Hosting the evening of the Thursday Night Hoedown are owners,
Tom and Sandy Grinstead.
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By Sam Crenshaw
As we strolled into the restaurant, I was reminded of a time
in our past when the lovely singer, Sue Ellen McGraw and a guy named Guy would
be singing the old country western song, "Hit the road Jack and don't you
come back no more, no more, no more, no more. Hit the road Jack and don'tcha
come back no more.
Guy would reply, "Well woman oh woman dont'cha treat me
so mean, you're the meanest old woman I've ever seen...." and before long
they would be singing the theme song for Uncle Ned Stribling's band, "Come
on along with me tonight, come on along with me. Come on along to Hawkinsville tonight to the
Hayloft Jamboree."
And they came, and they came, and they kept coming to the
old National Guard Armory with a brown bag surprise in one hand and a woman
with the other hand. Whoeee! Squeeze the
lemon, now one more time! Grab the lady behind you and promenade on down the
line.
Literally, cold chills or goose bumps accompany my memories
of that great venue of Uncle Ned and his group.
Too many years have passed for me to remember everyone and last names
and so forth, but Uncle Ned played the piano, Pee Wee played the steel guitar,
a guy named Al sang some country songs and Bill always sang the slow dance
songs, sounding a lot like Jim Reeves, when he could remember the words, and
the men dancers held on tight and swung that ladies around. Sue Ellen and Guy sang lively duets.
My old classmate at HHS, Jerry Mullis and his wife, Donna
invited us to meet them for the Thursday Night Hoedown.
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Now granted that was a long time ago, and a lot of water has
flowed under the bridge since then, but based on the crowd of music lovers and
dancers recently showing up to enjoy the music and dancing, it brings to mind
the huge crowds that used to follow Uncle Ned's Hayloft Jamboree around.
The huge crowd for the Thursday Night Hoedown was partly made up from folks from other towns. The above group came from Fort Valley. |
As we walked in, we were keeping an eye out for a former
resident of Hawkinsville and classmate of mine, Jerry Mullis and his wife,
Donna. They had called to invite us to
come and see the crowd that is attracted to the shindig. Jerry owns a seafood
market in Macon, something he has done for a number of years. Through his years
of business, his activity in church and other associations, he has become
acquainted with a musician named Jimmy Tucker who has a group named the Tucker
Boys, and a group of followers of his music shows. That group showed up that night with three
carloads including around fifteen or so revelers from the Macon area. Seated at a table not too far from them was another
group from Warner Robins totaling some ten or twelve people. Others from towns
all around middle Georgia filled in and made for a good crowd.
Providing the music and the entertainment were Hawkinsville favorites, Chris Sercer and sister, Donna. |
Now that night, they were in for a real treat as local Post
person/musician, Chris Sercer and her sister, the quick-witted Donna, were on
hand to offer the great music and laughter which took them to Nashville,
Tennessee a few years ago where they brushed with fame and fortune. Sercer who sings enough like the late, great
Patsy Cline to pass for her twin can put on a rollicking performance for a crowd
singing the huge hits like "Crazy", "Walking After Midnight",
and many more.
Music and dancing have always been part of Hawkinsville's
history from the aforementioned square dancing, some small clubs like Horne's
Drive Inn to the Jaycees sponsorship of street dancing and games which used to
be an annual treat where Jackson Street
could be roped off for the entire town to enjoy. I think about my late cousin,
Sammie Ruth Crenshaw who enjoyed dancing and told me of the great times she had
when she was a young and pretty teenaged girl.
Part of the local group enjoyed the dancing and the music.
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Louise Richardson, formerly my high school
classmate enjoys most Thursday night dances.
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Me? I was just a
young boy who loved watching the guys spin the wheel for the mouse or mice to
run into, but oh what a great time the city folks and country folks had with
all of the effort that was put into the big show! All of the people who used to enjoy street
dances, square dances, club dancing and the like show their pleasure when they
attend the laugh-filled good times and great music.
I didn't see Thomas Herrington that night, but my
understanding is when he feels good, no one enjoys shaking a leg like he does.
Old Cypress Knee has always been one of this writer's favorite subjects regardless
of his outlandish pranks he pulled as a youngster, or his episodic trips to
different places, some remembered, some not, and the wonderful way that he
learned so many musical instruments including the piano which sets in his place
of business. Some of my other classmates,
Louise and Frances who attend the "Thursday Night Hoedown" tell me
that he can still enjoy dancing with the ladies.
The crowd enjoyed the Buffet Dinner held prior to the entertainment.
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My wife Sheila who attended the get-to-gather grabbed me for
a quick dance which had to be as miserable for her as it was to me since I'm
still trying to recover from knee replacement surgery, however it was a good
evening of fun and frolicking―great dancing and good music.