Music. It’s what landed me here. Some days I’m not sure if it should get the credit or the blame. But the fact remains and here I am.
It started when I was young. Radio was my gateway. I grew up on Top 40 in the 60s and 70s. Motown, Bubblegum, Pop, disco and Rock-n-Roll all flowed from the speakers. Then there were the Classical and Big Band recordings my folks spun on the Magnavox console Hi-Fi. Those were the units that had the tuner and turntable on one side and album storage on the other. You accessed them via sliding panels on the top of the unit which was actually an attractive piece of furniture.
Like 99 percent of my peers, I wanted to be a rock star. And like 98.9 percent of them, I didn’t make it. Shocker, right? I don’t know what went wrong. I was in band from junior high (that’s what we used to call middle school) into high school and even part of college. That and eight years of piano lessons taught me much. The most important lesson: Hacks don’t make great professionals.
I soon switched my goal to being a sound engineer in a recording studio. At the time there wasn’t a degree program for that so I figured a degree in broadcasting would open that particular door. It didn’t, but it did give me some incredible access to some of the people who made the music that makes my life more enjoyable.
One such opportunity came compliments of the John Jarrard Foundation’s annual benefit concert. It began in 2001 as a tribute to a local boy who made good (really good) in Nashville as a songwriter. I only met John a couple of times. Each occasion was on WDUN’s afternoon show at the time, Fun at Four and Five. He was humble, had a great sense of humor, and never forgot his hometown.
For those who aren’t familiar, John went to Nashville to pursue his own musical dream and it came true in a big way. He wrote songs for Alabama, George Strait, and Tracy Lawrence to name but a few. His first number one hit was “Nobody but You,” recorded by Don Williams. He would go on to have 11 No. 1 songs on the Country charts. All the while battling diabetes, which robbed him of his sight and eventually his life. Quitting would have been easy when the disease made things tough. He never did. Hero material in my book.
On several occasions I was asked to help emcee the event. Such was the case in 2007 when one of the song writers on the bill also happened to be a hero of mine: Buddy Buie. If you’re familiar with Atlanta Rhythm Section and the Classics 4, then you’re familiar with Buddy’s work. Among his 350-plus titles are “Traces,” “Spooky,” “Stormy,” “Doraville,” and “So into You.” Being a big fan of Atlanta Rhythm Section, having a chance to actually meet him was a gift.
I spent about 30 minutes chatting with him back stage before the event. I tried not to go all “fan boy” on him, but it was hard to stand there with such a great writer and not talk about his songs. After all, this was the guy behind the song “Champagne Jam” which had blasted many times from my Kraco speakers in my Pinto Wagon during high school and college.
I am a lyrics guy who also listens to album cuts as well as the singles. So I couldn’t resist asking him about the song “Indigo Passion.” I started the question by quoting part of the chorus, which he finished without provocation. He then shared that he always felt the song needed another verse – that it was incomplete. I told him I thought it was fine the way it is, but if he ever penned that missing verse to let me know.
We lost Buddy in 2015 at the age of 75. Fortunately he lives on in a way most of us never will: through his music.
Too often we take for granted the great songs we hear on the radio or online. We appreciate the artists who perform them, but don’t often take time to consider the talented folks who actually wrote them. That’s what makes the John Jarrard Foundation’s annual concert so special. It puts hit song writers on stage to perform their songs and tell the stories behind the music. Many in attendance have never heard of the people on stage, but they know their songs and often sing along.
This year’s concert takes place this Saturday, September 22 on the front lawn of Brenau University in Gainesville. There’s good barbecue from Johnny’s Bar-B-Que and cold beer (and soft drinks, too, if that’s how you roll). Find out more at johnjarrardfoundation.com.
I encourage you to take advantage of the unique opportunity this concert offers. You’ll not only hear some great music and the stories behind the hits, you’ll also have a chance to do some good as proceeds benefit some of John’s favorite local organizations. After all, John never forgot his hometown and we’ll never forget him.
