By Mike Kelley
America and the world lost a true giant yesterday. I was shocked when I heard the news that she had died. Now Tennessee and much of the nation is in mourning.
As a Nashville native only a few years younger than Dolly, I grew up seeing her on Eddie Hill’s Country Junction program on WLAC-TV in the early 1960s. On cold winter mornings in Nashville (yes, we did get snow then) I and my brothers would stand in front of the electric wall heater in the living room to get dressed while Mom had Country Junction on TV. That vibrant, powerful voice made an impression on me then. It still does.
Though standing only 5’ tall, she soon became a giant in the country music industry. Before we knew it, she was a regular on Porter Wagoner’s morning show on WSM-TV. And then she belonged to the entire country.
Now the accolades pour in, but no one sums up her life better than the director of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
“Dolly Parton’s legacy is not celebrity, but humanity. She was a champion of equality and literacy. She was a picture of dignity, even when dressed outrageously. Anyone who seeks to be more like Dolly is on the right track, but they’ll never get to the finish line. She came from poverty to become the most important native of Tennessee. She shared her fortunes for the good of all of us, and shared her soul in every note she sang.”
Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
She worked tirelessly in a career that spanned more than six decades, writing some 3,000 songs. Her singing and song-writing talent, along with an incredible business acumen, built a fortune that by some estimates approached $1 billion, about half of which she gave away. But perhaps most importantly, she was known to and loved by hundreds of millions around the world.
You might call her a one-woman ambassador for the state of Tennessee.
Rest in peace, Dolly. We miss you already.
By Prioleau Alexander
I drove by Porter-Gaud a few days ago, and the student parking lot looked like the reservations-only section of a Baker Motor Group dealership. And while I pondered the idea of everyone in my high school class driving a car that didn’t yet need jumper cables, I asked myself, “Whose car will these kids even remember?”
We had a few in our parking lot.
Of course there was John Walter’s Jeep CJ-5, with tires so big local police assigned them their own vehicle registration number. …
I’m not sure why God allowed us to remain among the quick during high school, but I can only assume He needed something important done. Hopefully He still does — as I’ve still got lots of stupid left in me.
Richard Coen was famous for his truck — a Ford F-150, or something like it — jacked up higher than Charlie Sheen at a movie premier. I spent countless hours in this hog as well. It always made me nervous when we went over a speed bump, as the slight increase in altitude would trigger the oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling.
After hours, John Carrigg would roll into events in his dad’s LTD, a land yacht so vast its gas tank qualified as a strategic petroleum reserve. He also drove his beloved long-bed truck, a vehicle of such dark legends they will remain unexplored here.
Gervais Hollowell piloted a string of memorable autos, but none more than his celebrated three-on-the-tree Chevy Nova rocket ship. It wasn’t enough that the car accelerated like, well, me when I see leftist protestors sitting in the street … no, Gerv insisted the Nova was also an off-road vehicle. I can’t recall all the places he stuck it, but I have an indelible memory of when I lost sight of him driving it into a section of untamed forest at Rice Hope. Thirty minutes later, he emerged — shirtless, red-faced, and carrying the car’s radiator.
Not sure how that got worked out, but he drove the Nova to school on Monday.
Yes, those salad days were a fine time to be driving. It was that tipping point in time when America was transitioning from Detroit-made tanks that encased the driver in thousands of pounds of steel, to the Japanese fleet of tin cars that crumpled like me playing JV football defense.
The difference, of course, was you could fix the wrecked cars. My body still hasn’t recovered from being blindsided by Bramblett Bradham.
As readers may recall, the “Crab Pot” is always what is left over from the Charleston Mercury’s “Pluff Mud Chronicles” column by yours truly and Charles W. Waring III.
By CDD Staff
As summer winds down, we often think of one last this or that before it gets too cold. Those in the know around Blowing Rock will tell you that you are really missing out if you don’t visit the Inn at Ragged Gardens. Every Friday you may expect a different regional band to take the stage. Bring lawn chairs or blankets and cash for the bar and lawn menu. It runs from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Other than what you care to spend on food or at the bar, the event is free.
Find all the excitement at 203 Sunset Dr. in Blowing Rock.
By CDD Staff
Long time country music fans remember Earl Scruggs, his exciting five-string banjo playing, and his influence on bluegrass and country music from decades past. This year those who appreciate his talent, and the opportunity to bring together the best of bluegrass and Americana will not want to miss the Earl Scruggs Music Festival as it returns to Tryon, North Carolina September 4- 5.
The Earl Scruggs Music Festival is presented in partnership by the Earl Scruggs Center, a museum and cultural center located in Shelby, N.C., and public radio WNCW-FM at Isothermal Community College in Western North Carolina. More information on lodging and ticket prices can be found at the Festival website https://www.earlscruggsmusicfest.com.
By CDD Staff
In this two-hour course, Erika will teach you how to make a relief block and print it from start to finish. This is a great intro course for anyone looking to learn more about printmaking or for a fun experience with art to take home. Relief printing is a reduction process, carving out an image onto a stamp. Erika will teach you how to make a design, transfer it to the block, and how to carve it. Then you will get to print your block onto tea towels with her guidance. You will make a unique work of art and get to take home your tea towel and block.
Erika is a full-time artist in Asheville, working to bring joy and whimsy back to life through art making. Deeply inspired by the Appalachian Mountains, she makes printmaking and paintings filled with the essence of her surroundings, connecting her to others who share her love for nature.
Click here to register: https://shorturl.at/PeJWx
The event will be held at 20 Frederick Law Olmsted Way in Asheville.
By CDD Staff
Turtleback Falls in Pisgah National Forest is just a quarter-mile upstream from the 150-foot Rainbow Falls. It’s a 3.5-mile roundtrip hike from Gorges State Park. Also known as Umbrella Falls, it has been a popular natural water slide for many years. But there have been too many injuries lately, so park officials recommend enjoying this from the surrounding boulders that create natural overlooks. Find a much more serene swimming hole about one-third of a mile downriver at Hidden Falls.
To get to Turtleback Falls, start your hike in Gorges State Park at the Grassy Ridge Parking area, about a two-mile drive from the park entrance. Look for the cluster of information boards at the end of the parking lot. The trail to Rainbow Falls begins there, blazed with orange circles until you reach the National Forest. The downhill trail is easy to follow, with a creek crossing that can be a wet one when the water is high.
It’s about 1.5 miles to Rainbow Falls and another quarter mile to Turtleback Falls. You’ll hike by the many cascades with a few steep sections with stairs. Just past the main view of the falls, keep on the trail to the right for the final ascent to Turtleback. The last mile of the hike back to the parking lot is uphill, so save some energy. There are restrooms at the parking area.
By CDD Staff
As we begin to spend more time indoors, it’s a good idea to think about shoring up your home health items to be ready for whatever comes your way. You have an opportunity to take action this Saturday in Asheville.
In this 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday class taught by author and teacher Ashley English, learn about five remedies to make in advance of back-to-school and cold and flu seasons. These items will have you equipped to promote wellness and ward off illness, should it arrive. Discussion will include information on ingredients and preparation of: elderberry and honey syrup, fire cider, cough syrup, mustard bath and decongestant balm.
Class cost includes instruction, discussion, handouts and samples.
Click here to buy your ticket: https://shorturl.at/urA0T.
The class will be held at Fifth Season Gardening Co. at 4 South Tunnel Rd., #450 in Asheville.
By CDD Staff
“Songs of the Testimonies” is a free multimedia concert presented by internationally acclaimed musician, scholar and educator Dr. Zisl Slepovitch on Saturday, August 29 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in Rosen Hall, Broyhill Music Center at Appalachian State University. Blending live music, storytelling, historical photographs and rare archival recordings, “Songs of the Testimonies” explores the rich musical heritage of Eastern European Jewry and the resilience of the human spirit. Through Yiddish songs and personal narratives, the program honors voices that endured persecution, displacement and war while celebrating the enduring power of memory, culture and hope. The concert is presented in collaboration with the Hayes School of Music and the Center for Judaic. Holocaust and Peace Studies of Appalachian State University. It is part of Temple of the High Country’s inaugural Artist-in-Residence Weekend. Rabbi Jessica Lynn Fox will join Dr. Slepovitch for portions of the performance. Admission is free and open to the public. No tickets are required. The concert may be found at 813 Rivers St. in Boone.
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