals at his Newnan home were certainly doing their best to behave when he spotted them last spring.

Photo by Gordon Kilgore

Photo by Ron Schuck

Photo by Tammy Troyer

Tammy Troyer, of Newnan, captured the moment a bee dropped by to help itself to her birdseed volunteer sunflower.

A spring butterfly retrieves nectar for a lily. “I only meant to take the lily picture, not knowing this butterfly would grace me with its beauty, a nice surprise,” says photographer Laurie Mattingly of Newnan.

2 023 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SPRING

March 4 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

March 24 - Spring Art Walk, 5-9pm

April 1 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

April 16-22 - Downtown Newnan Restaurant Week

May 6 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

SUMMER

June 3 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

June 8 - Summer NewnaNights, 6-9pm

June 16 - Summer Wined Up, 5-9pm

July 1 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

July 4 - July 4th Parade, 9am

July 13 - Summer NewnaNights, 6-9pm

Aug 5 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

Aug 10 - Summer NewnaNights, 6-9pm

AUTUMN

Baby birds not-so-patiently await the return of their mother to their nest in Moreland.

submit your photos

Email us your photos of life in and around Coweta County and we may choose yours for a future edition of Blacktop!

Photos must be original, high-resolution (300 DPI) digital photos in .jpg format, at least 3x5 inches in size.

Please include your name so that we can give you credit for your photo in the magazine!

Email your photos with the subject “Blacktop” to the address below.

magazine@newnan.com

Sept 1-4 - Labor Day Sidewalk Sale

Sept 2 - S unrise on the Square 5k, 8am

Sept 2 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

Sept 22 - Fall Art Walk, 5-9pm

Oct 6 - Oktoberfest, 5-10pm

Oct 7 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

Oct 21 - Spirits & Spice Festival, 2-7pm

Oct 31 - Munchkin Masquerade, 10am-12pm

WINTER

Nov 4 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

Nov 17 - Holiday Sip & See, 5-9pm

Nov 24 - Plaid Friday

Nov 24 - Santa on the Square, 6-8pm

Nov 25 - Small Business Saturday

Dec 2 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

Photo by Sally Ray

Photo by Laurie Mattingly

Remembering when

I saw Alan Jackson in concert many years ago. I was in high school. It was in the early '90s. He opened for Randy Travis at the Omni in Atlanta. My parents took me.

Outside of Lakewood Amphitheater, I’ve never found a finer place to see a concert or NWA wrestling, which regularly came to town back in those days. My parents didn’t take me to the wrestling matches, but I still went to plenty.

We knew who Alan Jackson was way back when he was an opening act. He had songs on the radio by then, I think, and I’m pretty sure I’d already seen him on Austin City Limits.

What I didn’t know back then was where the heck Newnan was. He said a few times between songs that he was “from just down the street in Newnan.”

I guess you could say Newnan is “where he came from,” though record sales would suggest he could say that much better than I.

I grew up fairly close to Newnan, but people in Union City and College Park didn’t have many reasons to drive south that weren’t directly related to the Gulf of Mexico.

It’s hard to believe how much changes in just a few decades. We moved to Coweta County in the early 2000s and are now pretty happy to never have a reason to drive north.

I saw Alan Jackson again when he played his benefit concert here in the summer of 2021 to help folks who'd had tornado damage from the March before. I was working the show on behalf of the sheriff's department but still greatly enjoyed his set.

I never quit listening to him over the years. He’s the last bastion of a genre of music I love, and he’d written a few more songs from when I saw him at the Omni.

I remember the time his drummer played “Gone Country” with no drumsticks because he wasn’t too keen on pre-recorded music. I loved it.

I loved it even more when Alan stopped singing his own song, “Pop a Top,” and went into George Jones's new song, “Choices,” at the CMAs. The awards show “powers that be” didn’t think ol' George deserved enough time to sing his new song. Alan disagreed, as did most anyone who’d grown up on the Possum. So when the guitar solo stopped on “Pop a Top,” Alan walked up to the microphone and broke into “Choices.” His signature twang and smooth delivery sounded a little more defiant than normal.

The crowd knew right away what they were witnessing: A man putting his friend before himself, with no regard to those who had been accused of a heinous crime on Music Row. The standing ovation at the end of the song said what we were all thinking.

Alan Jackson's always done the right thing – as far as I see, anyway.

His voice sounded as good at the Coweta County Fairgrounds in 2021 as it sounded back at the Omni sometime in the early 1990s.

And at that Fairgrounds show, I did at least know where Newnan was. It’s where I went to – many years ago. It’s where a lot of people went to over these past few decades.

Alan made it sound so good in all those songs. And he wasn’t wrong.

I hope I have many years left to listen to music, but if there was a soundtrack to my life so far, I’d be hard-pressed to think of anyone not named Alan Jackson to be the troubadour in charge. NCM

Southern-born and Southern-bred, Toby Nix is a local writer who works in law enforcement.