He's Hitting the Charts But He's Still Just One of Us by Tommy Towery
I received this simple e-mail the other day and thought I'd share it with all of you.
Subject: Our Web Site Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2001 21:20:32 -0500 From: "Jim Mcbride" <jmcbridemail@jyahoo.com> Hi Tommy, My correct e-mail address is jmcbridemail@yahoo.com. The web site keeps getting better and better. I have a song on the country charts right now titled "Angels In Waiting" by Tammy Cochran, a new artist on Epic Records. Hope everyone will buy two copies. My first Grandchild is due next March and I want to buy it lots of cool stuff. Thanks for all you do to keep us in touch. Jim McBride
I know Jim is not going to like me bragging about him. He's that way. I found that out a long time ago before I even knew how creative he really was. Carol Jean told me to send one of my books to him back when I first published it. She said he liked those kinds of memories. She said he was a songwriter, and that was about all she said about that subject. I sent him a book, and he sent me back a letter thanking me for it. He told me some of the songs he had written, and even though I was not a big country music fan, I went out and bought the Alabama CD that had one of his songs on it. I liked it. That was back in 1991. We've had two reunions since then and each time we've seen each other we've become closer friends, at least in my mind. Not because he's famous, but because he's really just a down-to-earth guy. He's the kind of guy you would have liked to have as a friend in high school and that you would still like to call a friend. We are a fortunate group that so many of us can call him friend. Even if you aren't close to him, he gives us all bragging rights. Now this is not an inteview with him. He didn't even know I was going to write it. It's my own reflections of Jim as a classmate. He's had good times and bad times just like the rest of us. He's very supportive of our group. I received an e-mail from one of our classmates that recently lost her mom saying that she had lost his e-mail address but wanted to write Jim back to thank him for his thoughts and prayers for her over her loss. Yes, Carol Jean, you are right - Jim is a songwriter. He's had three (or six, depending on which chart you look at) number one country songs and five other ones in the Top 10. Jim has had his songs recorded by superstars Alabama, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Brenda Lee, Charley Pride, Anne Murray, Reba McEntire, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Paycheck, Crystal Gayle, Mickey Gilley, Travis Tritt, Randy Travis, John Anderson, Patty Loveless, and many others. I am sure that a few of you do not know that he wrote the song that was honored as Single of the Year in 1993. It was "Chattahoochee" and was recorded by Alan Jackson. In 1995 the Alabama Music Hall of Fame awarded him with it's Music Creator Award. He's written a lot more than that for Alan, but the titles escaped me, so I did a web search and found a list of his hit songs and more information about him on the Alabama Music Hall of Fame site. When I lost his e-mail when I was trying to make sure that he knew about the last reunion, I contacted the Academy of Country Music and they were able to pass my note to him. When I read his e-mail about his new single "Angles in Waiting" I went looking for it on the internet. I found a sound-clip that you can play if you have Real Audio installed. It's at the top of this page, just click on it. I went to Amazon.com to see about the Tammy Cochran album and found that we could sell it on our website, so I posted it up there too. I also looked for reviews of the song and found this one that touched me so deeply that I have to share it with you. It was posted on Tammy Cochran's page on Amazon and was written by a reviewer just like you and me.
TAMMY COCHRAN, June 23, 2001 Reviewer: GARNETT from SMYRNA, TN USA
I HAD TEARS IN MY EYES WHEN I HEARD "ANGELS IN WAITING" FOR THE FIRST TIME , AND DID NOT KNOW THE ARTIST. THIS SONG HAS A VERY SPECIAL MEANING TO ME BECAUSE I LOST MY SON 10 YEARS AGO, AND THIS SONG BRINGS BACK MANY MEMORIES TO ME. THANK YOU FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL SONG.
I found the song as Number 14 and climbing on the www.countryhits.com chart. I am going to buy the CD. Not because Jim is one of our classmates, but because I like the song. I hope it goes to the top of the charts. I sent a request to one of the local radio stations and asked them to play it. They sent me back an e-mail and said they had never even heard of the song. I told them that they would be playing it in the future, and to remember that I was the first one in Memphis that requested it. Help Jim make money and request it in your town. And Jim, I'm being a little selfish about this, but I do brag to all my friends that you and I were classmates at Lee High School back in the '60s.
Here's the Scoop on Last Week's SirCam Worm Computer Virus
Well, hopefully we've all gotten through the little virus episode last week. For those that were not affected - good for you. For those that were, I hope that you used the tool I sent you to clean your computer so that you will not continue to spread the virus. First of all, don't blame anyone else for sending you the virus. They didn't do it on purpose or even know they did. This virus did not come from our mail list. It could have come from anyone of your friends, farmily, or coworkers that had your e-mail address in their address book. I have worked on 15 computers in my departments at the university in the last week who got the virus too. None of them are part of the Leealumni.com mail list. You cannot blame the website or our mailing list. If you have filled out any form or requested any information where you have given your e-mail address, then you have violated your own privacy and have made yourself vunerable to receiving a virus via e-mail. If you want to balme anyone, you have to blame yourself for not having an Anti-Virus software program on your own computer. You can also blame yourself for opening an attachment that you were not expecting or know what it is. I personally recommend Norton Anit-Virus. You can buy it at any computer store or any office supply store and easily install it on your own computer. I won't get technical or philosophical about viruses but will give you this little background. Someone wrote a virus that infects your computer when you open an attachment that someone sends you that contains the virus. The attachment doesn't say "Hey! I'm a virus." It is ususally something simple that has the virus imbedded inside it. It comes through e-mail and not the web. All it takes is for one of our classmates to get it and to have our names in his or her address book. The virus goes to the address book, finds e-mail addresses, and mails itself to those persons. The person with the infected computer has no knowledge that this is happening. This particular virus also finds some document that the person has created and uses that document's name to attach itself to, so that it really looks like the sender wants you to open it. This virus was "created" and released to the world on July 17th. It has spread this fast this soon. I got e-mails from many of you who had received e-mails containing the virus and thanking me for sending them the tool to fix it. The tool that I e-mailed you can be run even if you don't have the virus without hurting your computer. I ran it on my computer just to put my mind at ease that I was okay. For more information and for the Virus cleaning tool, click here to go to Norton's AntiVirus SirCam virus tool website. While we are talking about viruses, please note that the following virus is also making the rounds. I have received about 10 copies of this in the last month or so.
Subject: Snowhite and the Seven Dwarfs - The REAL story! Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 10:58:14 +0800 (HKT) From: Hahaha <hahaha@sexyfun.net> Today, Snowhite was turning 18. The 7 Dwarfs always where very educated and polite with Snowhite. When they go out work at mornign, they promissed a *huge* surprise. Snowhite was anxious. Suddlently, the door open, and the Seven Dwarfs enter...
This e-mail contains an attachment with many different names, all of which contain a virus that will do similiar things that the SirCam virus did. Don't open the attachment. Just delete the file and go on with your life. Just to be safe, follow this little rule. Never open any attachment that anyone sends you unless you know what it is. Also, never open an attachment that ends with exe, pif, com, vbs, lnk, or scr unless you e-mail the sender and find out for sure that he or she sent it to you on purpose.
Old Guest Book and Counter Were Lost
I hate to say it, but during the changes being made to the website by the webmaster and by Homestead, the old Guest Book and the hits counters were lost. At the time that we lost the counter, we had a little over 12,500 hits. That's pretty good for the size of the group that we are. I am still working on trying to recover the Guest Book, but I don't know if that will happen. We have started a new book and new counter in the meantime.
From Our Mailbag
Subject: skydiving Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2001 21:50:41 -0400 From: sally stroud <simba8644@home.com>
Tommy: Congratulations on your first jump!! I did it when I was in my early 30's. But, it was before tandem jumps. I jumped static line, by myself. Thank goodness for the static line, because I was so scared, I'm sure I would never have pulled the cord! Once the chute opened it was GREAT! I'd love to do it again, but I would never do it alone again! It would have to be tandem!!!
For my 50th birthday, I wanted to mark that event with something spectacular, so I signed up for a 12 day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. Talk about AWE INSPIRING!! I have never been so impressed with God's beauty as I was on that trip!! What a wonderful way to celebrate 50 years of life!!! I would highly recommend it to anyone who needs a little wet, excitement!!
Tommy, I love the site! you are doing such a great job of keeping it interesting and I hope we can keep in touch with lots of folks!! I am ready for the next reunion!!!
Go generals!
Sally
Subject: mike griffith Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2001 22:48:26 EDT From: CEB1947@aol.com Tommy, Mike Griffith was the lead singer in the first rock n roll band I ever played in. I noticed he left that out of his story. He never thought he was very good but he really wasn't bad. Other Lee grads including Phil McDonald and Charlie Freeman were also in the band. We played a few birthday parties. Then we broke up and morphed into other groups. I hadn't talked to Mike in 35 years. Through your websight we had a nice long catching up chat. Mike's not the only one. I hadn't talked to Fred Sanders since 1986. He was a bass player in another band that I played in. Fred went on to do great things in the space field. I've also touched base with Niles Prestiege and several others that I haven't talked to since 65 or 66. All because of you. Thanks a million. Thanks a million, Eddie Burton
Subject: I'm really enjoying the website Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2001 23:01:05 -0500 From: "Linda Walker" <lbwalker@usit.net> About the Alabama car tags, I'm glad to hear that I am not the only one that gets excited to see an Alabama tag, and I have been known to follow a car for several blocks if it had a 47 tag, just to see if I could recognize the occupants. And a BAMA tag or sticker is almost the same way. Another bit of confusion that I had when I moved back to Tennessee nine years ago was this -- I work in Jackson, Tennessee which is in Madison County and Huntsville was in Madison County, the zip codes are very similar and so are a lot of the telephone area codes. I kept getting my states mixed up. Also, I enjoyed your story about "The Bomb". I think I had the Chevy version. Thanks again for all your work on this website. It sure has helped a homesick Alabamian. Linda
Subject: Re: CLASS OF 6-65-66 WEB Update Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 00:13:54 EDT From: Chasha123@aol.com Many, many thanks to you Tommy for your dedication to the Lee High Class websites. It is wonderful to keep in touch and always anxious to check the latest information. Charlotte Massey 64'
Subject: Wrong Pic. Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 07:40:51 -0500 From: "Sanders, Fred" <Fred.Sanders@msfc.nasa.gov> Hey Tommy, that Then picture of Kem Robertson is somebody else. The Now picture is correct. Thanks. Fred Sanders
(Editor's Note: I did in fact have the wrong photo. But it's been there for several weeks. Why did it take you folks so long to catch the mistake? But, thanks to Fred, it has been caught and corrected. The correct photo of Kem is now posted.)
Subject: Re: CLASS OF 6-65-66 WEB Update Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 11:13:50 -0500 From: Gail W Rogers <gailandronnierogers@juno.com> I did not get the other addresses, did you forget to turn off the thing-a-ma-jig?
I know that you are getting tired of me using you to educate myself about how to use this friz frazzling thing..........but, the last 2 times you sent out notices about updates to the web site I clicked on the http://www.homestead.com and the only thing that happened is I got a screen asking me if I wanted to set up a personal web page or a business page. I was never able to get to our website. What am I doing wrong?
Gail
(Editor's Note: I did forget to turn of the thing-a-ma-jig (technical term for check box) so you did not receive the e-mail addresses last week. As far as the website address, when I use the Homestead Mail List they attach their own address to the bottom of each piece of mail as their way of advertising. That is not the address you go to for the updates. You go to the www.leealumni.com address to get to our alumni site.)
Subject: '1967' Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 21:54:11 EDT From: SLawson700@aol.com WHAT A GREAT WEB SITE.. I was hoping to hear more from the 'Class of '67. I have really enjoyed the pictures, as well as the 'Hit' songs..I lost my year book in a fire, and was wandering if anyone would know where I could get one?? Thanks again.. Stephany Butz Lawson
(Editor's Note: Stephany, while all classes are welcome to our site, the site is designed to support the Classes of '64-'65-'66 and that is why you do not see much about the class of '67. Unless someone from one of these classes married another classmate from a later year, there may not be any of them who have 1967 Yearbooks. I only have the 1964 one and that is why the Now and Then photos are from that year. If anyone from the classes of '65 or '66 has a 1965 and 1966 yearbook and will loan them to me, I would love to scan them for the computer just like I did the 1964 one. For those who have not ventured away from the first page, we do have CD-ROMs of the 1964 yearbook for sale in the Souvenir Shop.)
|