Donna Sue Theriot
December 20, 2017
Former Tarpon to transfer to Tulane
December 20, 2017
Hal Benson, Johnny Schouest, WDSU’s Bill Stanley and I had just left Ray Stadium headed back to our hotel’s ball room where the reception in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmie Rodgers was to be held. It was a sell out and some big names would not be able to attend, but I held the four tickets personally given to me by Carrie (Mrs. Jimmie) Rodgers and I had just sang with the Hank Thompson band.
What else could go right?
The room was filled with round tables and we were seated with other radio personalities. On our right were Carl Smith and his wife June Carter (They were still married) Kitty Wells and husband Johnny Wright. On our left were Jimmy Dean, Floyd Tillman, and Red Foley with ladies I assumed were their wives and at other tables were Lefty Frizell, Minnie Pearl, Webb Pierce, Little Jimmy Dickins, Sonny James and former Louisiana Governor Jimmy Davis.
What a night!
I was on too much of a natural high to remember the details and taping was not allowed, so Hal, a former news reporter had volunteered to take short hand accounts of the occasion, which included some of the speeches, especially Mrs. Rodgers who had advised me to listen carefully to her. The names I list here, and these are just some of the most prominent, might not mean much to my readers today, but at the time, to us, they would equate being in a room with Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks, Lady Ga Ga, Madonna, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean and maybe Cher and Brad Pitt.
At the beginning we were asked to stand and sing the “Star Spangled Banner” and with this patriotic crowd anyone who would have taken a knee would have been hung from the nearest rafter since movie Sheriffs Roy Rodgers and Tex Ritter were also there. Among others were Jean Sheppard and Ferlin Husky, Sonny James, Grand Pa Jones, Chet Atkins and more than I could list in just one column. I used no shoe leather that night because my feet never touched the floor.
Tennessee Governor Frank Clement introduced the cochairs Hank Snow and standing in for their father who could not be there because of illness, (even though he had been the one who had started the demand for this occasion), Elaine and Justin Tubb, two of Ernest Tubb’s children.
Everyone spoke their piece and then, to about a five minute standing ovation, Mrs. Jimmie “Carrie” Rodgers stood up. I don’t remember what she or any other actually said that night, but after Hal translated his notes I paraphrased some of her speech.
“In 1947 Jimmie Rodgers was forgotten except for a very few and the record company had not issued any of Jimmie’s records since 1939. We had lost our Kerrville mansion “Blue Yodelers’ Paradise”during the Great Depression and royalties had mostly dried up but I received a beautiful letter from someone who called himself a “Cajun”, although I had no idea who or what that was but it made my day.
He included a picture of about a dozen young men, probably teen ager huddled around a phonograph, each holding a record of Jimmie. They had discovered Jimmie’s records a few years ago and had made a crusade of scavenging every barn and attic looking for his records and they now had 26 of his songs (of 105) and they met once a week to listen and enjoy them and they were thankful that RCA Victor had released an album. (Note: an album then was a folder containing shucks capable of holding several 78 RPM records.) They wanted to know if more were coming and could I possibly send them a picture of Jimmie. It was signed, Leroy Martin, President of the Jimmie Rodgers Appreciation Club. At a very sad time in my life that letter cheered me up and I decided to send them pictures and other mementoes which began a friendship which is still alive and well today, and may I now present my special guest, Leroy Martin.”
Somehow I managed to rise and wave a trembling hand to the crowd. To be continued. BYE NOW.
This week, Mr. Leroy Martin takes us back in time to the night of a reception held in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmie Rodgers. It was a grand event.
