My Dolly Memory

Dad always stayed connected to the Nashville country music scene, though we never moved there — even when he was on Decca in the 50s. Chattanooga was as far from South Georgia as Mama would go.

He’d go to the DJ Convention / Opry Birthday week every fall, when the whole town would be rocking and anybody who was anybody in country music was there for what they now call networking. Sometimes I got to go.

He’d also visit his friend and colleague Jon Denny at Cedarwood Publishing to pitch songs and hang out with the Nashville folks.

Once, when I was maybe 16, we were in Nashville and wound up at lunch — of course at Linebaugh’s Cafe — with Porter Wagoner, Jim Ed Brown, and a young singer named Dolly, who had just replaced Miss Norma Jean on Porter’s TV show.

I doubt I said ten words at lunch, but I do remember how unbelievably beautiful Dolly was, and that she was really nice. None of us had any idea at the time who and what she would become.

— Raif