CRAIG SAVOYE

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

     This book is basically a retelling of others’ stories. It wouldn’t exist but for those who generously spent time with me and related their tales. I met with sources in their homes, offices, pickup trucks, or in restaurants, and all were remarkably friendly and forthcoming. While I invariably used the name of a friend or acquaintance as an introduction when I first called, it is still a testament to the openness and generosity of people in general that, with only a short briefing regarding the nature of my book, they would take time to meet with me and be interviewed. As mentioned, I conducted approximately 150 interviews for this book (and probably spoke on the phone with another 50 people) and can only recall four individuals declining to be interviewed. I also appreciate interviewees’ total lack of condescension as they indulged my suburban ignorance of country ways.

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     For the sake of some sort of organization, I have divided these acknowledgments into five categories.

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     Some who are profiled in this volume served as the primary, and in a few cases sole, source for their own story. Each deserves special recognition, as does one interviewee who was essentially the sole source for a profile about another. My deepest thanks to Bill Black, Riley Bradstreet, Erby Chandler, Mike Cox, Button Criswell, Davey Davis, JR Edwards, Kenny Bill Gage, Blackie Johnson, Grayson Kelln, Jack Longfellow, Jason Pelham, Don Reeves, Bruce Slover, CE Trimble, Jim Whitlock, and Lowell and Ernest Woodward. 

     A second category consists of interviewees who weren’t profiled themselves, or were partially sketched, but provided valuable anecdotes that were included in another’s profile. This group includes Don Albion, Sally Armstrong, Pete Bishop, Chuck Blakeman, Bill Breeding, Larry Cleveland, Charlie Coffee, Bob Conatser, AB Cox, Ron Cromer, Pat Crouch, James and Jan Dyer, Anne Gibbons, John Gibbons, John and Marge Hardy, Lane Hill, Don Holliday, Kenny Houston, Wendell Hovie, Jack Howell, Loren (Jake) Jacobsen, Joel Johnson, Dave Lane, Sparky Malmberg, Lester Miles, Wayne Mattern, Glen Nutter, Joe Nutter, Bill O’Brien, Boots O’Neal, Tommy and EdraOwens, Phillip Periman, Jimmy Shaffer, Bud and Nancy Poage, Jack Sisemore, Jimmy Slover, Keith Slover, RP Smith, Frank Stefka, Robert Witherspoon, Leonard Zielke, Bill Zutavern. I am most thankful to all of them.

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     A lot of networking is required in order to identify appropriate interview candidates. A number of people assisted with this. These individuals were not interviewed for content, rather they acted as spotters, suggesting others with whom I might speak. I’m also including in this category several helpful wives who sat in on part of—or entire—interviews, and suggested anecdotes and/or filled in details. John Abney, Bill Arrington, George Arrington, Robert Baker, Sandy Blacksten, Bill Burkholder, Bill Caldwell, John Caldwell, Harold and Avis Carpenter, Troy and Lillie Christian, Felton Cochran, Billy George Drennan, Skipper Duncan, John Foster, Janice Groneman, Harrison and Cherry Hall, Lee Haygood, Hunk Hermesmeyer, Greg Hibbs, Scott Hibbs, Andy Hurst, Marion Kinsey, EH Little, John Lott, Phyllis Lively, Lorene Mason, Helen McCartt, Joe Bob McCartt, Bill and Doris McClellan, Ed Murray, Royce Mitchell, Doug Moser, Ruth Moser, Jimmy Northcutt, Bill Philpott, Kent Pinson, Maxey Pinson, Monty Points, Alan Rhodes, Tom and Virginia Rhodes, Harold Rector, Katherine Reeves, Wes Reeves, Bill Shaw, JR Taylor, Ellwood Towle, Joy Trimble, Toad Tucker, Edson Way, Jenny Ellwood Chappell Way, Ann Arrington Webb, Van White, Sue Whitlock, Dayna Yarborough, and Rose Helen Zielke.

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     I feel compelled, if not obligated, to thank those who provided assistance with two self-published books I wrote—precursors to this volume, Nebraska Stories and Texas Stories—but whose profiles/ contributions are not included here. This list of names also includes those who provided other kinds of assistance. Salem Abraham, Joe Andrews, Ferd and Susan Beshaler, John Birnie, Dave Birnie, Ray Brown, Kevin Burns, Chumpy Cates, Jerry Cates, Hal Churchill, Roger Chesley, Larry Cleveland, Ken Crain, Don Douglas, Ken Eggleston, Mary Eminy, Royce Ferguson, Weldon George,Rollie Glaus, Francis Gschwind, William Gust, Ted Hanich, Merle Haywood, Miller Heller, Joe and Pat Henderson, Jimbo Humphreys, Bo Hutto, Roy James, Henry Jennings, Dave Kirkpatrick, Linda Lloyd, Stanley Marsh 3, Wendy Marsh, Rocky McBride, Clif McDonald, Myron McGraw, Dorothy Miller, Albert Moore, Daryl Nelson, Jack Patterson, Ira Pitkin, Thelma Reicks, Gary Sears, Bob Smith, Lorraine Smith, Lowell Stapf, George Stewart, Ken Stithem, Bill Thurston, Larry Tierney, Cleve Trimball, Kenny Tunstell, Jakob Van Der Weg, Nakita Van Der Weg, Yankee Bob Walters, Jimmy Warner, Tuffy Whitehead, John Whittuhn, Jo Ellen Wies, Bill Williams, and Ron Worm.

     

     A fifth category of individuals are those who helped with various aspects of the book aside from content, such as design (including cover illustration), editing, etc., and should also be acknowledged. Thank you Pat and Van Barber, Caitlin Carpenter, Rick and Drew Gillum, Brenda Goodsell, Caitlin Heimerl, Colin Haynes, and Susan Sebbard.