Proud toCall Mississippi Home
Gary Grubbs, like Morgan Freeman, takes to heart the slogan,
often as a southern gentleman lawyer. Gary played the prosecuting
“Mississippi Is Like Coming Home.” After growing up in Prentiss,
attorney in The Burning Bed (1984), the highest-rated TV movie in
attending Southern Miss on a football scholarship, and marrying
history, and then again, in the highly rated mini-series, Fatal Vision
his college sweetheart, Gary moved to Los Angeles and carved a
(1984). He also starred as an attorney in the TV movies, Convicted
successful career as a character actor, starring in over 200 movies
(1986), A Child Lost Forever (1992), Honor Thy Mother (1992),
and television programs. For 24 years, he and his wife, Glenda,
Miracle Child (1993), X-Files (1995), Forgotten Sins (1996), and in
made their home in Burbank, California, only blocks from NBC and Disney Studios. However, Mississippi was
Gary Grubbs TELEVISION AND FILM ACTOR
never far from their thoughts,
Spring Break Lawyer (2001); in feature films, JFK (1991) and Runaway Jury (2003); and in a recurring role on Will & Grace (1998-99).
and in 2001 they came full-
Along with acting, Gary
circle back to Hattiesburg.
sold a number of television
Gary still travels to Los
and film scripts, and in
Angeles several of times a year
1999, penned and starred in
to work, but says, “Mississippi
his own play, As The Crow
is home for good.”
Flies, which premiered at the
Unlike most actors, Gary
New Stage Theatre in
did not even consider
Jackson. The next year
becoming an actor until he
when oldest child, Molly,
was out of college. His col-
declared her desire to follow
lege roommate had become
in her parents’ footsteps and
an actor, and after visiting
attend Southern Miss, the
him in Los Angeles and
whole family decided to
attending an acting class, he knew that’s what he wanted to do
move with her. Their son, Logan, graduated from Oak Gove High
with his life. Fortunately, Gary’s wife was willing to come along
School and continued the family tradition by attending USM. In
with him on this improbable adventure. A former Miss Mississippi,
2004 Gary and Glenda bought the Z-Coil Pain Relief Footwear
Glenda Meadows Grubbs grew up singing and dancing and
franchises for Madison and Hattiesburg and are enjoying helping
understood his need to pursue this passion. Ramsey King, Mississippi Gulf Coast native, cast Gary in his first
alleviate foot, leg, and back pain for people all over Mississippi. Gary lends his talents to help numerous charitable organizations,
professional acting role, a part in Deadman’s Curve (1978). His
including Stars Over Mississippi, The American Cancer Society,
second part gave him a chance to work with Henry Fonda in
and the Batson’s Children Hospital in Jackson.
Gideon’s Trumpet (1980). Not long after that, Clint Eastwood cast him in Honkytonk Man (1982), and The Border (1982) with Jack
Desiring to stay close to home while continuing his acting career, Gary focuses primarily on roles in movies shot in the
Nicholson followed. Gary says that if he has a claim to fame as an
southern market – Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, and New
actor, it is not the work he has done, but the number of accom-
Orleans. He recently appeared in the films, Ray (2004) and Glory
plished actors with whom he has had the opportunity to work.
Road (2006), the Lifetime movie For One Night (2006), and the
Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, James Garner, Tommie Lee Jones,
soon-to-be-released films, All The Kings Men with Jude Law
and Gene Hackman are among his favorites. On almost any given night, you are likely to see Gary on Lifetime
and Déjà Vu with Denzel Washington. He also teaches classes and conducts acting seminars across the South. When asked
TV in reruns of the based-on-a-true-story movies that were popu-
what project makes him the most proud, his answer is always
lar in the eighties and nineties and often set in the South. Gary’s
the same, ”My best work is ahead of me.” Gary believes all
distinctive southern drawl and acting skills made him in demand
actors feel that way. “As we grow and change, we are always
for these productions for a variety of character roles, but most
looking for the next challenge.” ■
Above: Gary poses with the cast of Will & Grace. He portrayed Harlin Polk, a wealthy client of Will’s law firm, in a recurring role on the popular series.
M I S S I S S I P P I C E L E B R I T Y | 107
108 | P R O U D T O C A L L M I S S I S S I P P I H O M E
Proud toCall Mississippi Home
Fred Haise APOLLO 13 ASTRONAUT Along with two other American astronauts, Fred Haise of Biloxi traveled farther from Earth than any other human. When his Apollo 13 spaceship suffered a crippling explosion on its way to a lunar landing in April 1970, it was programmed for a slingshot return around the moon. Because the path took
“I think a certain confidence factor in my knowledge of the vehicle helped,” he says modestly. “I knew a level of detail [about the lunar module] that wasn’t necessary. I knew things like wiring paths.” Haise delivered newspapers as a young boy on the Gulf Coast
them 20 miles higher than a normal lunar orbit, The Guinness
in the 1940s and entertained thoughts of becoming a journal-
Book of World Records lists crewmates Haise, Jim Lovell, and
ist. But he was fascinated with astronomy and read every
Jack Swigert as the people who have ventured farthest into the
book about it he could find. “I just soaked it up,” he says.
universe. “I’d just as soon not have that distinction,” quips Haise, who now lives just outside Houston, Texas, with his wife, Patt. Haise, the lunar module pilot on the mission, and Lovell were supposed to spend 33 hours exploring the moon’s Fra Mauro highlands. He had trained four years for
The more he studied, the more the universe seemed to shrink in his mind’s eye. “That’s why, to me, going to the moon wasn’t as big a deal as some people thought it was,” Haise says. “In
In the big scheme of things, we really weren’t going that far.
the big scheme of things, we really weren’t going that far.” After graduating from Biloxi High School, he began
the mission, while also serving on the backup crews for Apollo
his military career as a Naval Aviation Cadet in 1952. He even-
8 and Apollo 11. The disappointment was devastating.
tually became a tactical fighter pilot and instructor with the U.S.
“It was really difficult the first few weeks after I got back,” Haise says, “but I thought I was going back to the moon [as
Marines and the U.S. Air Force. He attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College in
commander of Apollo 19]. The real disappointment came when
Perkinston, then earned an aeronautical engineering degree
19 was canceled [due to budget cuts]. I knew it was over.
from the University of Oklahoma in 1959. NASA selected him
“But now I’m able to look back and say that I was really lucky to be involved in Apollo, which was the program of the
as an astronaut in 1966. He left the space program in 1979 to become vice president of Grumman Aerospace Corporation.
20th century, engineering and exploration-wise. And I know
As the Apollo 13 crew brushed within 80 miles of the moon,
from the plans and the budgets in place, there ain’t nobody
Haise took a few moments to peer down at it. He was particu-
going to the moon in my lifetime. I can always say I was one
larly struck by the view of the moon’s far side. “It was a very
of 23 astronauts to travel to the moon during Apollo.”
intriguing sight — a very stark, colorless object that has been
Haise was considered one of the few gurus of the lunar ▼
© TIME LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES
module, the spider-looking craft used to land on the moon.
beaten by a lot of impacts over the eons,” he recalls. And Haise, a father of four, doesn’t believe we’re alone in
Experts say his intricate knowledge of the spacecraft, which
the universe. “We are God’s creatures,” he says. “I think we’re
served as a “lifeboat” on Apollo 13 when the command module
unique. I don’t think you’ll find humans exactly like us, simply
had to be shut down in order to save enough power for reentry,
because of the timing of evolution in various places. But I don’t
was one of the main reasons the crew returned safely. When
think the life elsewhere is as bizarre as some of the things you
the explosion occurred with the astronauts 200,000 miles from
see in movies, either. I sometimes wonder about people who
Earth, Haise led a hasty power-up of the lunar module that nor-
look up at night and see the stars and are so Earth-bound that
mally took three hours. He and Lovell had it ready in 10 minutes,
they think they were put there so that we can talk about how
mostly from memory.
pretty they are.” ■ Astronaut Fred Haise in Apollo spacesuit.
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JONATHAN POSTAL
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Proud toCall Mississippi Home
Barry Hannah AWA R D - W I N N I N G A U T H O R Author Barry Hannah communicates with more than mere
for his novel Yonder Stands Your Lonesome (Atlantic Monthly
words, says Lemuria Book Store owner John Evans of
Press). “I’m just very humble and grateful,” said Hannah, a pre-
Jackson, Mississippi.
vious winner in 1994. “Everybody doesn’t get on this porch. It
Hannah also speaks with his smile.
means something in this state. It’s tough. But it’s not cutthroat.
“He’s the got the greatest grin of anyone I know. It’s as if
Like [author] Willie Morris said, ‘Writing is not a competitive sport.’ ”
he knows something that we don’t – but he’s willing to tell us through his books,” Evans says. “I don’t know another author who loves to stir a reader’s psyche more than Barry Hannah. He likes to stir things up, and that comes through in his writing. And it certainly comes through whenever you’re around him. “He’s got a strange sense of humor that is obvious in his writing. When it’s good – and it usually is – he can make you laugh out loud. Very few writers can make you close a book and laugh,” Evans says. Hannah, born on April 23, 1942 in Clinton, Mississippi, earned the William Faulkner Prize for writing with his first novel, Geronimo Rex (1972, Viking Press). It also was nominated for the National Book Award. Then while working five years as writer-in-residence at the University of Alabama, he wrote what many believe to be his signature book: Airships (Knopf, 1979), a collection of short stories that earned him the Award for Literature from the American Arts and Letters. “When I got into the book business in 1975, Barry had written two novels – both were out of print,” Evans recalls. “Then he came out with Airships, and it was the freshest writing coming out of the South at that time. It was new, alive, non-academic. And I think it captured the freedom of the times. He followed that with Ray (1980, Knopf) and The Tennis Handsome (1983, Knopf), and those made a mark in edgy southern fiction before ‘edgy’ was even used to describe a type of writing.” Hannah’s Captain Maximus (1985, Knopf), Hey Jack! (1987, E.P. Dutton/Seymour Lawrence), Boomerang (1989, Houghton
Hannah moved to California in 1980 to write screenplays for
Mifflin/Seymour Lawrence), Never Die (1991, Houghton
Robert Altman. But he realized teaching and writing books
Miffllin/Seymour Lawrence) and Bats Out of Hell (1993,
were his true callings. He stayed only a year.
Houghton Mifflin/Seymour Lawrence) set the stage for his col-
He has shared his knowledge of writing with hundreds of
lection of stories, High Lonesome (1996, Atlantic Monthly
students, teaching at Middlebury College, Clemson University
Press), which earned him a Pulitzer Prize nomination.
and the University of Memphis. Hannah has taught creative
But perhaps the award that touched Hannah most was his 2001 Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award for Fiction
writing at the University of Mississippi for a quarter of a century. Hannah resides in Oxford with his wife, Susan. ■
Above: Barry Hannah today – Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi.
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DSU ATHLETIC & CAMPUS EVENTS COLLECTIONS
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Proud toCall Mississippi Home
Lusia Harris-Stewart M I S S I S S I P P I H A L L O F F A M E P L AY E R For athletes, hanging a first place team plaque on the wall, or
Olympic Games, and was the first female player inducted into
finding just the right spot for that college championship trophy
the National Basketball Hall of Fame being honored as a pioneer
would be the pinnacle of sports success. But how about going
inductee for her contributions to women’s sports before the era
down in history as the first female basketball player to score
of Title IX. That’s quite a resume for a small-town girl who
the first two points in the first Olympic Women’s basketball
played the sport when it was just becoming socially acceptable
game? That accomplishment belongs to one woman only,
for girls to trade in their cheerleading pom-poms for a chance
Lusia Harris Stewart, Minter City, Mississippi’s star female athlete,
to shoot hoops.
who managed to stuff more “firsts” and notable awards into her
Stewart spent much of her time in the 1980s and 1990s
athletic career than the majority of basketball players (male or female) who ever played the sport. Born February 10, 1955, in Minter City, Lusia Harris Stewart began her unparalleled basketball career at Amanda Elzey High School, in Greenwood, before Title IX, before it was easy for girls to play sports, before it was even acceptable for females to be involved in sports beyond supporting a team. Sportswriters say that the truly great athletes show promise early, usually as young players, and Lusia Harris Stewart would be no exception. She began to set records and gain acclaim as a true basketball star in high school where she not only made all state twice, but also all conference and all region three times. And she didn’t disappoint the statisticians either, once scoring a recordsetting 46 points in a single game. The 6' 3" Stewart continued to make a name for herself at Delta State University where she added more titles to her exploding basketball career. During her 4 years at Delta State, Lusia became an All American (3 times), was part of the
coaching both high school and college basketball, mainly in
1975 Pan American Games Gold Medal winning team, set a
Mississippi with a short two year stint as the women’s coach
Madison Square Gardens record by scoring 47 points in a game
at Texas Southern. She returned to her roots in the south,
against Queens, and once again scored 58 points in a single
ultimately, and today, she teaches at Ruleville Central High
game. When she graduated from Delta State, she held 15 of 18
School in Ruleville, Mississippi.
Delta State team, single game, and career records. And those are just a few highlights of her career.
In the world of women’s hoops, Lusia Harris Stewart is considered the greatest female center to play women’s basketball.
Stewart also played professional women’s basketball for the
But many who followed her career and saw her play, consider
New Orleans Jazz and the Houston Angels, was the first woman
her to be one of the greatest centers ever to play the game and
drafted by a WNBA team, became a Silver Medalist in the 1976
credit her with literally changing the face of women’s basketball
Opposite page: Harris vs. the short girl, Debbie Brook. Above: Lusia and her parents with Coach Margret Wade in Minter City, Mississippi. Photo courtesy of Delta State University Archives, Cleveland, Mississippi.
M I S S I S S I P P I C E L E B R I T Y | 113
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BUDDY STEWART
BERLINER PHOTOGRAPHY
To become a successful Hollywood agent seemed like an
world, Sam packaged deals for highly successful television series
impossible dream for a young boy growing up in Amory,
such as The Cosby Show, Sisters, Mad About You, Everybody
Mississippi, but not to Sam Haskell. Every year he eagerly
Loves Raymond, Murphy Brown, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee,
awaited the annual telecasts of the Academy Awards, the Emmys, and the Miss America Pageant to see his
Sam Haskell E N T E R TA I N M E N T I N D U S T R Y L E A D E R
favorite stars and imagine
King of Queens, Las Vegas, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. His client list included Sela Ward, Bill Cosby, Kathie Lee Gifford,
himself among them. Although Sam’s parents wanted him to
George Clooney, Ray Romano, Whoopi Goldberg, Debbie Allen,
be a doctor, his passion was for the entertainment industry.
Delta Burke, Marilu Henner, Martin Short, Kirstie Alley, Tony
Sam developed a strong work ethic at an early age. His summer jobs began at age 11, shelving books in the public
Danza, Sean Hayes, Michael Feinstein, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and His Royal Highness, The Prince Edward, Earl of
library and later included serving as a lifeguard and swimming
Wessex. After 27 years, Sam retired from the agency business
instructor at the Amory Public Pool. Friends swear he taught
at the end of 2004.
everyone in North Mississippi how to swim. Armed with student loans, income from summer jobs, and determination to succeed,
As for those childhood dreams: Sam has attended the Oscars and Emmys on many occasions with his celebrity clients and
Sam was able to achieve his dream of attending Ole Miss
considers some of the legendary stars he grew up admiring
where he took advantage of everything the school had to offer.
among his closest friends. Not only has he judged Miss America
Some of those activities included being a member of The
several times, but in 2006, he was named Chairman of the
Group, the University’s song and dance troupe; director of the
national pageants' Board Of Trustees. He married a former Miss
Miss University Pageant; a member of The Chancellor’s
Mississippi and his college sweetheart, Mary Donnelly Haskell, an
Committee For the Arts; and an officer of Sigma Chi Fraternity.
actress, singer and recording artist. He also received his Fraternity’s
Sam graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and was
highest national honor, being named “1998 Significant Sig” and
included in “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.”
was inducted into the Ole Miss Alumni Hall of Fame in 2002.
He then headed for Los Angeles to pursue his career. Sam’s accomplishments have far exceeded his wildest dreams.
Sam attributes much of his success to his Mississippi upbringing. He particularly credits his beloved mother, Mary
As Executive Vice President–Worldwide Head of Television for the
Kirkpatrick Haskell, a beautiful, thoroughly Southern woman
William Morris Agency, the most prestigious talent agency in the
whom he unfortunately lost to cancer in 1987, for many of the
Sam with some of his celebrity clients (l-r): Kathie Lee Gifford, Doris Roberts, and Dolly Parton.
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BERLINER PHOTOGRAPHY
MARY HASKELL
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values he possesses today. She taught her eldest son invaluable
both serve on the Advisory Board for the Gertrude Ford Center
lessons that he took to heart — to genuinely care about other
for the Performing Arts. Sam co-chairs the Ford Center’s advi-
people, to be honest, follow-through on what you promise,
sory board with his friend, Morgan Freeman. Sam and Mary
and to never underestimate the power of a thank you note.
also serve as trustees of the Duke of Edinburgh World
She could not have known how rare those traits would be in
Fellowship, helping children all over the world accomplish their
Hollywood or how they would help her son become one of the
goals. In recognition of his many efforts on behalf of young
most successful and respected people in his field. Sam is also
people, Sam received the 1997 National Champion for
quick to credit his wife Mary, “Mary is the heart and soul of our
Children Award from the Alliance for Children’s Rights.
family. I could not be who I am or do what I do without her.” Sam’s southern charm even led to a friendship with British
After Sam’s retirement from the agency business to pursue other opportunities, he had planned to take some time off to
Royalty. A television producer, when not performing his official
help Mary promote her new Concord Records release, instead
duties, HRH The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex became a
Hurricane Katrina changed those plans. Within days of the
client of Sam’s in 1995. The two soon became friends, and in
tragedy, Sam was on the phone to the network presidents
1999, Sam and Mary were the official commentators for Good
encouraging them to work together on a national fundraiser to
Morning America, as the only Americans invited by Her Majesty
help his storm-ravaged state. The result was a six network
Queen Elizabeth II, to the Royal wedding of HRH The Prince
primetime simulcast, entitled Shelter From The Storm that aired
Edward, Earl of Wessex to Miss Sophie Rhys Jones.
on September 9, 2005. Sam then partnered with fellow Ole Miss
Just as his accomplishments and honors are too numerous
alum, Lanny Griffith, to Executive Produce Mississippi Rising, a
to mention, so are the many ways he has given back in grati-
three-hour national telethon that raised over 15 million dollars for
tude for his good fortune. He learned at his mother’s knee that
the Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund. Aired live from the Ole
“A blessing is not a blessing unless it is shared.” The bi-annual
Miss Coliseum on October 1, 2005, the star-studded event put
Stars Over Mississippi concerts he hosts in his hometown have
the spotlight on Mississippi’s devastated Gulf Coast, and on the
raised over $4 million for college scholarships to Mississippi
courageous and generous spirit of Mississippi’s people.
students given in memory of his mother. In 1999, Sam executive
Sam, Mary, and their teenage children, Sam IV and Mary
produced A Celebration of Mississippi Leadership at the John F.
Lane, plan to move back to Mississippi in a few years where
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which raised $13 million
they have already purchased property for their Oxford home.
for the Trent Lott Leadership Institute at Ole Miss. He and Mary
As Sam says, “While Los Angeles is where my dreams led me,
are lifetime members of the Ole Miss Alumni Association and
my heart and my home have always been in Mississippi.” ■
Above (l-r): Brooke Shields and HRH The Prince Edward, Duke of Wessex, Tony Danza, and Ray Romano. Sam with his wife, Mary, at the Academy Awards.
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THOMAS CALLAWAY
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Proud toCall Mississippi Home
Beth Henley AW A R D - W I N N I N G P L AY W R I G H T Only a rare few playwrights achieve the prestigious honor of
The play opened on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre
winning a Pulitzer Prize for one of their plays anytime in their life-
November 4, 1981, and received a Tony nomination the follow-
times. For someone who had not even planned to become a
ing year. The movie version of Crimes of the Heart opened in
playwright, to win the Pulitzer Prize for her first professionally
1986 starring Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek, and
staged play, is nothing short of miraculous. However, that is just
Sam Shepard. The movie earned four Academy Award nomina-
what Jackson native Beth Henley did.
tions, including Best Adaptation for Beth.
Elizabeth Becker Henley is one of four daughters born to
Beth’s second play, The Miss Firecracker Contest, was per-
Charles, a respected attorney, and Lydy, an accomplished
formed at New Stage before its unveiling in New York. Like
actress. Growing up, Beth spent a lot of time in theaters when
Crimes, Miss Firecracker was adapted into a movie in 1989 that
her mother was performing or when she had parts herself in pro-
starred Holly Hunter, Mary Steenburgen, and Tim Robbins. Her
ductions, such as at the New Stage Theater. By high school, she
other plays include: The Wake of Jeremy Foster, The Debutante
knew she shared her mother’s passion and wanted to pursue a
Ball, The L-- Spot, Abundance, Control Freaks, Signature, L-
career as an actress. After graduating from Murrah High School,
Play, Impossible Marriage, and Ridiculous Fraud.
Beth attended Southern Methodist University where she received
She wrote the screenplay for Nobody’s Fool (1984) starring
her Fine Arts degree in 1974. While in college, Beth began writ-
Rosanna Arquette and Eric Roberts and collaborated on True
ing, partly out of frustration for the lack of good roles. Her first
Stories (1986) with Steven Trobolowsky and David Byrne, the
effort was a one-act play entitled, Am I Blue, which was pro-
lead singer of the Talking Heads who directed and starred in the
duced at SMU’s Margo Jones Theatre in 1973.
film. She also co-wrote the screenplay, Survival Guides, for PBS.
After a few years of teaching and acting, Beth decided to
Beth’s comic sense and empathetic treatment of characters
again focus her energies on writing. This time, she was deter-
often leads to comparisons to Eudora Welty. Although genera-
mined to write a full, three-act play. Drawing on her own distinc-
tions apart, it is ironic that two Pulitzer Prize winning writers, a
tively Southern influences, a whimsical imagination, and flair for
rare honor, would have grown up in the same Belhaven neigh-
the absurd, Beth created a hilarious, yet thought-provoking look
borhood in Jackson. Beth remembers being in awe of her neigh-
at life, love, and family called Crimes of the Heart. The black
bor as a child and even riding her bike by the author’s house to
comedy is the story of the Magrath sisters of Hazlehurst,
hopefully catch a glimpse of the woman her mother told her was
Mississippi, who are reunited after the youngest shoots her hus-
“internationally famous.” Beth loves Welty’s books, served briefly
band, because she was “having a very bad day.”
as the visiting Eudora Welty Professor of Social Studies at
Crimes of the Heart was co-winner of the Great American Play Contest sponsored by the Actors Theatre in Louisville,
Millsaps College and read from her Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Optimist’s Daughter, at Welty’s funeral. She is flattered to be
Kentucky, performed on February 18, 1979. The play was then
compared with such a great woman and someone who had
staged in Baltimore and St. Louis before making its debut in
such a profound influence on her own sensibilities.
New York, in 1981. The critics loved it. Crimes of the Heart won
Beth Henley’s plays are staged non-stop in theaters, universities,
the Guggenheim Award, New York Drama Circle Award, and the
and professional workshops around the country, as well as studied
crowning achievement of receiving the1981 Pulitzer Prize for
and dissected by aspiring actors, playwrights, and critics. Her
Drama. That honor had never been bestowed upon a female in
unique works have undoubtedly left their mark on modern theater.
the award’s 23- year history, and it was the first time that a play
Meanwhile, when not writing, staging a new work, or speaking to
received this award before its Broadway debut.
groups, Beth enjoys life in Los Angeles with her son, Patrick. ■
M I S S I S S I P P I C E L E B R I T Y | 117
When Sesame Street debuted in 1969, it was immediately recognized as a phenomenon, utilizing quick takes, repetition, and a cast of human and not-so-human characters. Many of the latter – Muppets – rapidly © TIME LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES
became household names … Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, and Oscar the Grouch. While many assume that they originated on this revolutionary show, Jim Henson had been perfecting them for fifteen years. Henson was respected worldwide as an innovator of near-boundless energy … a visionary whose creations remain remarkably fresh. A pioneer rather than “standard-bearer,” he broke the mold – so to speak – in puppetry, technology, and visual arts. His influence – in entertainment and education – will be felt for generations. Born in Greenville, the son of a U.S.D.A. scientist on assignment in Leland, young Jim had an early interest in art. He was especially close to his maternal grandmother, a painter and quilter,
Jim Hensen MUPPET MASTER
who taught him needlework and soft sculpture techniques on the family’s frequent trips to their native Maryland. More importantly, she encouraged him to delight in the world around him. His childhood was happy; he explored the local countryside, by himself or with friends. When Jim was ten, his family returned north, where he began experimenting with various techniques, later enhanced by the advent of a brand new medium: in high school, he began his television career, on a Saturday morning program that aired in Washington, DC. While at the University of Maryland, he had a twice-daily, five-minute show, Sam and Friends, on the local NBC affiliate – created specifically for adult audiences and immediately preceding the evening national news and the 11 p.m. local news report. With his future wife, Jane Nebel, Henson introduced the traits – music, irreverent humor, and technical tricks – that would dis-
tinguish his work. For the small screen, he realized, it was necessary to invent puppets that had “life and sensitivity.” Traditional puppets had solid heads, but Muppet faces were mobile, enabling their mouths to register wide ranges of emotions and synchronize with Henson’s speech. He was soon guesting on The Tonight Show and appearing weekly on Today. He also made hundreds of commercials and, with a growing team of collaborators, he
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Proud toCall Mississippi Home developed the first nationally known Muppet, Rowlf the Dog, who appeared regularly on The Jimmy Dean Show in the mis-sixties. Several years later, Henson produced experimental television specials and films, including the Oscar-nominated Time Piece (1965). In 1966, producer Joan Ganz Cooney, begnning work on a groundbreaking educational television show, asked Henson to create a distinctive group of characters. She later remarked that, while the Sesame Street group possessed “a collective
the Television Academy Hall of Fame. His final project was MuppetVision 3*D, a short, interactive multi-media film that currently runs at Disney theme parks. His sudden death, from an aggressive strain of pneumonia, shocked a world that perceived him as indestructible. At 53, at the apex of his creative life, he was suddenly being viewed in terms of his legacy. Henson’s profound influence lay in his ability to transcend and transform multiple media … from the ancient art of puppetry to
genius,” only Henson was “an indi© TIME LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES
vidual genius,” noting that he established a “new art form that influenced popular culture around the world.” Henson always knew his Muppets were as endearing to parents as well, and sought to create an outlet for adult and family audiences. When he launched the The Muppet Show, its success was stratospheric and it ran from 1976 until 1981, when Henson decided to end it before it declined. Hosted by Kermit, the Muppets – including new characters like Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear – were joined weekly by a varied and distinguished series of guest stars. He established the Jim Henson Foundation to support and promote development of innovative, contemporary puppet theater. Since 1982, it has made over 350 grants to artists who have furthered this purpose. Feature films presented the next logical challenge, and there were ultimately six Muppet movies in Jim’s lifetime. In addition, Henson brought two fantasy films to the theaters in the 1980s, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, in which he created advanced
Opposite page: Puppeteer/creator of the Muppets, Jim Henson with Kermit the Frog in his arms. Above: Henson poses with several of his Fraggle Rock muppets, 1983.
1936 -1990
three-dimensional characters, melding animatronics and performance. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, which grew out of these
television and film. Many, though, feel that his sense of warmth,
movies, continues to set standards in performance technology.
optimism, and wonder in an increasingly vulgar, cynical age –
He also created television series, most notably Fraggle Rock –
nurtured in his Delta youth by his grandmother – was an even
a multi-nation production that celebrated friendship, brotherhood,
greater achievement. Still, the Muppets’ imperfections helped
and peace – and Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies, which garnered
make them plausible, and therefore easier to identify with.
four of his forty Emmys. Henson also won eight Grammies, over 100 industry and international awards, and was inducted into
Today, his children handle the affairs of both the Foundation and The Jim Henson Company, a Fortune 500 mainstay. The
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Proud toCall Mississippi Home
Faith Hill, a proud Mississippi Girl from a tiny town called
People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People twice and has
Star, has become a beloved global superstar. Born Audrey
appeared on The Academy Awards, 60 Minutes, The Barbara
Faith Perry in 1967, in Jackson, Mississippi, Faith grew up lis-
Walters Special, The Grammy Awards, VH1 Divas, The Today
tening to and singing gospel music. At 19, she left Mississippi
Show, The Super Bowl, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and more.
for Nashville, where she was later discovered by Warner
In 2004, Faith made her acting debut in the remake of The
Brothers executive, Martha Sharp, while singing backup for
Stepford Wives alongside Nicole Kidman, Glenn Close, Bette
Gary Burr at the legendary Bluebird Café.
Midler, Matthew Broderick, and Christopher
Faith Hill M I S S I S S I P P I ’ S D I VA O F C O U N T R Y M U S I C In 1993, Faith’s debut single, “Wild One,” spent four weeks at number one, and from there she has never looked back. Since then she’s had 11 number one singles, has sold over 30 million albums, and has received 5 Grammy Awards, 5 Country Music Association Awards, 4 People’s Choice Awards, and many other accolades. With her third album, Faith, she became more than just a voice. She co-produced the album, as well as the three albums that have followed… Breathe, Cry, and Fireflies. All debuted at number one on both the Billboard Top 200, and Billboard Country Charts, making Faith the only female artist to celebrate three consecutive number one debut releases. This year Faith will perform live for the first time in more than six years when she reprises one of the industry’s most successful tours, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul Tour of 2000. The Soul2Soul II Tour is already the fastest selling concert tour
Walken. Over the years, Faith has worked with various charities and
of the year and is expected to play nearly 75 shows
most recently, was named the Honorary Godmother for the
throughout the United States.
Audrey Hepburn CARE Center at Children’s Hospital New
In addition to her incredible musical talents, Faith has been
Orleans. Her newly formed Neighbors Keeper Foundation, a
featured in ad campaigns for CoverGirl and Pepsi. Additionally,
collaborative effort with her husband Tim McGraw, seeks to
she has graced the covers of Glamour, InStyle, People, Redbook,
directly provide monies, goods, and/or services for those in
and countless other magazines. She was chosen as one of
need.
Opposite page: The Soul2Soul II Tour is already the fastest selling concert tour of the year. Above: Already a star at age 3. Photos courtesy of Faith McGraw and Borman Entertainment.
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Proud toCall Mississippi Home
Guy Hovis SINGER Today, Guy Hovis spends most of his time in Mississippi
L.A. ‘paying his dues’ and learning about the entertainment
running the offices of U.S. Senator Trent Lott, as state director.
business.
But before he returned to his roots and took a political turn, Guy Hovis delighted audiences for more than a decade as one of The Lawrence Welk Show’s
His big break came in 1969 after he met and married his first wife, Ralna English. Ralna joined The Lawrence Welk Show later that year, but it wasn’t until the Christmas episode that
most beloved performers.
Ralna convinced Lawrence to let Guy sing a duet with her on
As the other half of the Guy
the show. That performance led to more appearances, and
and Ralna act, one of Welk’s
eventually, Guy and Ralna became a regular act on the show
most popular singing duos,
and one of the most popular in the show’s history.
Hovis appeared on the show for more than a decade, from 1970-1982. Born in Tupelo,
In 1990, Hovis began serving as state director for US Senator Trent Lott in Mississippi. Hovis and Lott have been friends since their Ole Miss college days. Guy continues to perform doing both solo concerts and appearances with now ex-wife Ralna
September 24, 1941,
at state fairs, concert halls, and casinos. But the most reward-
Hovis says he got his start,
ing performances for him now, Hovis says, “Are the ones I do
“Singing in church,” and
for retirement homes and Senior Adult groups. It is a wonderful
according to him, “My first
opportunity for me to say thank you to those who have always
love, and still my favorite
supported me and who have helped keep The Lawrence Welk
music, is Southern Gospel.”
Show on television for over 50 years.”
Hovis never thought becom-
Southerners rarely forget their roots and Hovis is no exception.
ing a recording artist was
From his days in Los Angeles as a regular on The Lawrence
realistic. When asked how
Welk Show, Guy remembers how his home state supported him.
he got his start in show
In a recent interview, he said, “One of the most wonderful things
business, he usually replies,
about Mississippians is how we support our own. When I finally
“I went to Ole Miss and
got some exposure on national television, 95% of the fan mail
got a degree in Accounting.”
that came into the show would be from Mississippi.”
And he’s not kidding. Ole Miss is also where Hovis met fraternity brother, Tom Lester, who
Remarried since 2002 to Sarah “Sis” Lundy, they now make their home in Jackson where Hovis stays busy running Senator Lott’s offices and performing. He shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, though. Hovis will do some 40 concerts
played Eb Dawson on the popular TV sitcom, Green Acres.
this year both solo and with former singing partner Ralna
Lester encouraged him to come to Los Angeles as opposed
English. Crediting his home state with offering some measure
to Nashville or New York, and according to Hovis, “He sent
of sanctuary, Hovis says, “Living back home in Mississippi
me to a little night club in Santa Monica, called The Horn,
where the pace of life is a little more relaxed than L.A. has
where I got my start.” He played small nightclubs all over
been a welcomed change.” ■
Opposite Page: Guy Hovis performs What a Wonderful World during the taping of the PBS national special, Lawrence Welk Precious Memories. Above: Ralna English and Guy Hovis perform Amazing Grace during the final act of Lawrence Welk Precious Memories. Photos: ©The Oklahoma Network, 2005.
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M I S S I S S I P P I C E L E B R I T Y | 123
Kent Hull P R O F E S S I O N A L F O O T B A L L P L AY E R Kent Hull was a string bean of an athlete when he arrived at
Kent was Kent. You either liked him or you didn’t, but it really
Mississippi State in the fall of 1979. He stood 6-foot-7, weighed
didn’t bother him one way or the other. And he hasn’t changed
a little more than 200 pounds, and the football coaches weren’t
a bit, even today.”
sure where to play him. Someone suggested trying him at center.
Hull has a deep affection for home. When playing in Buffalo,
Good decision.
he came down with a vicious stomach virus. At Kent’s request,
Hull, who grew up in Greenwood loving basketball more than
Kay phoned Karatassos and asked his medical advice.
football, started for the Bulldogs four seasons, spent three years
“Never mind what the team doctors said up there,” Karatassos
in the United States Football League, then signed with the
says. “He wanted the advice of somebody back home. That’s
National Football League’s Buffalo Bills, where he played in four
Kent. And that meant a lot to me.”
Super Bowls and was voted by his peers to three Pro Bowls. He retired following the 1996 season and returned to Mississippi
Hull owns a collection of extensive sports memorabilia, most of it acquired at charity auctions. The items include an auto-
with his wife, Kay, and their children, Drew and Ellen. The Hulls
graphed Shaquille O’Neal basketball shoe and a shirt worn by
live just outside Greenwood in a 3,600-square-foot home.
tennis star Andre Aggasi when he won the U.S. Open. “As long
Kent enjoys raising cattle. “And working crossword puzzles,” Kay says, laughing. “Sometimes he’ll work three different puzzles from three different newspapers in one day.” Kent Hull never considered retiring anywhere but back home. “I love Mississippi,” he says, a member of The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. “Greenwood’s home. And I tell people all the time, you don’t really appreciate Mississippi until you’ve been away from it.
as it’s for a worthwhile cause, things like Make-A-Wish Foundation, I’ll buy,” Hull says. Former MSU teammate and New York Giants linebacker, Johnnie Cooks, says, “Nine times out of 10, when you see Kent somewhere, he’s doing something for somebody else. He’s just a good guy.” A good guy whose team never won a Super Bowl. And even though his career was filled with individual honors, the four
When I’d leave for Buffalo every summer, it would take me three
Super Bowl losses from 1991-94 still burn – especially the one-
days to get there. But it would only take me about 18 hours to
point loss to the New York Giants when Scott Norwood’s last-
get home. The closer I got, the faster I’d drive.
second field goal sailed inches wide.
“I enjoyed my time in Buffalo, too. The people up there are
“I’m not sure I’ll ever get over them,” Hull says. “We had four
just like the people here in Mississippi. Every Tuesday night, I’d
opportunities to be the best and didn’t get it done. I’m not suicidal
drive 45 miles to visit with all the dairy farmers in the area. We’d
about it, but we should’ve won two of those four games.”
sit around and eat hot dogs and drink homemade wine and
Yet he is a man who has always managed to keep things in
apple cider. It was great. “Only difference in Mississippi and
perspective. One year, the Bills played the AFC championship
Buffalo was the winters. And that is a big, big difference,” he
game in Cincinnati the day after Christmas, meaning the team
chuckles. “We were up there 11 years, and it snowed on seven
had to travel on Christmas Day.
Halloweens. And the snow would last until March. Even the kids got tired of it.” Hull, a mammoth man who played in the NFL at 290 pounds, enjoys a quiet life in his hometown. He doesn’t care for the “star” treatment. “That’s the way he’s always been,” says Straton Karatassos,
“That was tough,” he says. “The kids are running around playing with their new stuff. There’s all that food there. And I’ve got to leave to go play a football game. “But I told myself ‘It could be worse.’ I thought about the World War II veterans and the Vietnam veterans ... I can’t imagine being away from home, in a foxhole, on Christmas Day and
a friend of Hull’s who was trainer at Mississippi State when Hull
somebody shooting at me. It made me quit feeling sorry for
played there. “There was nothing ever pretentious about him.
myself real quick.” ■
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Proud toCall Mississippi Home
Photo courtesy of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
M I S S I S S I P P I C E L E B R I T Y | 125
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BEN HILLYER
Greg Iles BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Greg Iles’ life really hasn’t changed that much since high school.
established a family medical practice. Growing up, Greg excelled
Back then, he lived in Natchez, spent time with his girl, Carrie
in most everything he pursued – academics, sports, and any-
McGee, and enjoyed sports, reading, and playing in bands. Today,
thing creative. According to his mom, writing songs and poetry,
he still lives in Natchez; Carrie is still his girl, although her last
playing guitar, singing, and painting all came easily to him. He
name is now Iles; and, instead of the football he played in high
graduated from Trinity Episcopal High School in 1978 and enrolled
school, the sports he now enjoys are his children’s baseball and
at the University of Mississippi as a National Merit finalist.
basketball games. Reading is still a favorite past time, although,
At Ole Miss, Greg majored in English, was a member of Phi
these days, he spends more time writing bestsellers than reading
Kappa Psi fraternity and co-founded, Frankly Scarlet, a band
them. And, instead of playing guitar with Taylor, Beal, and Iles, he
that gained a following performing on college campuses through-
plays for the Rock Bottom Remainders with Stephen King,
out the South. After graduating in 1983, he held several “day
Dave Barry, Scott Turrow, and other literary icons. Like Taylor,
jobs,” such as serving as an x-ray and lab technician for his
Beal, and Iles, The Remainders haven’t recorded any albums.
dad, while pursing his professional music career at night and on
However, collectively, they have sold over 200 million books.
weekends. Frankly Scarlet was getting airplay with some of
Mark Gregory was born April 8, 1960 in Stuttgart, Germany,
their original songs and their growing popularity meant almost
where his father was in charge of the U.S. Embassy Medical
constant travel. In 1990, the year after he and Carrie married,
Clinic. His parents, Betty and Jerry, moved to Natchez with
the band toured 50 weeks, and he decided the music business
Greg and his younger brother, Geoff, in 1963, where Dr. Iles
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was not compatible with marriage or a future family life.
Proud toCall Mississippi Home
Not desiring a traditional job, Greg refocused his creative
the project, he says he is unlikely to write anything for the
energies into writing a novel. Despite the extraordinary odds
screen unless he could also direct it. A challenge the quintes-
against first-time authors, Greg was determined to make it hap-
sential artist hasn’t ruled out for the future.
pen, spending 18 hours a day researching and writing in the
As happens when an author reaches a certain level of suc-
tiny New Orleans apartment where he and Carrie lived while she
cess, Greg has pressure from publishers to write a new book
was in dental school. A history buff with a particular fascination
every year. While with Penguin Putnam, he wrote 24 Hours
with World War II, it’s not surprising that his first effort was a
(2000), Dead Sleep (2001) and Sleep No More (2002). For his
historical thriller set in Berlin centered around the discovery of
current publisher, Scribner, he wrote Footprints of God (2003),
the diary of notorious Nazi war criminal Rudolph Hess. Not only
then two in one year, Blood Memory (2005) and Turning Angel
did he complete the 241,000-word manuscript in only one year,
(2005). Nine of his ten novels have made the New York Times
he also secured an agent and a book deal with Dutton only a
Bestsellers List, with the last two both debuting at number eight.
few months later. To top that off, Spandau Phoenix (1993) landed
He has sold over 3 million books, which have been translated into
on the prestigious New York Times
a dozen languages and distributed in
Bestsellers List. His next book,
more than 20 countries.
Black Cross (1995), another histor-
His official Rock Bottom Remainders’
ical thriller, also made the List and
debut happened in 2003 at the Miami
was nominated by John Grisham,
Book Fair. The group, which also
and won, the Mississippi Authors’
includes Ridley Pierson, Roy Blount, Jr.,
Award for Fiction.
James McBride, Mitch Albom, Matt
Unlike most authors who find
Groening, and Amy Tann, donates the
success in a particular genre or
proceeds from performances to a
with a main character that they
children’s literacy charity. He hopes
stay with throughout their careers,
The Remainders will be able to per-
Greg enjoys taking readers on a
form in Mississippi and New Orleans
completely new adventure each
sometime in 2006 as fund raisers for
time. His third book, Mortal Fear (1997), is a modern-day psy-
Katrina victims. In addition, he still writes songs, plays, and
chological thriller involving the Internet whose main character
sings for friends, and, on occasion, “sits in” with local bands.
lives in the Mississippi Delta. The Quiet Game (1997), a murder mystery, is the first set in Natchez. In 2000, Grammy-winning record producer and fellow
Greg tries to spend as much time as he can with his wife and children, Madeline and Mark. He is a former member of the school board, and actively supports Trinity Episcopal Day
Natchez native, Glen Ballard, contacted Greg about writing a
School, his alma mater where they now attend. With every new
screenplay. Glen was a partner in a production company that
book, he hosts a book signing at Trinity with all proceeds
was looking for projects. Both agreed that the storyline for 24
benefiting the school.
Hours, the book he had just completed about a couple who
“I love the South, Mississippi, and Natchez, in particular,
turns the tables on their daughter’s kidnappers, would be per-
says Greg. “It is a wonderful place to raise children. Like most
fect. He wrote the screenplay for the film, renamed Trapped
Mississippians, I feel a profound connection to the land, to my
(2002), which featured an outstanding cast, Charlize Theron,
extended family, to the Mississippi River, and to the black/white
Kevin Bacon, Stuart Townsend, Courtney Love, and Dakota
racial conflict, which lies at the heart of the moral conflict present
Fanning. He has since received other screenplay offers.
in what it means to be an American. In a nation of ever-increas-
However, seeing how little control the writer generally has over
ing homogeneity, this region of the country stubbornly retains
Above: Before becoming a bestselling author, Greg was a member of the band, Frankly Scarlet, a popular band in the 1980s. (l-r): Monty LaMaze, Greg Iles, Bobby Hensley, and Mike Chapman. Photo: Courtney Aldridge.
M I S S I S S I P P I C E L E B R I T Y | 127
Robert Johnson BLUES
MUSICIAN
Much has been written about the Blues, its origins, its enigmatic tie to all that was dark and painful and mystical about the South, especially in its connection to African-American culture. “The Blues” seemed to be one group’s cathartic response to years of oppression and bad luck, a way to endure and rise above that hard life. Talk
▲
© MARK O. RAMIREZ
about the blues to anyone who truly knows the blues and its origins, and one man’s name, Robert Johnson, is usually mentioned with some measure of awe. Johnson never became truly famous, nor did he leave behind as much material as many of his peers in his short life, but the music he did leave still influences musicians today — Eric Clapton, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Muddy Waters, and some say, even Elvis. In fact, it has been hinted in blues circles that Johnson was the true father of rock ‘n’ roll. Robert Johnson was born May 8, 1911, in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, to Julia Dodds and Noah Johnson, the man sources say she “favored” during her husband’s long absences. His short life was peppered with tragedy. He lost his young wife and their baby in childbirth in April, 1930, when she was only 16. And sadly, Johnson himself died at the age of 27 on August 16, 1938, as the result of a run-in with a jealous husband — the man poisoned his whiskey, the story goes. As an infant, Johnson, his mother, and sisters were essentially evicted from their family home as the result of “bad blood” between his stepfather, Charles Dodds, and the prominent Marchetti brothers of Hazlehurst. Johnson spent a few difficult seasons in migrant labor camps with his mother and baby sister before all moved to Memphis to join his stepfather, who had assumed the name Spencer to escape the Marchetti brothers’ wrath. Johnson’s stay in Memphis was short, however. His mother’s marriage to Spencer dissolved, and she re-married and moved to Robinsonville, Mississippi, just 20 miles south of Memphis to begin a new life with new husband, Willie “Dusty” Willis. Johnson joined them in Robinsonville, where he began his primary musical education in the blues-rich tiny Mississippi town many of the early masters were known to frequent. By all accounts, Johnson learned of his real father when he was a teenager, and it was around that time that Robert took his real father’s name and began to explore his musical talents. He started
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Proud toCall Mississippi Home
with the Jew’s harp and harmonica, but eventually gravitated
South of Johnson’s time, superstition was sometimes as power-
toward the guitar, an instrument for which he seemed to have
ful as religion itself, and the intersection of two roads (any two
a natural talent.
roads) was considered a bad place. His short, painful life and
Many of his most notable songs, “Crossroads Blues” and “Hellhound On My Tail” give merit to the legendary stories that still follow Robert Johnson today, but his early association with
bad luck might have been the result, as many believed, of a “devilish deal” gone bad. Amazingly, in only 2 recording sessions (one in 1936, the
some of the true pioneers of blues music may have been the
other in 1937, both in Texas) Johnson recorded 29 songs
more profound influence on Johnson. Reportedly, Charlie Patton
whose influence on the blues and its cultural progression is
visited Robinsonville frequently during Johnson’s time there and
considered profound and even somewhat mystical in music
gave him much help and inspiration, along with local Robinson-
history. Including material that was never issued on 78s, there
ville musician, Wille Brown. Later, Johnson traveled the South,
are also alternate versions of almost half of the 29 recorded
Known throughout the music world of the 1930s as a traveler, Johnson was never in one place long.
1911–1938 playing with the likes of blues greats, Sonny Boy Williamson
songs from the 1936 and 1937 Texas sessions. If Robert
and Son House.
Johnson’s body of work seems dismantled and scattered, it is
Blues musicians, in particular, need a past worthy enough
because copyright laws and recording contracts were almost
from which to draw those rich and haunting lyrics, a mystique
non-existent in his day. The music industry was not as regulated
to help them create that dark, otherworldly quality that dances
as it is today, and many artists never received proper credit for
along guitar strings in “juke joints” and alleys all over the South.
their work or adequate pay.
Robert Johnson’s life proved to be fertile ground. Known
In fact, including the recent discovery of a previously unknown
throughout the music world of the 1930s as a traveler,
alternate take of one of Johnson’s recordings, a total of only 42
Johnson was never in one place long.
recordings remain to this day, a fairly small number in comparison
After his first wife’s death, Robert returned to his birthplace
to what Johnson most likely recorded or had a hand in recording
to immerse himself in music and truly learn his trade. The lum-
during his career. He was a “rambling man,” never in one place
ber and road gang camps throughout Mississippi during the
long. And by all accounts, Johnson played for the sheer love of
depression era provided a surplus of juke joints and bars for
playing — blues music was a calling, and he answered with his
Johnson to play. He also met and married his second wife,
guitar and a suitcase, always packed.
Calletta (Callie) Craft, in Hazlehurst, though they kept their
According to Delta Haze Corporation, a blues/jazz preserva-
marriage a secret from everyone, including her family. During
tion organization which has purchased the rights to much
these years, Johnson honed his craft and became an extraor-
of Johnson’s work, “Robert Johnson is the most influential
dinary bluesman.
bluesman of all time, and the person most responsible for
His style with the guitar and his uncanny ability to play,
the shape popular music has taken in the last six decades.”
coupled with his elusive behavior helped create much folklore
Legendary, tragic, enigmatic — all are fitting descriptions of
around the man. Legend has it that Johnson went down to the
Robert Johnson. Unfortunately, true genius too often departs
“Crossroads” and made a deal with the Devil. When he returned,
the world much earlier than it should — luck of the draw,
he was able to play anything he wanted on the guitar. In the
perhaps, or in Robert Johnson’s case, fate. ■
M I S S I S S I P P I C E L E B R I T Y | 129
At a time when most performers are resting on their laurels and
on Saturday nights. He spent ten months of 1946 in Memphis,
reminiscing about the “good old days,” B. B. King celebrated
Tennessee, with his mother’s cousin, Bukky White, a locally-
his 80th birthday by releasing a new album, B. B. King & Friends –
renowned blues artist who helped him hone his guitar skills.
80 (2005) that earned him his 14th Grammy Award, and his 9th Grammy in the Best Traditional Blues Album category. The
By 1947, B. B. was ready to make the move to Memphis, and the next year, had his first big break when he performed
album features duets with some of music’s biggest stars – Eric
on Sonny Boy Williamson’s radio program on KWEM in West
Clapton, Elton John, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Glenn Frey,
Memphis. That performance and his growing popularity in
Bobby Bland, Daryl Hall, and others – who are among the several generations of musicians that have been influenced by B.
B. B. King KING OF THE BLUES
clubs, led to a ten-minute segment called “King’s Spot” on radio station WDIA that was later increased in length and renamed
B.’s unique guitar style and
the “Sepia Swing Club.” It was at
down-home, blues music.
this time that he realized he need-
He launched a new interna-
ed a catchy radio name. What
tional tour in early 2006 that’s
started out as Beale Street Blues
been dubbed the “Farewell Tour.”
Boy was shortened to Blues Boy,
However, the man who toured
and eventually became B. B.
every year for the past 60 years
Through his radio show and
expressed no intentions to stop
club appearances, B. B. was
his live performances. “As long
developing an ever-widening fan
as people buy my records and
base for his distinctive, single-
come to my concerts, I don’t see
note guitar style and unique
anything else I’d like to do.” He
brand of blues.
performed his 10,000th concert
While performing at a dance
on April 18th at the B. B. King
in Twist, Arkansas, in the mid-
Blues Club & Grill in New York. Born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, near Indianola, on September
1950s, two men got into a fight and knocked over a kerosene stove that caused a fire. Upon
16, 1925, Riley B. King — known to the world as B. B. — narrow-
realizing that his $30 acoustic guitar was still inside, he raced
ly escaped the sharecropper life that was his family’s plight.
back into the burning building to retrieve it. When he discovered
After his parents, Albert and Nora, separated, he lived with his
the fight was over a girl named Lucille, he gave the name to
mother and sometimes his grandmother in Kilmichael. After his
his guitar to remind him not to do anything crazy like that
mother died in 1935, he lived with his grandmother, who died
again. Since then, every one of trademark Gibson guitars
when he was 14, and after living briefly with his father in
has been called Lucille.
Lexington, he returned to Kilmichael where he worked in the cotton fields to support himself.
He had a string of hit songs in the 1950s and 1960s on the rhythm and blues charts, including two that reached number one,
B.B.’s love of music began as a young boy at the Holiness
“Three O’Clock Blues” (1951) and “You Don’t Know Me” (1952);
Church, where the preacher, Archie Fair, led the congregation
and four number two hits, “Please Love Me” (1953), “You Upset
in song with his guitar. Reverend Fair taught him the basic
Me Baby” (1954), “Sweet Sixteen, Part I,” (1960) and “Don’t
chords, and when he was in his teens, he bought his first guitar
Answer the Door, Part I” (1966). However, his music didn’t reach
for $2.50. After high school, he moved to Indianola where he
a wide mainstream audience until he performed in 1968 at the
formed a gospel group with his cousin, — The Famous St. John
Newport Folk Festival at Fillmore West where a young white
Gospel Singers — while beginning to play blues at area clubs
audience experienced his music for the first time. Musicians, like
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The Rolling Stones, were already huge fans and helped bring his
a third in New York City’s Times Square in 2000, and two more
music to the masses. His signature song and cross-over hit, “The
opened at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut in 2002.
Thrill is Gone” was recorded in 1970 and made to number fifteen
Despite his worldwide acclaim and busy performance schedule,
on the pop charts. His nearly 60 year career includes over 200
he returns to Indianola each year to perform a benefit concert.
recordings and world-wide tours to 90 countries.
“This is the high point of my year,” he says of his yearly home-
B. B.’s status as one of the most influential guitarists of the
coming concert. Indianola is paying tribute to their hometown
twentieth century and the blues greatest ambassador has been
hero with the B. B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center,
rewarded with numerous awards. In addition to his 14 Grammy
a $10 million facility set to open in 2007 that not only honors
Awards, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame (1984),
him but also provides enrichment opportunities for Delta
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1987) and the Songwriters Hall of
youth—opportunities B. B. did not have as a boy.
Fame (1990). He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement
In a standing-room-only ceremony, the Mississippi House and
Award (1987), the President’s Medal (1990), was a Kennedy
Senate honored him by declaring February 15, 2005 as “B. B. King
Honors recipient (1995), and a star on the Walk of Fame in
Day,” an official recognition of his accomplishments that deeply
Hollywood. He opened the first B. B. King Blues Club on Beale
moved him. In an associated press interview following the cere-
Street in Memphis in 1991, a second one in Los Angeles in 1994,
mony, he was quoted as saying, “I feel like the prodigal son, and
Opposite page: Mississippi state senator, David Jordan, of Greenwood addresses the standing room only crowd as B. B. King Day is declared on February 15, 2005. King was visibly moved by the honor. Above: B. B. makes “Lucille” sing during a performance at the 930 Blues Café in Jackson. Accompanying him on guitar is his friend and civil rights leader, Charles Evers. Photos ©Suzi Altman.
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Tom Lester was born in Jackson, Mississippi, on September 23, 1938. He grew up on his grandfather’s farm in Vossburg. At the age of 10, he committed his life to the Lord and believed he was called to be an actor. He received his BA in Chemistry and Biology from Ole Miss and attended graduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. He taught science at the high school in Purcell, Oklahoma, for one year before taking off for Hollywood. With little more than a dream and limited finances, he headed west. Tom started working with a group doing productions in the North Hollywood Playhouse. Linda Kay Henning, who was starring as Betty Jo in Petticoat Junction, was also in productions at the playhouse.
Tom Lester A C T O R / M O T I VAT I O N A L S P E A K E R Henning’s father, Paul Henning, was the creator, producer, and chief writer of the Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction and the Executive Producer of Green Acres. Paul Henning came to the playhouse to see his daughter perform and noticed Lester’s acting ability. He helped Lester get a screen test for the role of Eb Dawson in Green Acres. The studio gave the role of Eb, the hired hand, to Lester after having more than 400 actors read for the role. From 1965-1971, he played Eb on The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres. He had many guest appearances on television series and appeared in several films throughout the 1970s and 80s. In 2004, he appeared as himself in a TV Land Convention Special Documentary. He is currently working on a DVD project which he describes as, “A hunting comedy with Mel Tillis and me – but believe me, we don’t kill anything. It’s hilarious. Everything we try to kill gets away. All we want to do is win a contest that would give us a trip to Hot Springs where we’d get a bath and win
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a Hummer.” Still true to his promise of dedicating his life to God, at 67, he is a motivational speaker with a Christian message. Lester is very concerned about the moral condition of America. “We’ve gone from a biblically-based morality – which guided our founders in framing the constitution – to a post modern culture. Post modernism being, whatever feels right sets the standard for behavior. Plato said, ‘When there is no order in the soul, there is no order in the government.’ When each person determines from within what’s right and wrong and does not recognize the absolute truth – which is God’s word and the Ten Commandments – the result is absolute chaos. We have fixed laws in science that are absolute and we have moral laws – God’s laws – that are also absolute. So, we cannot exist without laws in the moral and spiritual dimension of life anymore than we can do so in the physical dimension. Our Creator built morality into life.” He says he believes that each person has a duty to be the best that he or she can be. “There are no insignificant people. We each have the duty to get up every day and do the best deeds that we can do. Mary Crowley, the founder of Home Interiors & Gifts, Inc., once said to me, ‘God never took the time to make a nobody.’ I believe, each day, we make decisions that can change our lives forever. Motivating others to make the right decisions that will make a positive impact on our world is my decision. With the help of the Lord and Jesus Christ, I want each person to know they have the power to be everything God has gifted them to become.” Tom Lester is Proud to Call Mississippi Home. Although he travels with his motivational speaking engagements, his home
base is right here, in Vossburg and Laurel, Mississippi. ■ Opposite page: Tom Lester in 1965, as Eb on Green Acres. Above, top to bottom: High school graduation in 1955; With Mr. Drucker on the set of Petticoat Junction; The cast of Green Acres.
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D.D. Lewis F O O T B A L L G R E AT “I’d wear maroon seven days a week if I could,” grins D.D. Lewis, the Mississippi State Bulldog football legend and true gridiron great. “Mississippi is my home and where I really grew up. It’s in my blood.” Considered one of the greatest linebackers to ever play college football, Lewis was voted first team All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 1967 and led the Bulldogs in tackles and assists all three of his college seasons. Legendary coaches Bear Bryant and Vince Dooley were quoted as saying he was the best linebacker in the country during his college years. A selfdescribed, “Hard-hitting hustler who desperately wanted to win,” Lewis was tough, which led to his inductions into numerous football shrines, including the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame. Drafted in 1968, Lewis played fourteen seasons in the National Football League and was a key component of “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys. Under the tutelage of the great Tom Landry, Lewis played in five Super Bowls, winning two. He held the record for most playoff games played in the NFL until another Mississippi native, Jerry Rice, broke Lewis’ record in 2003. Lewis credits his Mississippi State coaches such as Jim Hilyer with the success he had in college and the pros. “They taught us the fundamentals, how to prepare, and
Lewis garnered national attention for his tough playing style at Mississippi State
most importantly, the X factor: How to take care of your body.”
(opposite page) and was instrumental in winning two Super Bowls
Through all of his football success, Lewis never forgot where
for “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys (above).
his football roots are planted. “When I was playing for Dallas, I knew that Mississippians were pulling for me because that’s where I’m from,” he says. Born and raised the youngest of 14 children in Knoxville, Tennessee, Lewis says he identifies with Mississippi more than the Volunteer state. “Mississippi is closer than Knoxville as far as who I am,” he says. “It doesn’t get any better. I just feel special when I’m there.” ■
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Archie Manning LEGENDARY QUARTERBACK Archie Manning was 12 years old in the magical baseball sum-
Miss fans to regularly attend his games. But the Saints were
mer of 1961, when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle hit 61 and
terrible. Despite not having a lot of talent around him, Manning
54 home runs, respectively, for the New York Yankees. Down
became one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. In 1978, after
South, in the small Mississippi Delta town of Drew, Manning
the Saints finished 7-9, he was named the NFC Player of the Year,
and friend, Jerry Knox, were staging their own home run battle.
an honor usually bestowed on a player from a winning team.
“Jerry was a little skinny kid and I don’t really remember him
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound, long-legged redhead finished his
being a great athlete,” Manning says. “But he had this little
professional career with stints in Houston and Minnesota, total-
upper-cut swing. He hit 74 homers that summer. I hit fifty-
ing 23,911 yards (17th-best in NFL history at the time of his
something. We played on a field that the kids in town built. We
retirement) and 125 touchdowns.
dug dugouts that were about a foot-and-a-half deep. We got
Lately, he is better known as the father of NFL quarterbacks
burlap bags and filled them with dirt, then covered them with
Peyton and Eli Manning. (His oldest son, Cooper, was a star
flour to make them look white. We lined the field with flour.
wide receiver who signed with Ole Miss, but had to give up
We’d borrow our folks’ lawn mowers and cut the grass. We
football because of spinal problems.) But those who saw Archie
were proud of it. But that’s the way it was growing up in a
run Coach Johnny Vaught’s offense, which featured the sprint-
small Mississippi town back then. I wouldn’t take anything for
out pass, and witnessed his relentless competitive drive to
being raised like that.”
make the Saints a winner, remember what a special athlete he
Manning, arguably the most popular athlete in Mississippi history, went on to star in football, as quarterback at Ole Miss in 1968 through 1970. He threw for 4,753 yards and 56 touch-
was. And he has continued to give back to his state and alma mater, often appearing at fund-raisers and charity events. “But, you know, after all the games at Ole Miss and the NFL,
downs. And in the first college football game ever televised
I can still remember more about those games back in Drew
during prime time, Manning touched the nation by passing for
than I can about how, say, the Saints did against the [Atlanta]
436 yards and rushing for 104 in a heart-breaking 33-32 loss
Falcons in 1979,” he says. “I just loved living there, growing up
to Alabama. He finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting
in simple times. You know what we did? We walked. It’s not
following his junior season and third the following year. In 1989,
like our grandfathers’ stories of walking five miles to school,
he was induced into the College Football Hall of Fame. College
but we walked all over town. And we enjoyed it. You couldn’t
Football News named Manning one of the 100 Greatest
get in much trouble in Drew, other than maybe picking green
College Players of all time.
plums in some lady’s yard.”
He was the second player selected in the 1971 NFL draft,
Manning, born May 19, 1949 in Drew, married Ole Miss’
going to the New Orleans Saints. The draft wasn’t the media
homecoming queen, Olivia Williams, in January 1971. And
spectacle it is today. It wasn’t even televised. “I waited over in
though they raised their sons in New Orleans, all three visited
[sports information director] Billy Gates’ office, talked with the
their grandparents in Drew and Philadelphia, Mississippi, every
coach and officials of the Saints on the phone. The Associated
summer. They learned to drive in a pasture owned by Olivia’s
Press came over and took a picture. Then I went on to my 10
dad, the late Cooper Williams, and worked at his country store
o’clock class,” Manning says.
during the summer.
Being drafted by the Saints was both a blessing and a curse. New Orleans was close enough for friends, family, and Ole
“They got a good dose of Mississippi growing up, too,” Manning says. “And I’m really, really glad of that.” ■
(l-r) Archie, Eli, and Peyton Manning at Tavern on the Green in New York City, April 22, 2004. Photo ©David Bergman/Corbis.
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Deuce McAllister S TA R N F L R U N N I N G B A C K Dulymus “Deuce” McAllister’s dream during his days at Morton High School was to one day play college football for the
McAllister scored the winning touchdown. “He was the same way in high school,” says Terry Coggin,
Miami Hurricanes. When Miami offered him a scholarship,
who coached McAllister at Morton High. “He broke his right arm
McAllister turned it down and signed with Ole Miss.
the third game of his junior year. The doctors never cleared him,
As one of the top running backs entering the 2001 National
but he played in the state playoffs, anyway.
Football League draft, McAllister was invited to New York for the
“I never once heard Deuce complain about bumps and bruis-
event, held at historic Madison Square Garden. He declined and
es. All he did was run 60-yard touchdowns, hand the ball to the
spent the day with family and friends. “Home,” says his mom, Carnelia McAllister, “Has always been important to him. You just have to really know him and understand his heart.” Deuce McAllister, born December 27, 1978, remains the all-time rushing leader at Ole Miss with 2,875 yards and 34
referee, go get a drink of water and wait for his next duty. That’s just the kind of kid he was. He had his will and somebody else’s because he had more than anyone I’ve coached in 23 years.” But Deuce is about more than the game that has brought him wealth and fame. “Football will never define me as a person. Never,” he says.
touchdowns, but he also had 582 yards receiving, returned
“It’s what I do. I love the game. But there’s a lot more that I’m
two kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns, and passed for
interested in and a lot more that I do besides play football.”
one score. In five seasons with the New Orleans Saints, he has proven to be one of the elite backs in the NFL, rushing for
As a youngster, McAllister thought he would grow up to be a U.S. Marshal. He even went on to earn a degree in criminal
4,529 yards and 34 touchdowns, despite carrying the ball just
justice at Ole Miss. “It was just something about transporting
16 times his rookie season, then missing the final 11 games of
the bad guys that intrigued me,” he says.
the 2005 season with a torn knee ligament. Sports Illustrated ranked him the 10th best skill player in the NFL in 2004, ahead of such veteran stars as Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb. Scouts who questioned McAllister’s toughness, causing him to slip to the 23rd overall draft selection, look silly now. And the homefolks tried to warn them. “I didn’t like what the scouts were saying one bit,” says Tim
But his non-sports focus changed in high school when he read Michael Jordan’s book, For the Love of the Game, about how athletes should use business savvy to help prepare themselves for life after basketball or football. “I must’ve read that book a dozen times,” McAllister says. “And I’ve tried to borrow some of the things [Jordan] said. See, business is how you treat people. Business is who you surround
Mullins, Ole Miss’ head athletic trainer who watched McAllister
yourself with. A head coach is only as good as the people
play through injuries to his shoulder, ankle and hamstring. “I
around him. So is the President of the United States.”
kept asking them, ‘How can you tell us about him when we’re
Along with business partner Matt Bataille, McAllister has
with him every day?’ I can tell you this from experience: Deuce
purchased car dealerships in Jackson, Mississippi. He also is
has a very high pain tolerance.”
interested in renovating the old King Edward Hotel in Jackson
“He never missed a game. Not one,” says Rich Bisaccia, his position coach at Ole Miss and now the special teams coach of
and turning it into high-rise condominiums. He dreams large. He gives even larger. In 2004, McAllister
the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “He went in full pads every
pledged $1 million – his annual base salary at the time – to help
time the team did [in practice]. Never missed a blitz pick-up
Ole Miss fund an indoor practice facility.
drill. He was mad at me for holding him out of the UNLV game [his senior season because of injury]. When it went to overtime,
“The actual dollars of the gift were crucial. But I think the true meaning of what Deuce McAllister has done is going to take
he said ‘You wouldn’t let me play in the regular game, but I ain’t
some time to digest,” says Ole Miss Chancellor, Robert Khayat.
missing overtime.’”
“It’s that big, that unusual.” ■
New Orleans Saints running back, Deuce McAllister, sits on the team bench and watches the NFL action during a game against the Washington Redskins, 2002.
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Steve McNair S TA R N F L Q U A R T E R B A C K Steve McNair is 36 inches, maybe less, from being forever
fire. His mother, Lucille, kept a large jar of Vaseline handy, and
known as a Super Bowl champion quarterback. His 9-yard
the young McNair shoved his entire hand into it. He ended up
slant pass to Kevin Dyson on the final play of the 2000 title
going to the hospital, but never shed a tear.
game left the receiver lunging, reaching, clawing for the goal
At Mount Olive High School, McNair started at quarterback
line, as linebacker Mike Jones stubbornly hung on, keeping
and safety, leading the Pirates to a 19-16 victory over Smithville
Dyson out of the end zone. St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16. But nothing should diminish McNair’s performance on sports’
in the 1989 state championship game. His 30 career interceptions, including 15 as a senior, tied a Mississippi high school
biggest stage, in the most pressure-packed game of his life.
record. Many colleges wanted him to play defensive back. But
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound McNair, from Mount Olive, Mississippi,
Alcorn State University, located in Lorman, Mississippi, prom-
led his team from a 16-0 deficit, completing 22 of 36 passes
ised him a shot at quarterback. He signed with the Braves and
for 217 yards. His 23-yard scramble set up the Titans’ first
became the only player in college history to surpass 16,000 total
touchdown. He had two 21-yard passes on a fourth-quarter
yards. He finished third in the 1994 Heisman Trophy voting and
drive that led to the Titans’ second score. On the play before
was the third player selected overall in the 1995 NFL draft.
the final pass to Dyson, McNair showed brilliant strength, quickness, and poise by eluding several defenders and throwing 16
McNair, nicknamed “Air,” has succeeded off the field as well. For his relentless relief efforts to benefit victims of Hurricane
yards to Dyson to set up a game-winning attempt. And his
Katrina in his home state in 2005, he earned the Nashville
final dart to Dyson was perfect. The drive had started at the
Community Spirit Award and was named The Clarion Ledger
Tennessee 13-yard line with less than 2 minutes remaining.
newspaper’s Sportsman of the Year.
With his career still unfolding, McNair is one of only five
“I raised all my [five] sons to not think only of themselves,
National Football League players to surpass 25,000 yards
but to try to help people who cannot help themselves,” his
passing and 3,000 yards rushing. The others: John Elway,
mother says.
Steve Young, Fran Tarkenton, and Randall Cunningham. McNair
McNair, whose hometown is about 2 hours north of the Gulf
was co-MVP of the NFL in 2003, sharing the award with
Coast, asked Titans fans to donate what they could — clothes,
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, and he has
canned goods, water — and he’d make sure the goods reached
played in three Pro Bowls.
people on the Coast who desperately needed it. He wound up
No one can question McNair’s toughness: since becoming a starter in 1997, he has undergone off-season surgery six times, to repair his shoulder (twice), back, toe, knee and ankle. McNair had surgery in September 1999 to fix a ruptured disc in his back; he missed just five games.
filling 22 18-wheelers; McNair rented the trucks and drivers to deliver the goods. McNair and his wife, Mechelle, have four sons: Junior, Steven, Tyler, and Trenton. Even after becoming a football celebrity, McNair prefers to
“It’s a physical game and you’re going to have your bumps
keep a low profile. He and his family split time between Nashville
and bruises,” says McNair, born February 14, 1973. “I demand
and their 630-acre farm in Mount Olive, where McNair raises
a lot of my body — it’s how I play the game. When you do
cattle and horses and also built a new home for his mother.
that, injuries are bound to happen.”
In the Titan training facility, McNair is known to watch The
Since he was 8 years old, McNair has shown the ability to handle physical pain. While burning leaves one day at his Mount Olive home, McNair spilled gasoline on his right hand. It caught
Price Is Right on television every morning before starting his workouts. Maybe that’s his secret to quick healing. ■
Quarterback Steve McNair #9 formerly of the Tennessee Titans looks on from the sideline during a game against the San Francisco 49ers at The Coliseum on November 27, 2005 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Gerald McRaney has been a regular and popular visitor in homes across America for more than 20 years. He spent eight of those years as the irrepressible, yet immensely likable private investigator, Rick Simon on Simon and Simon. He went on to become the nation’s favorite U.S. marine in Major Dad, and then starred as Russell Green on The Promised Land, a series created by Martha Williamson of Touched By an Angel. A further measure of his popularity is that his three series continue to air in reruns to this day. Gerald was born in Collins, Mississippi, on August 19, 1947, to Clyde and Edna McRaney. Clyde built and sold houses all over the Magnolia state, causing the family to move often. As a result, Gerald knows many different parts of the state intimately. He became interested in acting when he injured a knee playing football in junior high school and found the only extra-curricular openings left were in the drama club. Later, while attending Long
Gerald McRaney TELEVISION ICON
Beach High School, he thrived under the direction of his speech teacher, Mrs. Hughes. She recognized his natural ability, intuitive style, and raw talent. Gerald readily admits that she is largely responsible for developing his early interest in becoming an actor. After gaining experience on stage at Gulf Park (a women’s college in Long Beach) and the Gulfport Little Theatre, he enrolled as a drama major at the University of Mississippi. He left Ole Miss a year later to concentrate on a career as an actor. He spent half the season working with Repertory Theatre New Orleans under the direction of Stuart Vaughn, and the other half in the oil fields of South Louisiana to cover his living expenses. He went on to play leading roles in modestly budgeted independent films in Louisiana which led to his decision to move to Los Angeles in 1971, where he drove a cab to support his family while looking for acting jobs. His acting teacher, actor-director Jeff Corey, cast him in his first TV role in an episode of Night Gallery. Three appearances on Gunsmoke were followed by steady work in television movies. He has the distinction of being the last man to face Matt Dillon in a showdown on the final episode of
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