James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

Hi Folks, I find myself dreaming about the hey day of Country Music with all the great stars of old. Stars like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Pasty Cline, George Jones, Eddy Arnold, Tammy Wynette...the list is endless. Most are gone now...but I have this urge to visit places where I can still find a piece of them today. Last Saturday my wife and I decided to visit the hometown of Minnie Pearl. She was the darling and host of so many Opry shows for many years. Famous for her introductory line of "Howdy"...She never had a cross word towards anyone...her style was to make people laugh about life in general using a loving wit of southern humor and charm. She died in 1996 at the age of 83 from complications from a stoke. Her home town of Centerville is where she came up with stories about Grinders Switch. A fictitious place she made up where the is no illness, no war, only happiness. My trip to Centerville (her Grinders Switch) was a joy. I was met here by all sorts of loving folks. Many of them talked my ear off. They have a small museum of sorts dedicated to her at the local Hickman County Chamber of Commerce. From this place, they carry on the tradition of good home town music with a live radio broadcast every Saturday morning called the Grinder Switch hour. Locals from around the area pack the small venue to sit and enjoy music played by area musicians. I must say...it was a heartwarming experience for me and I felt so welcomed by those I sat and visited with. Here are a few images from the museum dedicated to Minnie. For those who want to see more of Centerville and my time with these wonderful folks, I have a Flickr album you can visit at the link below.
Keep in mind, Centerville is a small town, and has seen it's better days. Sadly many of the stores downtown are no longer in business. Even so, these people are proud of their town.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/james-frazier/albums/72157659669570630

One of Minnie famous hats

(Download)

Entrance to the Hickman County Chamber of Commerce where the radio program originates

(Download)

A simple sign leaning on the floor at the museum with pretty much says it all about Minnie who was loved by so many

(Download)

DOOK Loc: Maclean, Australia

A great tribute--loved the photos. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

Wow...how fantastic...thanks for posting these!

John Lawrence

Another interesting series about a legendary star, James. Well done as always. I like your shadow selfie on the sidewalk.

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

Thanks Earl, I never got to see her in person. But her presence was sure felt in her home town.

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

Thank you Kindly Bob...sure was a fun trip. We took our RV and did some camping too on this outing. Froze our butts off though.

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

Yea, John...I tried every way to get out of the frame, but couldn't so said "heck with it" and took the shot. The funniest part was when a little frail looking old lady got up on one of the songs and quickly did some sort of jig dance then quick sat back down. The place was rolling in laughter and she was grinning as well. It was a fun day.

Chris F. Loc: San Francisco

Hi James, great history there with your shots. I enjoyed them both. Minnie Pearl did the county fair circuit for a few years and made appearances in the town I grew up in back in upstate New York a few times. Very fond memories!

Chris

Treepusher Loc: Kingston, Massachusetts

She was one of the icons of Country, and she's missed. Great shots and narrative, James!

pbearperry Loc: Massachusetts

I loved Minnie, what a wonderful human.

queencitysanta Loc: Charlotte, North Carolina

She was an astute business woman and one of the first investors in the cell phone business.

Effate Loc: El Dorado Hills, Ca.

Is the price tag still hanging from the hat?

blacks2 Loc: SF. Bay area

Thank you very much for bringing back memories, she was great.

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

Yes, she was a very lovely lady. Maybe not so much in looks...but she had a heart as big as they get.

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

Hi Chris, nice to hear from you. Hope your doing well. Yes, Minnie enjoyed being out amongst the public. She was very accessible. When in Nashville, she would stand in front of the Opry House and greet people as they entered the building. Her job it seemed was to make folks laugh and feel welcomed.