Good Night, Earl!

Though I will be the first to admit that 80 percent of my upbringing was totally influenced by music, there are a few other factors that have crept into my existence, as well. One of those would be television – particularly that of the 1970s and 1980s when I was growing up. Most of what I watched were a lot of mindless sitcoms – i.e. what former FCC Chairman Newton Minnow once defined as a “Vast Wasteland” in the 1960s. However, there are a few shows that struck me deeper than the normal. I loved the general smart-assery portrayed by such characters as Jim Rockford, Patrick Jane, or Dr. House. I was also influenced by the one-liners of John Ross Ewing, Jr. on Dallas – though I don’t think I am that capable of pulling them off….nor do (I think) I have his tendency to swing to the evil side as Larry Hagman so deliciously did for seventeen seasons. Some might disagree with that one, though.

But, I will say that no series has struck me as deeply on an emotional level as The Waltons. Debuting on CBS-TV two years before I was born in 1972, the series served as document of the growing up experiences of Earl Hamner, Jr. in the mountain region of Virginia. One of my earliest TV memories was watching on Thursday night as the show would begin with a brief preview of the upcoming hour, then the screen would turn to sepia, and that iconic Jerry Goldsmith theme song would begin to play.

As time went along, there were certain aspects of the show that I identified with. Nobody was America’s grandfather any more capably than Will Geer, I think I had crushes on both Judy Norton-Taylor (Mary Ellen) and Mary McDonough (Erin) at one point or the other. As I started school, I kind of identified with John Boy’s character, as he had a teacher in Mrs. Hunter that took a unique interest in his future. I had one like that as well.  And, I don’t think anyone was a better TV father than Ralph Waite’s performance of family patriarch John Walton.

As creator, head writer, and narrator, Hamner touched the nerve of an American public that was going through a unique time of social upheaval. There was something settling about watching the series – then and now. Whether it was in first run for nine seasons or reruns, there was  / is something about The Waltons that – no matter what was going on in my life – made you feel that it was going to be alright. For an hour, one could escape to a place that problems were (mostly) solved in the case of forty-eight minutes. Those were the days!

The writings of Earl Hamner, Jr. on The Waltons and throughout his career, were unlike any other. But, it was his voice – as the grown up, real-life version of John Walton, Jr. – who began and closed each episode that grabbed at the emotional core of me. And, still to this day…watching The Waltons makes me feel that it’s going to be alright.

On two occasions – 1997 and 2003  - I had a chance to interview Earl. It was a surreal experience to be sitting in the production room at WDKN and hear that voice coming back through my headphones. Since his passing last week at the age of 92, I have listened to those interviews a couple of times. I have been amazed at how green I was at the job of interviewing, but how genteel and cordial Mr. Hamner was to me – just like that voice on television that has become such a part of my fabric.  For those experiences, I will always be grateful. Those were two moments in my career that I will forever cherish.

Of course, whether it was the eerie feel of his work on The Twilight Zone, creating such family-friendly shows as Heidi and the classic Charlotte’s Web….or his contribution to the 80s prime-time soap genre with Falcon Crest, there was a lot more to Hamner than just The Waltons…..but I don’t think it was a pedigree that the Nelson County native minded one bit. Thank you for inspiring a generation with your stories of warmth, kindness, and oh, yes….The Recipe! A lift of the glass of ‘Papa’s best’ in your honor, and may you light always stay on….

A (Sad) Sign Of The Times

Yesterday morning, as I always do, I logged onto Facebook first thing. It’s part of a daily ritual – to see what the news stories of the day are, and to see who is upset with who politically. Before I got too far into my feed, I saw a picture of the Music Valley location of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop. Over the past thirty years, I have probably spent more time at that store than any other location. The caption under the picture talked about the fact that store owner David McCormick had made the decision to close the store this week.

Ernest Tubb Record Shop…..Closed.

Now, there is still the oldest location – down on Broadway. But, this was a jolt to my system. Since a fateful night in the spring of 1986 – which I will be writing about soon – I probably have spent more time at the Music Valley location of the Tubb franchise. As a country music fan who has always been slanted toward traditional sounds, it was the ultimate candy store. You could find releases of artists that you would never see anywhere else. It truthfully served as a place of education for me.

And, I have to admit – more than any other place, I probably spent more of my money there than anywhere else, too. Especially after going to work at WDKN in 1991 – and becoming Music Director there in 1994 – I loved playing music that you wouldn’t get anywhere else. A running joke of mine on the air over the years was that at Christmas – “For that favorite morning radio personality at 106 East College Street on your Christmas list, don’t forget gift certificates from the Ernest Tubb Record Shop. They make the perfect stocking stuffer.” Believe it or not, that actually worked. Many of my friends – who were listeners of the station would send me gift certificates. Christmas was a fun time of the year – and one that I loved going to the Tubb store to pick up those rare obscurities that WSM didn’t even play – in regular rotation.

As the years went on, record stores began to fall one by one. Camelot. Record Bar. Seeing Tower Records’ location being replaced by Nashville’s 34,546^th motel still pains me. But, Ernest Tubb kept plodding along. A couple of years ago, however, one could feel the cracks slipping into the foundation. The inventory and selection were reduced drastically, making it hard for the store to thrive as they had in the past. Of course, my visits to the store became a little less frequent, as well. There just wasn’t much to look at. Still, knowing that one of my favorite musical haunts is gone stings….a lot.

As I said, the Broadway store is still open…for now. Unless they are doing a special promotion for a new release – like they did with George Strait or Vince Gill’s new releases – the shelves are pretty much a quarter of the way stocked. Not counting their mail order department – which probably keeps them in business – it’s possible to walk into the store, and not find a copy of George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” – likely one of the most iconic songs to ever be recorded in this town. You also see a number of used books and magazines. I hope the store continues,….but perhaps the writing is on the wall.

In any case, it’s a sad thing to know that the store is closed. It’s a place that I will miss….a lot, along with those years I would go there – sometimes simply to get lost. As Bob Wills once put it, “Time Changes Everything.” But, I wasn’t ready for this……