June 9th Tallapoosa Journal

Tallapoosa Journal
June 9th

The past few days we have lost some giants in the world of entertainment. One of the great sketch comedy actors of all time Harvey Korman died. His role as Hedley Lamar in Mel Brook's "Blazing Saddles" was a classic. The final days of May saw the passing of legendary director and actor Sidney Pollack. I met Mr. Pollack at the world premier of Willie Nelson's movie "Song Writer". It was held in Nashville and Mr. Pollack asked many of us our opinion of the movie because he genuinely wanted to know because he knew people determined the success of failure of a motion picture. His role as Dustin Hoffman's manager in "Tootsie" is his most memorable acting work.

Monday, June 2nd saw the passing of an pioneer in rock and roll and rhythm and blues music, the great Bo Diddley. His signature window pane glasses and rectangleÂ shaped electric guitar made him quite a unique artist. It is said that he inspired a lot of "British Invasion" bands of the mid '60's like the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds.

A one time member of the Jordonaires who backed Elvis Presley on many of his hit recordings of the 50's and 60's passed away. Hugh Jarrett is seen on many of Elvis Presley's television appearances from the early days of the career of the King. Hugh also was in a number of the movies Elvis did, my favorite being "King Creole". Hugh Jarrett was not only an accomplished singer but he was a terrific radio personality working with the legendary John R. at WLAC in Nashville. "Hugh Baby" Jarrett also was on Atlanta radio at a time working at WSB radio doing the overnight show back when the "Voice of the South" had musical programming instead of around the clock news and talk. His last broadcasting was done at a Christian music station in Forsyth County. I was there the night he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. I have imagined that "Hugh Baby", Hovie Lister and Elvis have had a great reunion in heaven.

Speaking of heaven, I love the view of Tally Mountain. A great artist and long time friend Charles Thompson sent me a print of Tally Mountain that I have hanging at the house in Cobb County to remind me of my real home. I took my girls to the swimming pool at the golf course on a recent Saturday and I was talking to Gail Robinson Wyman about how many of us loved Alex Lake when we were growing up. We loved how it was a great place for the family to have a picnic or a birthday party under the pavilion. I discovered a lot of songs I still remember to this day on the jukebox at Alex lake. "I Get Around" by the Beach Boys, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs with the count off in Spanish of "Wooly Bully" and Dave "Baby" Cortez instrumental classic "The Happy Organ" are great musical memories I got at the former swimming pool at Tally Valley Park. I recall our city manager Phillip Eidson's prowess off one of the diving boards doing the jack knife or the painful "preacher's seat" back in the 1960's. I never knew why we called it Alex Lake when it wasn't a lake at all, but a cement swimming pool that many Tallapoosa baby bqrs learned to swim. Harvey Nixon taught me how to swim. I think that he taught about every kid in town how to keep from drowning.

Tallapoosa also had a city run recreation center in my youth that was operating during summer vacations. The lunchroom in the bottom of the school gym housed ping pong tables and a juke box. I can remember who watched "American Bandstand" by the moves they put on the floor with the juke box at the rec center blasting Bobby Lewis' hit "Tossin' and Turnin'". Bruce King was the king of the dance floor in those days. The "Bounce" was the big dance craze then. There was a lot of fun and it gave us kids something to do on those June, July, and August days and nights. Gail and I were talking about what a great thing it would to be if it could happen again. A safe, friendly and drug free atmosphere where kids could have fun and enjoy themselves would be a great thing for Tallapoosa wouldn't it? What do you think?

I appreciate the kind letters and emails I have received and I have had the opportunity of writing the past few columns from my driveway at the house in Tallapoosa thanks to satellite technology.

Rhubarb Jones is a member of the administrative faculty at Kennesaw State University. The Tallapoosa native can be reached at Rhubarbjones@aol.com or by writing P.O. Box 1001, Tallapoosa, Ga. 30176