Day 7 in 26 Days of Christmas 2019

‎Day 7 in 26 alphabetical days of Christmas...G words:
"GLORY to God in the Highest and on Earth, Peace! GOOD will to men!" Luke 2:14...
This was what the Angels shouted to the shepherds at the GOOD SHEPHERD'S Birth, for it was through Jesus's death on a cross 33 years later that allowed Peace to enter our heart and soul, even though Jesus did not come to bring peace to the world: 
Matthew 10: 34:"I come to bring a sword," Jesus said..
.
And for certain His truth divides, as in the Sheep from the GOATS...
I love the song: 
GOD'S Little Lost Lamb And Here I Am.

Jesus is also referred to as GOVERNOR at his Christmas Day birth...In Matthew 2:6: "And thou Bethlehem, out of Thee shall come a GOVERNOR that shall rule My people Israel.

(But aren't you GLAD that the Israel of GOD today are GENTILES?)

He is the GREAT LIGHT! Isaiah proclaimed in Isaiah 9:2 "The people that walk in darkness have seen a GREAT LIGHT: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined."....

When Jesus raised the widow's son from the dead, all of the people GLORIFIED GOD, saying, "A GREAT PROPHET is risen up among us and GOD has visited His people!"....

Sing with me, How GREAT Is Our GOD! GLORY!...
Praying we will be ready for that GREAT END DAY, where Jesus said in Matthew 24:30:

"They shall see the SON OF MAN coming in the clouds of Heaven with Power and GREAT GLORY...

GLORIOUS GOD, Praising you this Saturday, the 7th for the GREAT Victory we have in Your Son, and the GOOD GIFTS You GIVE us each & every day....not the least of which is GRACE, (GOD's Riches At Christ's Expense)...

Truly, unmerited favor, O GOD...May this Christmas approach the beauty of the first one...
On a Starry Night in Bethlehem nearly 2,000 years ago.
In Jesus's Holy Name I pray, Amen.

WHEN ROCK & ROLL CAME TO THE COUNTY....

Things really started hopping in Buchanan County Schools during the decade of the 50’s. All county schools had something called ’Sock Hops’ in the school gym or cafeteria.
At Garden High School, Bill Miller told me that Grace Woolridge organized the Sock Hops and spun the new Rock & Roll tunes on a record player in the gym.
“It was called Canteen, and we ‘Got Down’ I tell ya!” Bill smiled in remembrance.

My wife Sandy and Brother-In-Law Bill Kennedy both attended Hurley High School, and in looking at their Rebel Annuals, there were pictures of some of the students doing’THE TWIST’….

Rock & Roll music had everybody Groovin’ and a Movin’ & Reelin’ with the Feelin’ at all five County Schools…The Whitewood Indians and Council Cobras had Sock Hops as well, for Rock & Roll music took both the County and America by storm.

I was introduced to Rock & Roll music as an 8th Grader in 1956 in the Grundy High School Auditorium (Site of the present day Appalachian School of Law.). Paul Altizer had formed a band he called ’THE JIVIN’ FIVE’. Since the music was new to most students and teachers, it took a while for the students to get with i that memorable day. Some of the teachers didn’t like it, and sat there with a scowl on their face. I remember lookingat the back of the auditorium to where Principal John Meade was standing with a big smile on his face. He had decided to let this newly formed band perform before the student body while charging 25c each to raise money for the March of Dimes.

Larry Williams explained to me how ’THE JIVIN’ FIVE’ got their start:

“Jack Gentry, the Grundy Band Director, asked myself and four others to form a band to play the Big Band songs of the 30’s. and 40’s. Songs like Chattanooga Choo- Choo and Blue Moon. But we started experimenting with some of the Rock & Roll songs that were just coming out. Especially some of Elvis Presley’s songs, like Blue Suede Shoes, and That’s Alright. When Mr. Gentry saw what we were doing, he remarked that folks would forget who Elvis Presley was in six months.
Boy! Was he ever wrong. Elvis had a #1 hit for 25 straight weeks in 1956. Songs like Hounding, Don’t Be Cruel and See You Later Alligator”….

“So, we got Paul Altizer, who was not in the school band, to help us get started. Paul was a singer and a piano player. Paul pretty much organized us and we practiced at various homes on weekday nights. Mostly, in Ray & Bonnie Wright’s basement , which was located under the old WRIGHT’S MARKET at Vansant. The original Five were me on Tenor Sax, Harry Guy Hall on Clarinet, Russ Altizer on Drums, Karen Hurley doing vocals, along with Paul Altizer on piano, and also the fearless leader of The Jivin’ Five,” Larry concluded.

Ron Cole participated with the band on many occasions, and as Ron explained to me. There were a lot more than five that participated over the next five years or so, including Bill Blake, who’s Dad, also named Bill Blake, managed Sayer’s Brothers Department Store in old Grundy. Both Bill, the son, & Ron spun Rock & Roll tunes as DJ’s at WNRG and had legions of listeners. (There was no FM station at the time.)…
(It’s been said that if recordings of Ron and Clyde Varney working together were available today they would be priceless, for it was a laugh a minute with those two doing much more than advertising and spinning the hits.)

Jack Woodard remembers driving down to the radio station just to watch Bill Blake spin the Rock & Roll tunes…
“Bill Blake couldn’t sit still. He kept patting the equipment with his hands while moving to the beat in his chair. Quite a show!” Jack said.

Jack also remembers that The Jivin’ Five performed at Bill Griffith’s place at Royal City for a few years in the late 50’s. Bill’s son, William Griffith, later ran a store there called THE FRIENDLY MARKET. Jack, who also played the BASS DRUM in the high school band, went there often to watch The Jivin’ Five… “And maybe dance just a little,” Jack laughed.

Several other girls participated with THE JIVIN’ FIVE up into the early 60’s. Paul’s sister Janice, Carol Combs, Alberta Salem, and Becky Hurst. All four of these helped out with vocals.

Songs like Rock Around The Clock, Tutti-Fruiti, Ain’t That A Shame, and Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, really resonated with County teens. Truth to tell, our parents were less excited about these songs. My Dad would just shake his head. And this was typical with most adults, for they were more into Gospel and Country songs. The Huff-Cook Gospel Hour was popular on Sunday mornings, and on the country side, Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe could sell out the Morgan Theater in Grundy on a Saturday night…and Little Jimmy Dickens’s classic song, ‘Come Home It’s Suppertime’, closed out the WNRG station every evening at dusk..

But Rock & Roll was here to stay. The Golden Years of Rock & Roll were the 50’s & 60’s, and royally celebrated at all County Schools.

Certainly, you could understand most of the words and there was no profanity.Some songs didn’t make much sense, but they were catchy and sounded good coming trippingly off the tongue. Some teens could really 'Get Down' on Tutti-Fruiti and Be-Bop-A-Lu-Lu…Charlie Brown, Peggy Sue, and Wake Up Little Susie…The list is long!

The Grundy High School Class of 1958 has their 60th Reunion at the Grundy Fieldhouse this Friday night at 7:00 p.m. while also watching the Grundy Golden Wave entertain the Honaker Tigers on Homecoming Night. The 1958 GHS Class remembers well the Sock Hops and the Golden Oldies. Their Class has also invited my Class of 1960, as well as the 1959 Class.

Clyde “Nose” Keene, who passed recently, will be remembered at this Reunion. Clyde was a 2X MVP for the Grundy Golden Wave (57 & 58) and a 58 graduate…. But a frequent attendee of any Reunion he heard of….
And when the music started, Ol’ Nose glided on to the dance floor to kick up his heels and ‘Get Down’…
Always with a Big Smile on his face!

RIP Nose…Your Golden Wave Golden Oldie Spirit lives on!

June 13 Entry My Father's MEMORY BOOK

My Father's Memory Book...
"We lived in several houses at Harman. I guess Thelma had it hardest when we lived above # 2 Trestle. Since I worked the Hoot Owl shift, I remember looking down at our house as I trammed a motor across the #2 Trestle, and oftentimes Thelma would be standing at an ironing board ironing clothes even though it would be approaching midnight. She sure didn't get much sleep, and as far as that goes, I didn't either when I came home after daylight. Thelma didn't have to fix me breakfast, for I generally ate some of Thelma's delicious cornbread with milk poured over it before retiring for the day, usually to about 2 or 3:00 p.m., but sometimes up at noon. Oftentimes, since I was Chief Foreman, I would have to go in an hour or two early to plan where everyone was going, and a hundred other things... and stay an hour or so after the shift to fill out reports and such...Twelve hour shifts were common for me, and some of the hard working employees would want to Double Back & do two shifts for Double Time pay. And then there were some that always wanted off to go deer hunting or something. Frustrating, but I just tried to keep a cheerful attitude and do the best I could, and try to treat the men as I would want to be treated.
The house above #2 Trestle was a cold house right beside the road. There was an abundance of coal dust and noise, for the big fan that blew air deep into the mine roared continuously night and day. We loved to sit out on the porch, but even then it was hard to carry on a conversation, what with all of the fan and road noise. Cold house that was heated with a Warm Morning stove in the Dining Room. It was a small house with only two bedrooms, Dining & Living Room, Kitchen and one bathroom. (But lots of folks at that time lived in a house with two rooms and a path.... No indoor plumbing!)

Larry and David both went to Hiwassee and East Tennessee State. At Larry's graduation from ETSU, I was sitting beside of the father of one of Larry's friends, and we were discussing mining since we were both coal miners. Two ladies sitting in front of us suddenly turned around to face us with big smiles on their faces...
"I bet we can tell you what your occupations are!" one of the ladies said.
"Alright, go ahead and tell us," I said.
"YOU ARE BOTH HIGHWAY PATROLMEN!' she said, knowing she had us figured out.
"No mam," I said, we are both coal miners."
"She never said another word and just humped up and turned around quickly. Some people don't seem to care for us coal miners. I guess they would rather be cold. Mr. Ratliff and myself were dressed nice. No overalls, so I guess we fooled them. Coal miners have had a hard life, especially the early miners before the union came along to help them."