Knoxville Trivia Blog

This IS your Father's Vacation Bible School!

2009-06-07T14:00:00.002-04:00

In the wacky world of Vacation Bible School themes, which include; Boomerang Express, Crocodile Dock, Outer Space, and of all things, a Hollywood game show theme, there is one church in Knoxville that is sticking to tradition.

Highland Baptist Church, 6014 Babelay Rd. in Knoxville, TN, believes that there is nothing wrong with doing things the "old-fashioned" way. According to Highland's VBS director, Byron Chesney; "I looked at all of the themes that were being offered and all of the churches in our area were pretty much doing the same thing and following the same themes. The message of Jesus was not clear in those themes, that is why we decided to create our own, based on the Biblical foundations. Our theme this year is "Christ Is All I Need." I don't think there is any mistaking what that theme is about."

When asked about how he felt about the loud rock type music and energy filled atmosphere of most of today's VBS themes, Chesney states; "According to the Bible I use (Authorized KJV) it says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day, and for ever, who are we to say otherwise? Crafts, refreshments, music, classes, pledges, memory verses, and sharing the Gospel message of Jesus Christ is what VBS should be about. Yes, this IS your Father's VBS."

Highland Baptist Church has been a beacon of hope and light in the Babelay Rd / Washington Pike area since 1942. Vacation Bible School has always been one of the largest Gospel outreach missions of the church. Long-time residents of the Babelay Rd. community can attest to that fact. "I can remember Highland's Vacation Bible School parade from when I was just a little girl," says Sandra Zachary who used to live on Babelay Rd. in the 1950's.

Every year the church comes together for a full community parade which includes numerous cars, trucks, motorcycles, dirt bikes, 4-wheelers, vans, and SUV's. This year's parade included 39-people complete with two police cruisers and 14 other assorted varieties of vehicles. "I've been looking forward to riding my 4-wheeler in the parade for a long time," says 14-year old, Jesse Perkey, who lives nearby. Church members distributed around 700 flyers inviting people to attend Vacation Bible School.

Highland's pastor, Rev. Dave Hutchison, says; "I love our Bible school theme. If people only realized that if they had Christ in their lives, all of the other stuff would just fall into place. Christ really is ALL we need."

Highland's VBS is being held Monday, June 8th through Friday, June 12th from 6:30 to 9:00 PM. Friday night will be family commencement night complete with a community-wide cookout immediately following. For more information about Highland or "Christ Is All I Need," visit the church website at: http://www.hbcknox.org/

Your chance to win a $50.00 gift card!!!

2009-05-26T20:55:00.000-04:00

Economic times are tough. We all know that. And, Earth Fare, the healthy supermarket, seems to know that too. Have you been to their stores? If so, you would know that they are always trying to make healthy eating affordable, easy and delicious! Seriously - have you tried their homemade, all-natural chocolate chip cookies - if not, it is .99 cents of deliciousness! Well, in celebration of the opening of their new Knoxville store on June 17th, Earth Fare gave me a $50.00 gift card to give away! Yeah, very cool. They just said, hey Byron - give this away for us.

So, now, we want you to tell us why you deserve or just plain want this gift card. We've all got stories. You may have a family of four to feed on a tight budget. You may have lost your job recently and just need some extra help. You may be a cookie lover or organic food nut! Or, perhaps for whatever reason, you've never tried a healthy food store and just want to see what it's like! Give us your best reason, and we'll consider it for the prize.

The best story gets the card. So, ready, set, and get writing. Post your reason in the comments below today! You only have until Friday, June 12 to get your entry in. And, we're waiting..

Why Don't You Give this CD a Try?

2008-07-22T23:00:00.007-04:00

As I’ve mentioned a few times before, when I was growing up here in good old East, TN, my family spent many hours sitting around the living room picking and singing gospel music. We would pull out the old maroon Church Hymnal and sing until our throats gave away. Those old songs always had a way of lifting you up when you were sad, or giving hope in times of trouble. I’m happy to say that the tradition lives on.

Being a Baptist music minister, a purveyor of music, and bluegrass aficionado, I can say with complete authority that the CD that I’m holding in my grubby hand, ‘Why Don’t You Give Jesus A Try,’ is the best Bluegrass/Gospel CD that I have listened to in years. I had the pleasure of listening to Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road perform most of the songs from this Blue Cirlce Record's project earlier this year. So, I already knew I was in for a treat before I even took possession of it. Jerry Butler finally had a free moment from his busy touring schedule and invited me to drop by and pick up my copy.

I couldn’t even make it home without tearing the shrink-wrap off and popping the CD into the disc player of my vehicle. Normally, my kids are sitting in the backseat with their I-pods stuffed in their ears, but tonight they were singing along with Carolina Road! Many of the songs they were already familiar with, as we frequently sing them during church services. Titles such as ‘Just A Little Talk With Jesus,’ ‘I Like the Old Time Way,’ and my youngest daughter’s favorite, ‘In the Sweet Forever,’ made this an instant hit. There are 12 cuts on this CD and not a stinker in the bunch. There are even two Lorraine Jordan penned songs, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Track 1 of the CD kicks off with Butler’s rich voice belting out the catchy, ‘I Like the Old Time Way,’ complimented with a nice 4-part harmony courtesy of the other Carolina Road members.

Track 2 is another catchy tune, which was penned by group founder, Lorraine Jordan, called ‘The Judgment Day.’ All 4 vocal parts are also showcased on this one.

Track 3, ‘Harp With Golden Strings,’ was an audience favorite when I heard them perform it at Boxcar Pinion Festival this past May. The song’s lyrics have Butler pining for the day he’ll “trade in his old guitar for a harp with golden strings.” However, if you have ever witnessed the way he cherishes his Mike Long guitar, you would be hard pressed to believe that anyone could ever pry it out of his fingers, even for a golden harp!

Track 4 is another Jordan written song called, ‘Smiling Faces.’ According to the liner notes in the CD, Lorraine wrote the words after visiting an orphanage in Russia and witnessed that even among the sadness she saw the smiling faces of the children.

Track 5, ‘It’s Time to Give Jesus A Try,’ was written by Tom T. and Dixie Hall, and is also the title cut. It talks of how after you’ve tried everything in the world and discovered that nothing can cure your troubles, you just need to turn to Jesus and give Him a try.

Track 6, features the high tenor voice of Josh Goforth, as he leads the gospel standard, ‘Just A Little Talk With Jesus.’ If you were brought up in an old fashioned kind of church, you will quickly recognize this as being page 92 in the Church Hymnal. Coincidentally, a fellow Tennessean, Rev. Lister Cleavant Derricks, wrote this song. Derricks once lived in Knoxville where his two famous actor twin sons, Cleavant and Clinton, were born.

Track 7, is another old-time gospel tune, ‘Just Over In the Glory land.’

Track 8, ‘Let the Church Roll On,’ is a refreshing song with a sense of humor. “Well there’s a deacon in the church (oh my Lord) and he won’t do right (oh my Lord) what shall we do? Turn him out and kick him out and let the church roll on!” Read all of the lyrics here.

Track 9, ‘I Saw the Light from Heaven,’ is an old traditional gospel folk song. In it’s entirety the song tells 5 different Bible stories all packed into a neat 2 minutes and 30 seconds, Josh Goforth, arrangement.

Track 10, ‘In the Sweet Forever,’ as I’ve already mentioned is my youngest daughter’s favorite. We sing this song quite frequently at church. Our Alto section really shines on it. In fact, we just sang it this past Sunday. Carolina Road does a wonderful job on this one as well.

One song that I have taken particular liking to is track 11, ‘You Gotta Believe,’ written by Tony Rackley and Pat Terry. I had never heard this one before. It is reminiscent of an old George Jones song with a catchy upbeat tempo likening to a Ricky Skaggs or Michael Martin Murphy hit. I believe it would be instant radio success. The first verse of the song tells the story of a church congregation that loses their church to a fire. The second verse tells the story of an alcoholic finding the strength to give up his drink, and how his loving wife stood beside him through it all. Both stories are followed with the chorus; “You gotta believe through the darkest hour, put your faith in a higher power, find the strength to start again, you can’t give up and you can’t give in, hold on with all your might, let love be your guiding light, everything will turn out right, you gotta believe.” Beautiful song beautifully performed.

Last but certainly not least, track 12, an instrumental of, ‘Tell It To Jesus Alone,’ really showcases the musical talents of this fine bluegrass group. It’s just the kind of tune you would expect to hear at the end of a Carolina Road performance, just before the audience is standing and yelling for an encore.

If you are a bluegrass or a gospel music lover, you will not be disappointed with this new Carolina Road project. So come on, why don't you give this CD a try? You know you want to!

Listen to samples and buy a copy from the official Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road Website.

On the road with Carolina Road

2008-05-03T12:50:00.006-04:00

What a beautiful day for a Bluegrass festival! Waking up to cloudless blue skies and warm weather just started things off right. I arrived at Jerry Butler’s place at the appointed 9:00 hour to board the Carolina Road tour bus. It would just be Jerry, myself, and fiddle player, Josh Goforth, making the trip to Chattanooga for the 18th Annual Boxcar Pinion Memorial Bluegrass Festival. The rest of the band would meet us there. We climbed aboard the 45-foot Prevost custom coach, and settled in for the ride.

The trip to Chattanooga went extremely smooth. Traffic was light and we only stopped one time and that was for breakfast. Jerry somehow managed to squeeze the bus into a very small and crowded parking lot at Bojangles, which left me both nervous and impressed. If you’ve ever tried to force 50-lbs of potatoes into a 25-lb sack, then you can imagine what was involved to pull this off. I enjoyed the trip, listening to Jerry and Josh talk about the ins and outs of living life on the road as Bluegrass musicians. Anyone that thinks these guys just live a life of fun and luxury is badly misinformed. There is a lot of time, hard work, and sacrifice involved in their kind of lifestyle; the fun stuff is just one of the few perks. I got to hear things about industry insiders that the average fan never gets to hear. I promised not to “tattle blog,” so you’re not going to read any dirt here. I did learn that the guys have a deep respect for the band’s owner, Lorraine Jordan, and I appreciated their devotion to her. I believe that is one thing that makes their band so successful.

Carolina Road had never played the Boxcar Pinion Festival before, so they didn’t know what to expect. We arrived at the Raccoon Mountain Campground about an hour and half before the band was scheduled to perform. The band’s new bass player, Gary Creed, and his girlfriend, Cindy, were already there and greeted us warmly. First on the list of things to do was unloading the product table and setting up the tent. The only issues here were battling some very windy conditions and making sure that everything was securely tied down. Mandolin player and band owner, Lorraine Jordan, and banjo picker, Ben Greene, arrived soon after we had finished setting up the table. They had flown in to Nashville and drove a rental to the event.

Probably my very favorite part of the whole trip was getting to sit in on the practice session before their stage performance. Fiddler, Josh Goforth, appeared to be the band’s music coordinator as he would call out songs, parts, and riffs for them to practice. Bassist, Gary Creed, being the newest band member, paid close attention to each part making certain that he had everything perfect. Of course Gary is professional and no stranger to bluegrass as he played several years for Randy Waller & the Country Gentlemen, as well as several other big name bands. Banjo player, Ben Greene, effortlessly plucked out his part on his 5-string, as Jerry Butler and Lorraine Jordan both joined in solidifying the band’s awesome sound. I could have left the festival at that point and been happy, as I was thoroughly entertained.

The first band on stage was Peanut Faircloth & Bluebird Special. Peanut Faircloth is well known throughout bluegrass and has been entertaining audiences for many years. He told lots of old stories and jokes, keeping the audience laughing. He was also the festival’s Emcee throughout the whole day and kept things running very smoothly and on time. Carolina Road was on next and they took to the stage and took over. If there was anyone in the audience that had never heard of the band, they left there that day as a huge fan. While all groups that performed did a fine job, Carolina Road was without a doubt the hot band of the day. They are not just a group of folks that went out and bought themselves some bluegrass instruments and decided to try and play, no sir, these people are talented professionals and in it for life. The only performance that I heard yesterday that was any better than their first set on stage, was their performance on the second set. From my front row seat in the grass just 10-feet from the stage, I felt like I was in Bluegrass Heaven. Speaking of Heaven, in my opinion Carolina Road’s gospel numbers are their best. Judging from the audience’s reaction, I was not alone in my thinking. Loud whooping, hollering, whistling, and clapping could be heard ringing from the hillside after each song was played. Fans will be delighted to know that Carolina Road has just finished an all-new Gospel CD and should be released within the next few weeks. I can’t wait to get my hands on that!

After the band’s performance, eager folks wanting to buy Carolina Road merchandise swamped their product table. Even though they had just performed a solid hour of hard-hitting bluegrass in very hot conditions, I watched as they warmly greeted each person, signed numerous autographs, and posed for pictures. Try finding that kind of hospitality in other genres of music. I’m positive that Carolina Road added many new folks to their long list of fans.

Like the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. I could have stayed on for many more hours but the time came that we had to pack things up and head back to Knoxville. It was a day that I’ll never forget and I deeply appreciate Jerry and the rest of the band for allowing me to tag along. I hope I wasn’t too much of a pest!

Below is the complete lineup of bands that performed yesterday:

Peanut Fairchild & Bluebird Special

Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road

The Mueller’s, a family group from Maine. They traveled over 1200 miles to perform at the festival.

Randy Waller & The Country Gentlemen

Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press. Bobby is of course one of the famous Osborne Bros.

Bent Creek Bluegrass Band

Pickin' on Bluegrass guy Jerry Butler

2007-04-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Last month I featured an interview with Knoxville's famous bluegrass Dobro player, Phil Leadbetter. This month I'm proud to feature one with another famous Knoxville bluegrass musician and singer, Jerry Butler. Just in case you aren't the bluegrass addict that I am, or for some unearthly reason you are not familiar with Jerry Butler, let me catch you up to speed.

Jerry Butler started in the bluegrass business in the mid 70's at the age of 12. He along with fellow Gibbs classmate, Phil Leadbetter, founded the wildly popular bluegrass band the Knoxville Newgrass Boys. These kids could out play and out sing most well established bands of the day. They played in venues all over East Tennessee and even played for President Ford at the White House!

Over the years, Butler has performed with Lynwood Lunsford and the Misty Valley Boys, the Joe Isaacs Band, the Blue Valley Boys, and Pine Mountain Railroad. He joined his current band, Lorraine Jordan and the Carolina Road Band, last year, and shares the lead vocal position with Jordan and also plays the guitar. So now that you are all caught up, enjoy the interview!
___________________________

Byron: You probably didn't know this, but back in the 70's when you were with the Knoxville Newgrass Boys, you actually had groupies. My friends and I used to follow you guys around to different venues that you sang at. We were the nuts screaming out requests for Salty Dog and Ugly Girl. What was it like for you, as a teenager, to all of a sudden be traveling and touring as one of the hottest bluegrass bands of the day?

Jerry: Wow...I guess I never really looked at it that way. The Knoxville Newgrass Boys were just havin a good time doin what we enjoyed and that we could make a little money at it was cool. We got to go places, meet people, and do things that our classmates (and adults for that matter) didn't get to. It was allot of fun and looking back on it now, I just have to shake my head.

Byron: Some of the best musicians and singers in country and bluegrass music have come out of Gibbs High School. What or who influenced you the most to become the picking and singing guy that you are?

Jerry: There have been several influences through the years. I'd have to say my Granddaddy and grandmother were the ones that got it started by answering the "need" for a new guitar. They kept me supplied with the toy ones and then bought me my first real guitar when I was in the second grade. Of course Mom and Dad took me to lessons for the next many years and made me practice when I didn't want to LOL. Wayne Goforth, my teacher was who got the KNB together, we were all students of his. I have always loved Flatt and Scruggs music, and since the Beverly Hillbillies were one of my favorite shows, I got to see Lester and Earl on occasion. On Saturday evening I could catch The Martha White Show just before HEE HAW came on. I've had other singing heroes too, Keith Whitley, Merle Haggard, George Jones, and one of my real favorites is Larry Sparks. He sings with such feeling it's awesome to me.

Byron: Over the past several years, your resume' has grown to include some really big names in Bluegrass music. What would you say has been the most exciting time thus far in your career?

Jerry: I'd have to say right now. I've been fortunate to have been in company of good people. I have enjoyed all the bands I've been with and tried to take each opportunity to learn and grow more professionally. Just in the past year alone I've gotten a guitar sponsorship from Mike Long Guitars in Nashville, that's something I thought would've never happened. With the new group Carolina Road (I joined in Nov 06) already we've been to the west coast, sailed through the Virgin Islands, and just released our new CD...and it's only April. We have a good number of concerts and approximately 65 festivals alone, including another trip to the west coast and Canada, left on the schedule. I've always dreamed of traveling on a bus, seeing the country and entertaining people, that's what Carolina Road is all about. So yes, this is an exciting time.

Byron: I've been looking over your upcoming shows schedule and I see that you are completely booked up for the rest of the year. How difficult is it for you to balance your home and family life with such a busy schedule?

Jerry: First of all God has blessed me in many ways. Secondly I have a supporting wife. Music is all I do. Well let me sidestep a little bit...my wife and I have a 3 year old that I stay home with when I'm home. We have allot fun together, she's a Daddy's girl and I love it, wrapped around her little finger she will tell you LOL. Another thing is, my Dad retired several years ago and has a rather large motorhome. If he sees we are playing somewhere for more than one day or within a reasonable drive, he loads up Mom, my wife and daughter and they come listen to music. The only real balancing act is tryin to keep the yard mowed during the summer without the neighbors complaining and staying familiar with the dogs so I don't get bit.

Byron: You've got some great pictures of when you performed during the 2003 UT vs SC football half-time show, how did that all come about?

Jerry: MAN that was awesome!! 100,000+ in attendance...probably the largest crowd I've ever played to or will again. My buddy Phil Leadbetter had a hand in that. His son Matt, Phil's brother Kent and myself had been playing some local pick-up things at the time so Phil actually booked that for us. It was in honor of Smokey's 50 years as mascot for the Vols and for Felice and Boudleaux Bryant who wrote the two songs we did with the band "Tennessee Hound Dog" and of course "Rocky Top".

Byron: I noticed that you are a fellow NASCAR fan. I won't hold it against you that you are flying Johnson and Gordon flags on your site and not a Tony Stewart, however, I noticed a Ward Burton endorsement on there. How exciting was it to see ol' Ward take home an 18th place finish at Bristol this year?

Jerry: HA-HA Hey at least you picked an orange car LOL. It was great to see him out there again. I started following NASCAR in the mid 80's. I've had several faves through the years, but when Tim Richmond went with Hendrick's I started pulling for them and have stuck with 'em. I think Ward is a cool character, seems to be laid back and what can you say about that South Boston, VA accent. I'd love to meet him someday and sit and talk with him.

Byron: I know that you endorse GHS strings and I noticed that you were on the big ETA Bluegrass cruise this past February and are already scheduled to perform in next years cruise. I also noticed that your old Dobro buddy, Phil Leadbetter, will be there with his new band Grasstowne. Do I foresee a "Battle of the Bands" on the cruise?

Jerry: Thanks for mentioning GHS. Ben Cole who is the sales director there is a good friend and a great guy too. I've known him for about the last 5-6 years and he supplies me with the best strings on the market. GHS is an underwriter for the ETA cruise and together they do an excellent job. Battle of the bands? Nah, I doubt it. These cruises are about the fans. It gives them a chance to spend time with their favorite bands and see us in "all our glory". From the private concerts each evening, workshops, meals, to sightseeing in port, fans have the opportunity to spend one on one time with everybody. Plus it's not a bad way to do a family vacation.

Byron: I absolutely love your latest song, "Carolina Road," and I'm predicting big things happening from this newly released Blue Circle Records project. Can you give me an "insiders" perspective into this project?

Jerry: Thank you. "Carolina Road" was written by Tom T. and Dixie Hall just for us. It's the title cut to our new CD on Blue Circle which also is Tom T. and Dixie's label. There are mostly original songs on the CD, a couple written by our sound man and one from the Flatt and Scruggs repertoire. We included some gospel, one written by my buddy Mark Brinkman and another brought to the band by our fiddle player Josh Goforth. Ms Dixie sent a ballad song she and Tom T. wrote that she says was just for me. It's a touching song that I think has a different meaning for allot of people. We are excited about it and hope folks will enjoy it.

Byron: Are there any future plans for a Jerry Butler solo project?

Jerry: Yes. I have one already but I would like to do another, maybe two. I'd love to have an all gospel recording. I've been gathering material but I'll just have to see what I can get ready.

Byron: Would you mind sharing something about yourself that most people probably don't know?

Jerry: I don't try to be somebody I'm not, I try to give everybody the same respect and courtesy that I want. It gets tiresome and yes its not always fun but the people work for their money and when they come to see us they deserve every bit of their ticket price. If not for the them I wouldn't have a job. God has given me a talent and a venue for which to use it. He opened my eyes and ears and has given me a chance to live a dream and two special people to share it with. I believe this, the Good Lord knows how much attention I give Larry Sparks when he is on stage that he spoke to me through him. From that night, I made some changes personally and things have been different in my life. I've had the opportunity to share the whole story with Larry and I'll never forget it.

Thank you for your interview request, I appreciate it and hope your readers enjoy it. Look forward to seeing you soon.

Byron: Thanks a bunch! I'll see ya at the Blue Plate Special in K-town on June 8th!
_______________________
Visit the links below for more information:

Jerry Butler's MySpace page

Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road's MySpace page.

Official Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road Website.