Krystal Restaurants Are Still Going Strong In The South Since "The Great Depression" In the 1930's

    I was visiting our local Krystal in Bowling Green recently and I noticed some literature about the history of their restaurant that they were handing out to their customers.

    Immediately, when I started reading it, I thought back to my childhood days of growing up in East Memphis, Tenn.., and my first experience of eating at the Krystal located on Popular Avenue across from East High School in the 1960's.  It was probably around 1966 or so and I would say that I was four or five years old.  I remember that there was always a line of customers waiting to get their little, hot burgers with the tasty steam onions on them.  I remember that the small building was built with black and white tile on the inside and exterior with a big silver, "Krystal" ball on top. I also remember one time that my father took brothers and I to a Memphis State (University of Memphis now) football game at the formerly Memphis Memorial Stadium which is now the Liberty Bowl in the late fall in the mid-1960's when was freezing cold outside.  We played Mississippi State and won! Anyway, after the game, we rode in the back of a pickup truck on the way back to our friend's house located in mid-town and we stopped at that Krystal to pick up a couple sackful of those hot, little burgers to warm us up.  Wow, what an awesome memory!

    Here's what the literature says about the restaurant's history. "It was Oct. 24, 1932, when the nation's first Krystal restaurant opened its doors on the corner of Seventh and Cherry Streets in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn., amid the harsh financial times of the Great Depression. Its founders, Rody Davenport Jr. and J. Glenn Sherrill, believed that despite the severe economic upheaval of the times, people would patronize a restaurant that kept spotlessly clean, provided courteous service and offered a good meal at the lowest possible price. Proving this theory true, the restaurant's first customer, French Jenkins, ordered six Krystals and a cup of coffee, all for a bargain price of 35 cents."

    Also, Krystal is a restaurant chain that is based in the South. "A passion that has been passed down from generation to generation, Krystal has become an experience that nearly man, woman and child in the South has shared. As a result, many "Krystal Stories" that directly relate to the company and its products. For years now, customers have been sharing their favorite memories by writing letters and sending emails to the company's corporate office. Recognizing the passion, in 2004, Krystal began recognizing its most devoted customers by inducting them into the "Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame." To commemorate the inductions, each inductee's illustrated likeness is placed on more than one million of the restaurant's famous Krystal Hamburger and Cheese Krystal boxes and used in restaurants across the Southeast."

    And Krystal has been around for years and is still going strong. "Krystal is also keeping an eye to the future as the company invests in new restaurant designs, develops new, unique menu items and expands into new markets across the South-upholding its legacy as a Southern icon by offering that one-of-a-kind taste and personal connection you can't find anywhere else."

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Milo's Tea From The Deep South Hits The Spot

    Growing up down South in Memphis in the 1960's and early 1970's, we used to be big Kool-Aid drinkers in our family or us kids I should say.  Kool-Aid was the thing back in those days.  You could choose from different flavors such as Cherry, Grape, Strawberry or even Tropical Punch among many others.  It seemed we only drank Coca-Cola on special occasions like Christmas or the holidays.  But as time went on, we started drinking more cola products throughout the year as the years progressed especially when they started selling them in the big 32 oz. glass bottles.  I also remember the "tea days" or I should say the "instant tea" days when they came along.  I remember when "Lipton's Instant Tea" became popular.  My dad was a big fan of that.  I can remember drinking tons of that stuff as a youngster.  No wonder I had a lot of cavities as a kid. Later in life during my teens, we got into the boiled water and tea bags making big half gallon jugs of it.  Remember "Sun Tea?"  You could buy those big glass gallon or half gallon containers and make tea outside in the sun.  And during the last 20 years in my little we have been buying that "already made tea" in the gallon jug at Kroger which is really good especially with fresh slices of lemon.
   But lately I have noticed here in Kentucky that there is a great new product from the Deep South that can be found at several different retail and grocery stores in Bowling Green called, "Milo's Tea"  made in Bessemer, Ala., just out of Birmingham. This stuff is really awesome and I have bought several gallons of it already which we have extremely enjoyed.  What I have found to be really interesting about this particular tea is the pride and marketing that this family owed business puts into their product.  Check out the history of their tea taken from their web-site:


HISTORY
Early Years (1946-1989)

The Milo’s brand has roots that stretch back to the Great Depression. In 1939, Milo Carlton could be found behind the scenes in his brother’s North Birmingham restaurant, the Dipsey Doodle. One of five Carlton boys bitten by the restaurant bug, Milo did everything from mopping the floors to locking up after everyone else had gone home for the night. He spent the next two years learning as much as he could about the restaurant business, including the most important – listening to the voice of the customer.

Already a member of the National Guard, Milo’s unit was mobilized in February 1941, just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. It didn’t take the Army long to realize that Milo was gifted in the kitchen, and he found himself assigned to the Food Service Division while on active duty. Uncle Sam sent Milo through three different cooking schools and for the next four years, he cooked hamburgers in jeeps, on planes, on ships, in the back of trucks, in mess tents and on beaches in four different countries. He even found time to open a hamburger shop in Australia where he taught the locals Down Under just how an American burger should taste.

Milo was discharged in 1945 and wasted no time putting his Army experiences to good use. On April 16, 1946, Milo opened the first Milo’s Hamburger Shop on 31st Street and 12th Avenue North in Birmingham, Alabama. From day one, Milo set out to give customers a unique experience – whether it was the extra slice of beef on their burger or the special sauce they’d never tasted anywhere else, the piping hot hand made pies or ice-cold tea with a big bowl of sugar on the side – the customer always got more than what they expected. And that’s where Milo met his first greatest hurdle.

The war might be over but the rationing of staple items – such as sugar – was to remain for some years to come. Milo found himself faced with the dilemma of choosing to use his sugar ration to make pies or provide table sugar to sweeten the tea. How could he ask them to choose one over the other? And then it dawned on Milo to try something no one else had considered – he eliminated the sugar bowls from his tables and began to pre-sweeten the tea himself. This ensured enough from his sugar ration for pies and sweet tea!

Although this seems perfectly ordinary today, in the 1940s, customers initially balked at the idea. But then they tasted Milo’s Famous tea and realized this was something different… something better than they could make themselves. Soon the tea was as in demand as the burgers, fries and pies. Milo’s became the place to go for great food – all washed down with the finest tea anyone had ever tasted.
Modern Era (1989-2009)

In April of 1989, Milo’s began manufacturing and distributing its Famous Sweet Tea in gallon jugs to grocery stores in the Birmingham, Alabama area. The first grocery store to carry the product didn’t think people would buy the tea when they could make it themselves. But like his dad, Milo’s son Ronnie knew his customers and Milo’s Famous Tea was an instant success. Customers wanted a delicious fresh brewed tea like the kind that grandma made, and Milo’s Famous Sweet Tea did not disappoint. Due to strong demand, Milo’s introduced the convenient single serving size in 1997 and an unsweetened tea in 1999.

In 2002, Milo’s Tea Company sold the Milo’s hamburger chain in order to focus the business on one thing – making the best ready to drink available in the world. Milo’s used the capital from the restaurant sale to build a state of the art tea plant like no other in the world - because no one else in the world does what we do!

In addition to its own delivery trucks and traditional wholesale distributors, Milo’s began expanding its distribution territory by teaming up with dairy distributors in 2003. These companies are experienced in handling all-natural products and their larger refrigerated route systems proved beneficial for both parties in growing the Milo’s brand. Since 2003, several more distributors across the Southeast have teamed up with Milo’s to increase availability in stores throughout the Southeast region.

Another milestone occurred in 2006 when we introduced an often-requested and much anticipated item to the Milo’s family. In March, 2006 we began brewing Milo’s No-Calorie Tea sweetened with Splenda. This item has grown exponentially since its introduction and offers an alternative for folks who do not want sugar but still enjoy sweet tea! Today, you can enjoy Milo’s Sweet Tea (sweetened with Sugar) and No Calorie Sweet Tea (sweetened with Splenda) in 12 ounce, 20 ounce, and Gallon sizes, as well as Milo’s Unsweetened Tea in gallons.

In 2009, Milo’s Tea expanded into several new markets – Memphis, Little Rock, Paducah, KY, Middle Georgia and South Carolina. Milo’s Tea can now be found in retailers across 16 states: Currently, our teas are available in Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina, Florida (the panhandle), Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Please visit our store locator to find a Milo’s retailer near you.
Tomorrow

We are continually working toward national availability of Milo’s Tea. We will be available in some additional markets where people have been seeking out management at retailers and adamantly requesting Milo’s Tea. We are always careful to move just as deliberately as we do quickly so that we can maintain the quality and stability of our products and company. We are ever conscious of the responsibility to deliver a high quality product to the market every time. It’s because of you that we have become “famous,” and we know that. We are motivated to serve you, our customer, just like we’ve been doing for over 60 years.

Milo Carlton’s words of yesterday still echo in our halls keeping us mindful of our heritage as we move into tomorrow: “Listen to your customers, and give them what they want. Give them quality, and they will come back.”

For more information about Milo's Tea go to their web-site at www.milostea.com

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T.G.I. Fridays, Always A Good Choice For Me When Eating Out

I don't know, call me old fashion.

I still like the dark stained wood panels with the nostalgic antiques hanging from the ceiling and walls in the comfortable setting of our local T.G.I. Fridays Restaurant here in Bowling Green, Ky. I also like the red and white stripes and the Tiffany lamps. I have noticed that some of the other restaurants in town have updated and removed some of their antiques off the wall and have given their guests a "more updated" feel I suppose.

But that's the beauty of T.G.I. Fridays. It takes me back to a time of me growing up in East Memphis, Tenn. I was just a kid when Fridays came to the Overton Square in Mid-Town Memphis and a matter of fact, it was the second Fridays to open in the country in 1971. Although, I never got a chance to eat at that popular restaurant on the Overton Square, I have eaten at the one next to Vanderbilt's campus in downtown Nashville and one in Bowling Green dozens of times.

Here's what it says about T.G.I. Fridays in Wikipedia.

"With fellow Bucknell graduate Ben Benson, Alan Stillman opened other restaurants, including Thursday's, Wednesday's, Tuesday's, and Ice Cream Sunday's. Franchising of T.G.I. Friday's began in 1971 in Memphis, Tennessee in the Overton Square district; that location has since closed. As new locations opened in the suburbs parents brought their children, and the chain changed its focus to casual dining for families. Stillman sold the restaurant chain in the 1970s to the Carlson Companies—although he kept the original location —and, now married, founded Smith & Wollensky in 1977 with Benson.

The Friday's restaurant chain was founded by Alan Stillman in 1965. The bachelor perfume salesman lived in a neighborhood with many airline stewardesses, fashion models, secretaries, and other single people on the East Side of Manhattan near the Queensboro Bridge, and hoped that opening a bar would help him meet women. At the time, Stillman's choices for socializing were non-public cocktail parties, or "guys' beer-drinking hangout" bars that women usually did not visit; he recalled that "there was no public place for people between, say, twenty-three to thirty-seven years old, to meet." He sought to recreate the comfortable cocktail-party atmosphere in public despite having no experience in the restaurant business.

T.G.I. Friday's (often shortened to "Friday's" in most countries, and stylized "FRiDAY'S", or "T.G.I.'s" in the United Kingdom) is an American restaurant chain focusing on casual dining. The company is a unit of the Carlson Companies. Its name is taken from the expression TGIF. The company asserts that it stands for "Thank Goodness It's Friday," although as of 2010 some television commercials for the chain have also made use of the alternative phrase, "Thank God It's Friday's."[2] The chain is known for its appearance, with red-striped canopies, brass railings,Tiffany lamps and frequent use of antiques as decor.

With $5,000 of his own money and $5,000 borrowed from his mother, Stillman purchased a bar he often visited, The Good Tavern at the corner of 63rd Street and First Avenue, and renamed it T.G.I. Friday's after the expression "Thank God! It's Friday!" from his years at Bucknell University. The new restaurant, which opened on March 15, 1965, served standard American cuisine, bar food, and alcoholic beverages, but emphasized food quality and preparation. The exterior featured a red-and-white striped awning and blue paint, the Gay Nineties interior included fake Tiffany lamps, wooden floors, Bentwood chairs, and striped tablecloths, and the bar area added brass rails and stained glass. The employees were young and wore red-and-white striped soccer shirts, and every time someone had a birthday, the entire restaurant crew came around with a cake and sang Friday's traditional birthday song. The first location closed in 1994, and is a British pub called "Baker Street"; the brass rails are still there."

Our local T.G.I. Fridays in Bowling Green has stayed the same since it opened in 2001 as far as its decor. Of course the menu and prices has changed somewhat through the years. To me, T.G.I Fridays is a great place to eat. I especially like the Stripes Rewards program. Every time you eat there, you get points and those points add up to free food. For me, Fridays offers great food, great prices, great service, a nice atmosphere and for some strange reason I always imagine myself eating at the former T.G.I. Fridays on Overton Square in Memphis even though I never got a chance to eat there. It must be some sort of mental connection.

(Pictured above is a photo taken from the Memphis Commerical Appeal of James D. Robinson Jr., one of the founders of TGI Friday's Memphis and Overton Square, is shown in Friday's in 1970. Robinson and his partners had bet that Memphis voters would approve sales of liquor by the drink, which they did in 1969.)

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A Symbol of Memphis, Tenn.,-"The Mid-South Coliseum"

"The Mid-South Coliseum is a symbol of Memphis, Tenn., just like The Pyramid, Mud-Island or Graceland. So why in the world, would anyone want to tear it down?"-Galen A. Smith Sr.

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All The Way To See Kiss at The Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tenn., in 1978

I've been a fan of the rock group, Kiss, for a long time.

The first time I heard about Kiss, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_(band)I was 13 years-old in 1975 living with my mom in an apartment complex in East Memphis, Tenn. This was in the mid-1970's after the sexual revolution and women's lib at hit our nation like a ton of bricks. Many homes were breaking up and apartment complexes were springing up in American cities across the nation with many single parents living in them. Our apartment complex was near Germantown, Tenn., to be exact, where the really nice, new big homes were being built in super nice subdivisions at the time.

My parents had divorced after 27 years of marriage and being the youngest of five, I was a pretty lonely kid at that point of my life. When I moved to the apartment complex, I had to make some adjustments and meet new friends. For any young teenager this can be a very difficult time. One of my new friends I found out was a really big Kiss fan. He had a drum set in his room and Peter Criss (Cat Man), the drummer was his favorite member. He had a couple of their albums and his favorite album was "Kiss Alive." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alive!_(Kiss_album) He would play that album just about everyday that I went over there and he would drum to each song on the album as it played on the record player stereo.

Don't get me wrong. I was not one of those overboard, crazy Kiss fans. There's nothing wrong with that for sure. I had a couple of their albums and I think I even had a Kiss t-shirt at one point. Unfortunately, I was not a member of the "Kiss Army"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_Army either. I hate to admit it but some of my newer friends that I met when I went to go live with my father in North Mississippi were not Kiss fans. They did not like Kiss that much. They liked Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Rush, Pink Floyd and Foreigner, just to name a few. However, even though I was a Kiss fan and I never did wear it on my shirt sleeve and advertise it that at that point in my life. So, when I heard that Kiss was coming to Memphis to perform at The Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis in December of 1978, I didn't suggest to my friends that they go with me to the concert. I asked my mother to purchase me one ticket for myself so that I go and enjoy the show without any negativity. And that's exactly what I did.

At the time, I was 16 years-old. I cleaned my dad's house so that I could borrow his car and he gave me some gas money and a little extra spending money. One the way up to Memphis, I stopped at Stateline Liquors in Southaven, Miss., and bought a bottle of Boones Farm Apple wine. I drank it on the way it to the arena and by the time I got there, I had a pretty good buzz going from the wine. When I arrived at the Mid-South Coliseum, I had about a fourth of a bottle left and threw it behind some bushes before I went it. (See, we did crazy stuff when were younger! I would never do that these days-drinking and driving). When I found my seat in the the sold-out , filled to capacity arena, I was luckily sitting next to some pretty cool guys from somewhere way out in the countryside. They were from in East Tennessee, I think. They fired up something and it was not a cigarette either and began passing it. Apparently, the timing was right and the mood was set as we were in awe of the million dollar stage that sat before us as a cloud of smoke hung in the air of the arena. (Back then you could still smoke in public buildings) All the sound and technical guys kept saying, "Check, check, check" and flashing lights off and on. They were checking everything out to make sure it worked. Then, the house lights were dimmed and all of sudden the thunder of loud band on stage can be heard, screaming guitars and drums and it was this little known rock band at the time by the name of "AC/DC" who happened to be touring the United States with Kiss. They were the opening act. All of us in the Mid-South Coliseum that night were saying, "Who in the hell is that little dude playing guitar riding on that big dude's shoulder while running through the audience with a spotlight on him?" We found out later it was Angus Young who had tons of energy, jumping and running all over the stage. Bonn Scott, who was still alive at the time, was the lead singer.

Then it was time for Kiss to perform after a brief intermission. Everybody was blown away by AC/DC but we weren't quit sure who they were until their "Highway To Hell" album came out the next year which I bought. All of sudden, the lights went dim again and a loud booming come over the loud speakers and said, "Are you ready? The hottest band in the world, Kiss!" Then Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley were lowered onto to the stage by hydraulic lifts and began playing their butts off as loud explosions and flashes of light went off and flames shot up in the air from the stage. To me it was one of the greatest rock show with incredible sound and lights that I had every seen at that point in my life. And it has still stuck with me all these years.

I remember during one of the final encores, I walked down to the floor level and as I approached the stage, a security guard was pointing to me to go back. But I kept walking forward anyway. Just as I got to the stage, I was able to see everyone of the members faces up close and Peter's Criss drum set had been lifted really high up in the air and this big black cloth with cats holding out their paws was dropped. Then I heard them say, "Good night!" And that was it. As I look back now as a grown man with a wife, son, a home and a full-time job, Kiss apparently filled a void in my young life at the time. It was an escapism for a young kid who was suffering from his parents divorce and a broken home. So every time I listen to Kiss these days, I still get that warm, fuzzy, feel-good music feeling. Thanks to Kiss for all your great years of rock and roll and entertainment!

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Radio Music: D-93 FM WDNS, Bowling Green, Ky., 56 AM WHBQ And Rock 103 FM, Memphis, Tenn.

Music is life. I think it reflects what's in the inner human soul. It inspires us. It makes us sad. It makes us happy. It makes us cry. It makes us look back into our lives in an introspective way perhaps. It's there for us during the good and bad times of our lives. And it's has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry that started years ago with the dawn of the radio age and the recording industry. It's something that we can all relate too. We all have grown up with music. Whether it's rock, blues, country, classical, jazz or whatever, most people love music. I know I do. And that's why I wanted to write about music and radio today. Mainly, I love rock music or commonly known as "Rock & Roll," or perhaps, "Hard Rock," even.

During the Christmas season, I always tend to get a little sentimental and begin to reflect back on my youth. One of the ways I do this is by the music I listen too. I listen to a lot of music everyday and usually it's via FM radio in my work vehicle and one of my favorite radio stations is a Classic Rock station in Bowling Green, Ky., where I live, by the name of "D-93 WDNS FM," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBKYgyx4FF0 I have been listening to these guys for years and they do a great job. They play some of the greatest rock music ever and they really have a format that is wide-open and there's a lot freedom in the choice of different types of rock music that they can play. The play a lot of Kiss, Ozzy, Peter Frampton, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Pink Floyd, Journey, Styx, Rush and on and on. They type of music I love. They also play a lot of the newer bands like Nickleback, Guns & Roses, Slash, Velvet Revolver and even some of the newer younger generation of rock music that is springing up such as Bowling Green's own "Cage The Elephant." Another awesome thing about this station is that will take your requests and play them on the air. Their radio personalities are incredible funny and friendly such "Rockin' Rhonda," "Bryan 'The Official Long Hair Guy' Locke," "Tommy Starr (with two "R's")," and "Brother Greg Martin" from the Kentucky Headhunters and Rufus Huff who hosts the "Low Down Hoe Down Blues Show" on Monday nights. And of the best things about D-93 is the stuff that give-away in their radio contests! Just by being a listener, you can win tons of free stuff. I know it to be true, because I have won lots of free stuff through the years (since 1988) by being a loyal listener (concert tickets, gifts certificates and free food among other things!)

My radio listening and "winning stuff" days goes a long ways back to when I was kid growing up in Memphis, Tenn., in the 1960's and early 1970's. One time, I won the double rock album "Tommy" by the band, "The Who," by being the right caller. WHBQ mailed it to my house and my older brother opened it and started playing it before I got home from school. I remember I got really mad at him for doing that. But I got over it like always. (Well, most of the time.) I used to listen to Rick Dees in the mornings on 56 AM, WHBQ radio and this guy was incredibly funny too who used to make fun our mayor by saying in a deep voice, "Yes sir, Mr. Dees!" Rick went on bigger and greater things by moving to Los Angeles, Calif., work for a super station out there and ended up hosting the music television show, "Solid Gold." He also had a couple hit songs which one of them was "Disco Duck."http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxf2KCSyvgQ

Another great radio station that had a important role in my life growing up after I moved to North Mississippi in the mid-1970's as a teenager from Memphis was "Rock 103 Fm" in Memphis. These guys were one of the Mid-South's great rock stations. They had a awesome radio personality by the name of "Red Beard" who had a deep voice and who always interesting to listen to too. He was smart and knowledgeable. He was a pretty nice guy too because I met him once at the Mall of Memphis back in 1982 years before it was tore down. They played all the latest hits in the rock and roll scene during its heyday and even did a lot interviews with the latest bands traveling through the city who would play concerts at The Mid-South Coliseum or the Memphis Auditorium in downtown. They were always promoting a band or a concert and usually played host to the event. I remember when I was in college at Ole Miss they did a pre-concert live broadcast from the Mid-South Coliseum when Judas Priest was playing there. Apparently, the Judas Priest concert was professionally filmed and you can still buy it on Amazon.com or find it at your local record store.

Again, I love music and our local rock radio station and I'm sure millions of other people all over the world feel the same way I do about their favorite music and radio station too. And I want to thank D-93, WBHQ (which I think no longer exists) and Rock 103, for many good years of listening pleasure! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and Rock On!

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The legend of "The Legend of Boggy Creek" movie

One of the scariest movies that has lingered in my psychic for the last 38 years is the, "The Legend of Boggy Creek," which is supposedly based on a true story. I was 10 years-old in the Summer of 1972 when I saw this movie with some of my best friends at the Malco Theater on Popular and Highland avenues growing up in East Memphis. That movie literally scared the holy, crap out of me and for a couple of years, I was scared to death to walk home at night from my friend's house located at the bottom of the hill where I lived. The worst part of the walk home was when I would get to a long row of mulberry bushes in my yard at the top of the hill and I hated walking past them. I was always afraid that the "Boggy Creek Monster" was going to jump out and grab me. But it never did because my heart would start racing and I was run as fast as I could. Then I would jump onto the front porch and in through the front door. My dad would always ask me, "What's wrong?" And I would say, "Aw, nothin'."

About a year ago, I had been thinking about this movie a lot and how it had horrified me as child. So I decided to order a copy of it on eBay or Amazon.com. I don't remember which one I ordered it from to be quite exact. But anyway, when I received it in the mail a few days later, my wife and I watched it and I thought, "Heck, this ain't that scary! This is so stupid!" I wondered what made me so scared as a kid when I watched it. However, a little bit of the sensation of horror did come back to me as I watched it though. It cause me to be able to relive the movie a little bit in my mind and remember how I felt when I was a youngster. But too me these days, the most interesting aspect of the movie is the movie itself-the success of the movie and how it was made on such a low budget turning a gigantic profit for its creator, Charles B. Pierce, an advertising salesman. Mr. Pierce who was from Texarkana (Texas-Arkansas border town) borrowed $100,000 from a local trucking company and used an old movie camera and hired locals (mainly high school students) to make the 90 minute film. He actually filmed the movie in the Fouke, Ark., area swap lands. In the last 38 years, the movie has generated approximately $20 million dollars and still can be found on DVD. Another modern-day, horror flick along the sames lines with a low production budget and incredible success is "The Blair Witch Project" from the 1990's. These type of movies usually find a way to tap in the psychic of Americans. Movies like this always seem take place out in the woods or out in the water somewhere with natural surroundings. It's one of those things that makes you ask each other, "Is there something out there?" which can run chills up and down your spine every time for sure.

Here's what the back cover of DVD says, "Is the monster still on the prowl? A 1970's documentary-style drama questions the existence of a hair 7ft tall Sasquatch-type monster that lives in a swap outside of Fouke, Ark. According to the locals the monster walks on two feet, has a characteristic smelly odor and kills chickens, cattle, dogs and livestock but so far it hasn't killed any people. The monster supposedly harassed two families in the late 1960's, but since then few have seen the monster yet it can be heard in the swap at night. Actual interviews with the area residents tell the tale. Could be real or a conspiracy of a backwoods community looking for attention."

If you want to see an old, somewhat, scary flick, this movie could be for you. You may laugh at the silly acting and how country the actors look, talk and etc. However, you have to keep an open mind and realize how amazingly, this low budget movie caused such a stir at the time in America's psychic in the early 1970's. It is similar to the scare tactic that the movie, "Jaws" used to horrify the holy, you know what out of Americans and kept them away about America's beaches in the middle 1970's for a while. You probably won't be able to find "The Legend of Boggy Creek" at your local video rental store either. You will probably have to buy it on eBay or Amazon.com like I did, if you want watch it.

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The Gift To All Rush Fans...The Movie....Rush:Beyond The Lighted Stage

The documentary movie, "Rush:Beyond The Lighted Stage" is a gift that keeps on giving. (sorry for the cliche). This movie is really a gift from the Rock group "Rush" to all its fans-from the past, present and future. The band that has been around for more than 40 years and has more than its shares of ups and downs in the world of rock and roll and in their own personal lives.

The reason that the movie is a gift from Rush is because they did not have to allow the filmmakers into their private lives to make a documentary about the rock band's history and their unconventional rise to fame and glory. But they did it for their fans. It's for all those middle-age men with greying hair who are located around the world. But they did allow it to be made. That's the most important thing. Rush fans have been peg by critics as white, middle-aged men in their 40's and 50's with greying hair who hold down steady jobs probably with families. I would even dare to say that some of these fans are grandfathers. And believe it or not there are women Rush fans out there too.

I can attest to this because my son and I made our way down to Nashville, Tenn., for the first showing of the movie at The Belcourt Theater near Vanderbilt University on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. June 15th. Naturally, we got lost in Nashville and turned around but finally we found our way to the theater. When we arrived there was a long line that outside the building and it curve around the corner onto another street. I thought, "Oh crap, we'll never get a seat." However, when we got inside, there was plenty of seating. There were some other men with their sons and maybe even their grandsons too. We found the perfects seats while my son went to the concessions stand to grab us a couple of cold drinks. While we were waiting in line outside, I observed the typical Rush fan and what he looked like. Like I said, most of us were white and looked about my age 48 years-old with greying hair and wearing glasses. Some of us had big bellies or smaller bellies (If you're lucky). I saw very few Rush fans with long hair these days. Most of us were dressed in casual clothes. I would say most of us had jobs or careers and probably had some sort of higher education. (I just assuming now from my journalistic observations). Also, a Rush fan walked toward the back of the line where we were standing and offered a free ticket to another Rush fan. I would say most Rush fans are kind and polite towards one of another and have a generous free spirit of giving like Rush musicians themselves, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart. After the movie, I observe the Rush fan who received the free ticket thank the other Rush fan who gave him the ticket in the men's restroom. Now, isn't that in the giving spirit of Rush shining through here?

Too me, I was just totally enthralled and entertained throughout the movie. It starts from the beginning days of Rush in Toronto, Canada, where the trio....Geddy Lee, Bass, Alex Lifeson, Lead Guitar and Neil Peart, Drums, all grew up. Geddy and Alex were raised in the suburbs of Toronto and Neil grew up on a farm outside of Toronto. The film shows footage of Alex and Geddy while they were in high school and Alex quit high school to play music. I'm not sure about Geddy quiting school. I didn't catch that if he did. The movie also shows interviews with all three band member's parents which I thought was very touching. Geddy parents were Jewish prisoner death camp survivors from World War II and Alex parents where Yugoslavian immigrants. Neal parents owned a parts store where he worked as a teenager. The original drummer John Rutsey had to be replaced because of health reasons and that's when they brought Neil into the picture.

Probably, the one thing that intrigued me the most about the film was how Rush decided to be just themselves and independent of everyone else on the rock scene at the time during the early and later years of the 1970's. They produced these abstract, conceptual albums like "Caress Of Steel," "2112" and "Hemispheres" against all the odds of their record label but they were able to survive and remain themselves. They didn't change. I think that's the one thing that appealed to me when I first heard the band in the Fall of 1976 when my friend Donald Dillingham brought the "2112" album over to my dad's lake house in North Mississippi, was the band's really cool and freaky sound. When he put it on and we were just blow away by it. I had never heard anything like it before in my young life. Rush's music appealled to the psychics of our little minds. At the time, we were feeling like outcasts living in our own little worlds by our own choosing. Rush took us took us to a different world like the other rock groups did, but in a different way than Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. It was a mental escapism with the combination of their music and some of mind altering substance which I quit using years ago. I won't say which one. I'm sure a lot of middle-age men had the same experiences with Rush as I have had when they were first introduced to the band.

And movie goes on to show concert footage when they toured with bands like Kiss and Thin Lizzy just to name a few. The movie shows how Rush evolved to eventually to become the main headliner band on the scene at the time. And then they hit the big time with the album, "Moving Pictures" in 1981 where had such mega hits as "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" which was being played on rock stations all over the world, over and over again. This was the heyday of Rush when they filling concert halls and arena all over the world. But they still do filled these halls and arenas to this day! As a side note, I saw Rush in concert four times. It was the one band that I saw more times in concert than anyone else.

Probably, the saddest part of the movie, is when it explains the tragedy that about Neil's daughter getting killed in a car accident and then shortly loosing his wife due to an illness. Neil is a painfully private person and you could tell it was hard for him to be interviewed for the movie. I thought he was pretty uncomfortable with the interview. That's just my opinion. I may be wrong. But regardless, he did manage to do the interview because he did it for us Rush fans. Thank you Neil! The movie goes on to show some stuff on how the group regrouped after being away from it for four years because of Neil's tragedies and how he managed to cope with it by riding a BMW motorcycle 55,000 miles all over North America. He even wrote a song and book about his experiences of that road trip called, "Ghost Rider," which is on the "Vapor Trails" album.

Regardless, if your a big Rush fan or not, this documentary movie will have you cheering, laughing, crying and cheering again. It is a must see for all Rush fans! Like I said, it's the gift that keeps on giving....from one Rush fan to another.

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Remembering My Father, A Deceased War Hero

My father, the late Ret. Army Major Vester Brooks Smith, was a decent human being. He was not perfect. He had his character defects and flaws like most people do. In 1993, he died at the age of 73 in Memphis, Tenn. He lived his whole life practically down south except for time when he lived out west as a child. I will always honor him and his memory as a father and as a war veteran.  Most importantly, he was a war hero. He enlisted in the United States Army National Guard at the age of 17 in 1937. He lied about his age because in those days they didn't have computer system to keep up with people's Social Security numbers and etc. Apparently, during the depression years in America, a lot of young men lied about their age in order to join the military forces. It was way out of poverty for these boys and their families.
After his graduation from high school in 1939, he was called up to go fight in War War II in the European theaters as well in Burma. After the war was over, he came back to Memphis and met my mother in 1946 when they married. In 1950, after he had finished Officers Training School (OTS) and his college degree at Memphis State University, he was called into to the Korean War where he served for a year in combat in artillery with his National Guard Unit from Memphis and earned the "Bronze Star Medal" for bravery.
After the Korean War, he lived his life out in Memphis and North Mississippi working as a professional accountant and bookkeeper. He continued to serve in the Memphis National Guard where he retired after 27 years of duty. Prior to his retirement in the guard, in 1968, two U.S. Marshals, showed up at our house on Rolling Oaks Drive in East Memphis, to notify him that his guard unit was being activated to protect the City of Memphis during the Martin Lutheran King riots. My mother took my brother and me to Arkansas to escape the violence. She was afraid the rioting would reach East Memphis. But it never did. It was contained to Downtown Memphis, thanks to my father and his unit and the Memphis police.
In 1974, after 27 years of marriage and five children with my mother, my parents divorced. Being the youngest, I was devastated. However, I survived it like most children of divorce do. My father suffered from "Battle Fatigue." Nowadays, they call it "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." (PTSD). But health professionals back then did not recognize it, the way they do these days. The medical community knows how to treat the condition now. However, my father's philosophy and in dealing with his problems was "You work hard and you play hard." He never did quit working hard or playing hard. Thank you, dad, for serving our country and being a decent human being.

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