Hard to believe that my first ever blog would feature Conway Twitty. Yep, the iconic country crooner, who in today's country culture, probably wouldn't get a second look from a single record company is central to my first message to the masses. Truth be told I never liked him much, if at all, but fact is he was kind of a big deal for more than 30 years in the country music industry, and I have to admit that the short man with the slick pompadour, still affected my life.
So here I am in Nashville where I'm working on a video shoot for a book publisher, (it's own set of ironies), and thinking back to my younger days where Conway was a sometimes central figure. See, my family had its feet in diametrically opposed worlds. My immediate family, in the traditional conservative, decidedly non-flashy world of frugality, responsibility, and purity, and then there was my dad's brother. He was the epitome of the "black sheep" son. The drinking, smoking, wheeling and dealing guy who's look that could scare snakes. And only as he could, my uncle talked his way into the dark world of show biz. In fact he became pivotal player in the careers of many a country superstar.
Turns out that although my parents and siblings didn't really think much of their lifestyle, thinking they were completely over the top in the material world, I was pretty enamored with the motorcycles, Lincolns, Cadillacs, boats, and lifestyle. I guess maybe I wanted to be more like him than my dad. He was cool. My dad was not. He had cool cars. My dad did not. He hung with the cool crowd. My dad did not. He introduced me to Conway Twitty!
I used to spend a lot of time visiting the family in Tennessee in the summers of my teen years. Fascinated by the normalcy of their lives, as they talked of being part of the inner circle of the show biz big shots. Loretta did this. Conway did that. This guy has a drug problem. That group has some personal hygiene issues. These folks are complete jerks. I couldn't get enough, or so I thought.
It's been said a million times, but it's funny how times have changed, and yet stayed the same. After visiting with my cousin for the first time in years last night, I realized talking with that side of the family is kind of like picking up People magazine. It's interesting, but not nearly as much as it used to, and it doesn't hold my attention very long. In fact, compared with my own family, it seems like the "black sheep" side of the family live in some sort of weird parallel universe. It's also worth mentioning that upon further review, my immediate family seems much more appealing. Don't get me wrong, it's not like the "black sheep" side haven't had any long term influence. My parents and siblings still don't really "get" me. But, it's ok. I think we all have a healthy, if not guarded, appreciation for each other.
So today I sit in a hotel room about 20 miles from the "black sheep" homestead. Thanks for the memories.
Fom another of the family's "black sheep".
