To contact the show with your questions and possibly your own southern tales, email us: STalesPodcast@gmail.com and check out our YOUTUBE channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyPEV3ebILt50V4UMH_Zuww/ Also, please note that ALL episodes are produced, written and recorded by Broadneck Music in our studio. We are very simple using a Shure 58 mic and Waveform software. We work with podserve.fm to upload and share our podcasts. Some names are changed and some events might not be like others remember them. If you are mentioned and have some more detail, hit me up on email. I will share your stuff in a later episode. Thanks.
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Episode 1: The End of the Innocence:
This episode had intro music from T. R. Crooks. This was a band from my youth. They were out of the Paris, TN area and they were real southern rockers. The songs included here were: Farmin Man (written by Mike Hendrix) (our theme song), Old Music (written by Jimmy Stewart) and We Are All Brothers (written by Jimmy Stewart). The T. R. stood for Tennessee River and the album cover had a cigar box on it with that name. They had so much influence on me, would love to hear them again! Here is a link with some more current info. Please support these guys if you can! https://www.sweethomemusic.fr/Interviews/TRCrooksUS.php
I talk about Mrs. Maness and her son (and her dog) in this episode, please understand that as with all persons, real and imagined, in this series, no malice is intended. This was just my perspective and thinking process. No, shit, she could cry a river! I also want to give credit to the podcast “Cocaine and Rhinestones” for inspiring me to go the podcast way. If you like country music, before 1999, and want to know the true back stories about all the stories and legends, this is for you. Even if you dont think you like country music, after you listen, you may. The stories are great! Thanks for the inspiration, TYLER!
Episode 2: Joining The Fraternity: NEW VERSION! We have repaired the faulty audio! YEAH!
This episode, as with all episodes, began with music from T. R. Crooks. It is our usual theme “Farmin’ Man”. During the episode, we mention my encounter with Henry Gross and we hear his hit song “Shannon”. This song initially made folks sad cause it sounded like his wife or friend died but in reality, he wrote it about his dog. Too us, he was way more than a one hit wonder. His album “Show Me To The Stage” was also a really nice record. And he performed at The Apple, a cool little venue that Jackson could still use. It was later replaced by a cool place called Heroes but needless to say, the cool venues are gone. But lets face it, anyone who would come to Jackson, TN couldn’t be a very big star….A beautiful song, this guy had a really wonderful voice and oh, yeah, he could sure smoke a doobie!
I am hesitant to name the fraternity. I am sure that they are real respectable now. We weren’t then and did not try. While all the other frats were wearing button downs, polos and lacoste (the alligator logo), we were living the Animal House life with toga parties, PGA punch and hazing. And the stories that follow will make you roll….
Episode 3: Lyle Piller
Once again, we use our theme music from T. R. Crooks. Really, earthy, raw, southern, country jamming music. As you hear it more and more, you should want more. Find these guys and get the music. I hear that some of them are still playing. It would be worth your time and money to go see them. It will make you feel good. If any of the band listen to this podcast, drop me a line. I would love to see yall again too!
We talk about a great guy in this episode. In the last story, I mentioned that the Champagne Jam cookout was a “Few years ago”, what I meant was a “Few years later”, like 40 years ago…Big difference and an important correction. Yeah, some of the events are a bit edgy although that was unintended at the time. I think that in his best moments, Lyle had a calming, common sense approach to life that made everyone around him feel good. He was very athletic, a pole vaulter in high school but he was the ultimate outdoorsman. Isn’t it cool that many people still live by his wisdom even today. I have heard that he is still out there. Whoever he is around, is fortunate! And this is the first name changed to protect the innocent…
Episode 4: Tony Assenmacher
What can I say? Can I tell you how lucky I was to have met him? Can I ever be the type of friend that he was? I can only aspire. And I understand that he went into the EMS business as a career first responder. Does this surprise anyone? I mentioned Alias Smith and Jones. I recently bought the full series on DVD. Pete Duel, the star, committed suicide after the first season and he was replaced. The show was soon cancelled. The Peter Duel story is a sad Hollywood ending if anyone wants to research him.
I mentioned that we lived on an Army ammunition plant base. We were literally 7 miles from a red light. It was a great place and I gained much respect for the men and women who made those 105mm and 155mm tank shells. Sad that the government shut the place down, though it was their most efficient facility and moved the production to Iowa. Strictly political and like most things in the South, it was the southern folks who got screwed. Killed that little town, thanks President Clinton!
Episode 5: Growing Up With Couth
Release Date: Jan 27, 2020
This is just sort of an odds and ends piece. Learn the meaning of couth. I always thought is was a word my dad made up. Hope that the word FART doesn’t offend you. Everyone does it, just some happen to be more proficient at it. This episode is the first with a sponsor, Hedley Outsmarts The World, available on amazon, is the #1 Children’s book for adults, in 2019. It contains 25 original watercolor paintings by Ros Webb, England’s top illustrator of children’s books. Only $9.99 at amazon, it is the first of what should be an amazing and popular series. Of course, our theme music never changes. Music had a lot to do with all of my life but it started to shape my childhood at an early age.
Episode 6: Southern Churches and the Catholic Thing
Release Date: Feb 3, 2020
Ok, so religion did not offend you. Thank God! And yeah, don’t email me, I did mess up the Ash Sunday thing (I have already been told that it is Ash Wednesday…so I am definitely NOT Catholic!).
Episode 7: School Stories and More
Release Date: Feb 10, 2020
My goal is for yall to listen and laugh but as with most stories, there are victims, and I hope they can never find me…gosh, maybe I should have just stayed quiet! Just for backstory, Miss Stephens was a relatively new teacher, pretty and young but she had her stern side. And then this happened. I hope she was not scarred for life….Of course, Miss Stephens was a pretty great teacher who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cecil Jones? well, even though he became a state champion football star, he was always the kindest, gentlest, most soft spoken of all the football players. Always, he was cool to be around.
Episode 8: The Funeral
Release Date: Feb 17, 2020
Not as morbid as you may think….but funnier than you can believe. Funerals in West Tennessee were one thing but when we went to the mountains of North Alabama, it was a truly different world. Experience Southern funerals like you never thought. Now I never knew for sure if we were in Arab, or Guntersville or Albertville but I did know we drove up a mountain and met some mountain people and experienced some mountain traditions that I had never experienced and have never experienced again. Thank God!
Episode 9: Tennis In The Sticks
Release Date: Feb 24, 2020
It wasn’t the sport. It was never the sport. It was the characters and the craziness. And in the end it was all about friendship. Jackson Tennessee was the hub of tennis in West Tennessee and we had our craziness there. Keep listening because that same craziness happened in Adamsville, Trenton, Covington, Lexington, Henderson and other places in between. Cause it is a southern thing.
Episode 10: Buford Pusser and the Bootleggers
Release Date: March 2, 2020
This episode is from what I remember of a conversation one nite in the kitchen of our house, which was #15 Whitthorne, in Lavinia, Tennessee. It is my best recollection that Buford was in the area as a consultant on the movie “Walking Tall” and somehow, got into our house. My dad knew a lot of people, particularly in law enforcement. He was an honorary Tennessee state trooper and knew all the politicians. Over the years, my dad and I talked about this and this is my best shot at getting it right. I think this is meant to show a side of Buford that not many people hear about. On this nite, he was spinning a tale that was humorous and they laughed and laughed. He was happy and they enjoyed the evening. I later met his daughter at the Buford Pusser Memorial tennis tournament in Adamsville in 1977 or 78. She was about my age, cute and shy. Hope you enjoy this episode because there are a couple other stories from this nite that will wind their way into this podcast over the next few seasons!
Episode 11: Redneck Riviera to the Clay Pits
OK, first clarification. It is my strong belief that the clay pits are somewhere in Carroll County. I am not lying when I say that to this day, I am somewhat unsure. After that night, I never went back nor even inquired. I was so happy that my older brother had made such a great matrimonial choice! Of course, we are going to continue to talk about water in upcoming episodes. It is impossible not to. I forgot to mention so many obscure places such as the old slew near Camden Tennessee where my Sunday School teacher would take me fishing in his supped up john boat. You had to drag the boat 100 yards to get to water deep enough to put the boat in but there were so many fish! We would catch literally 100’s of bluegill and crappie. Of course, he had a different name for every bluegill. Some were bream, or orange crackers, or sunfish, or black mama or orange bellies or, well, you know what I mean.
Episode 12: Good and Evil – Vietnam and Mary Jane
Of course, as mentioned, I just start to paint the picture of some of my other family members, whose stories will amaze, surprise, shock and thrill you in Season Two. Just imagine the dichotomy of the same family with 2 fighting in Vietnam while another becomes the largest drug dealer in Middle America. Amazing. The details are too fantastic to believe it is real…but they are. The last new episode of Season One. We are hopeful that Season Two kicks off very soon, hopefully before summer. Please do not stop emailing me with questions, comments and your own Southern Tales at STalesPodcast@gmail.com Thanks for listening!