TV Icon Discovers Watt Espy

 

Hope you can read what Ed Sullivan wrote to Uncle Watty.  This was long before Watt Espy achieved any notoriety from his death penalty work, so my guess is, being the showman that Ed Sullivan was, he simply knew how to flatter and charm on a grand scale.  And likely this "gift" made him the name he was.  If you were going to be a BIG star during his era, you had to appear on his show.  And often, like his successor Johnny Carson, Ed Sullivan was given credit for discovering new talent.  I remember my mother telling that she saw Elvis' first performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. I think it was the most widely viewed TV event of the time.  I had always thought The Ed Sullivan Show was Elvis' introduction to America.  However, digging a bit more into this story, Ed Sullivan did not think Elvis' dancing and sexual appeal were suitable for the American TV audience - Funny, isn't it? - and his show actually was not the first television show to invite Elvis on.  "Between January and March 1956, Elvis made six appearances on Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's Stage Show."  - source  Click here for his first television performance.  Elvis even then went on The Milton Berle Show before Ed Sullivan came to his senses.

 

 

 

For my other posts on Elvis Presley, including when my brother and I visited Graceland, click here.

 

And interesting bit about Ed Sullivan:

 

As part of the United States-Soviet Union cultural exchange program, Mr. Sullivan led a variety troupe on a successful Soviet tour in 1959 and presented an hour-long telecast of the Moiseyev dancers on his show.  - Source  This happens to be same year that Granddad Major's Alabama Agribusiness group visited the USSR.  To learn more about it, click here.  Would their paths have crossed in Moscow??

 

 

 

This is a postcard I mailed Mother from Los Angeles when Mark and I were on a trip there in the late '90s.  When I find the scan of the written side, I will add it here.

WCH & Martha (Kennedy) Vann Family

William Calvin Huss Vann

Martha (Kennedy) Vann

Below are short bios of the children of William Calvin Huss Vann, a Civil War Veteran from Washington County, GA and his first cousin, Martha (Kennedy) Vann of Abbeville, AL.  5 girls, 4 boys, one infant boy died.  (info provided by Bill Vann)

Dr. Jimmy Vann.  The eldest child Jimmy Vann attended Auburn and played football under the coaching of the legendary Coach John Heisman.  He attended medical school at Mobile and interned under the mentorship of Dr. Shelby Lee Burdeshaw in Headland.  Dr. Burdeshaw delivered all nine of GD/GM Vann’s children—two in the Railroad Street home and the others at the home on West Church Street, assisted by “Aunt Mary”, an African-American  midwife/nurse from Dothan.  Aunt Mary stayed with GM Vann while GD Vann was sick and dying.

Dr. Vann lived at Brown’s Crossroads.  He had two children, Robert and Nell.  Robert of Abbeville died at age 94 in 2008..  He had four children:  Ann, Faye, Mary and Jimmy. 

Nell Vann Rogers lived in Columbia.  She had two sons (Robert and Vann) who attended Columbia High.  Robert Rogers was a very good athlete (my age).  He played against us (HHS) in football and basketball but we were always a little better in both sports. 

For more on Jimmy's football career at Auburn and his life story, click here.

Mary Vann Owens.  Mary married Judge Hastings Owens of Abbeville.  Children were Vann, Robert, William and Mary Hagood.  May May is named for her.  Coincidentally, Judge Owens was Mary Dot Vann’s uncle, the brother of Sally Mae Owens Wood.

Lizzie Vann Armstrong.  Married T. Whitt Armstong. Children were Bill, a banker, Mildred who married Tom Aust and Whit, Jr who was developmentally disabled.   Lizzie and Whit lived on East Church Street next door east of Co Camp and GM Emma Laura Solomon.  She ran a dining room in her home that was popular with merchants, teachers, day laborers, and Power and Phone Company employees, many of who “boarded” with “Miss Mockey."

For more on Lizzie Vann Armstrong, click here.

Martha Vann Blackshear.  Known as “Miss Mockey”, she married Dr. Fred Blackshear (DDS) of Headland.  They lived in the Blackshear Home on East Church Street, the town-side neighbor to Co Camp/GGM Solomon.  The home was also Boarding House, mainly teachers and iterant workers for the Power and Phone Companies.  Dr. Blackshear’s Office was next to Dr. Burdeshaw’s Office over the Holly’s Drug Store on East Church Street.

Children were Martha Jule, Bob Frank and Cranford, in that order.  Bob Frank died as a young teenager from an infection, perhaps secondary to having been hit in the leg with a baseball (?).  Martha Jule was a year older than Uncle Sam, a librarian/teacher who never married.  She was the Alabama State Librarian and spent most of her time in Montgomery but she called the Blackshear Home in Headland as home. 

Cranford and his wife Eloise retired in Headland in 1985 from north Alabama and died there in 2000.  They had three daughters—second cousins to the Vann kids (Edith, Felix etc).  The daughters are Martha Salisbury, who married a physician.  She lives in Asheville and has four daughters.  Brenda married Eddie Smith and lives in Decatur.  They have three boys, one of whom is an Endodontist.  Mary married Jeff Sessions (US Senator).  They live in Mobile and DC and they have three children.  

Sam R. Vann Sr. This is Granddaddy Vann.  

Click here for more on SR Vann, Sr. and family.

Ruth Vann Maddox.  Ruth married Clarence Maddox and lived in Columbus, GA.  Children were Willie Ruth, who lived in Columbus and Jake, a cotton buyer who lived in Memphis. Ruth and Clarence later moved to Abbeville and died in the old Vann Home. 

W.C.H. Vann, Jr., known as “Coot”.  Never married, he lived at the old home place in Abbeville and looked after the estate. 

Dan Vann.  Never married, Dan was gassed in WWI and was never the same after.  He spent time in hospitals in France and Atlanta but never recovered.  His younger sister Kathleen looked after him until his death.  Dr. Moody said “he’s worse off on dope than alcohol so he used alcohol to cure his ills.  Dan gave daddy a balloon-tire bike, maybe the first one in the county. 

Kathleen Vann.  She was the baby and never married. She lived at the old home place in Abbeville with Coot and Dan and took care of them. 

Kathleen had a Millinery Shop in Abbeville and also ran a small Flower Shop at the old home place.  

One infant boy died at age 1-2.     

Bill Vann - revised 09/12 with input from Aunt Grace.

Jimmy Vann, Football Years

James Robert Vann, Sr. (Jimmy) and my great-grandfather Sam Richard Vann, Sr. were brothers.  I guess that would make Jimmy my great-great-uncle.  He was very talented.  One of his feats was playing football for three years at Auburn University under Coach John Heisman (yes, that one).  He also received his Doctor of Medicine Degree from Alabama Medical College at Mobile in 1899 and became a prominent Henry County (AL) physician.  He was born in 1871, and died in 1937.

6'4" 250 lbs

photos below are from Jim Vann III, grandson and namesake of Jimmy Vann

1897

Two Auburn Heisman winners were added to the 1897 team portrait: Pat Sullivan & Bo Jackson.

For more on Jimmy Vann's personal life and medical career, click here.

Private Phipps Kennedy, Veteran of World War I

Remembering a relative of mine who served in World War I.

Should be Jim VANN

 

Click on once, then right click to save to your computer.  Locate, then open.  Enlarge for viewing.

 

 

Sunshine Sammies

One of the things we will miss during winter.  But looking forward to it again next Spring!!  Here's an article about Sunshine Sammies.

source for above photos

See Kade??

Our Sammies!

I'm not a big fan of the food truck scene in Asheville, but there are certain food carts that have caught my eye - and stomach!  Sunshine Sammies is one, of course.  Another is Cate's Hot Dogs.

Mom & Cubs

These were wandering around our neighborhood this week.  Our neighbor took these images.

 

 

 

Here's a news story about the surprising number of bears coming into the city.  Includes an interview with a lady who feeds bears and says she has a special connection with them.

Special Report: Feeding Frenzy - WLOS News13 - Top Stories

 

For my other black bear posts, click here.

 

And click here for videos I have made of black bears around Asheville.

Nice Little Drive

Shot this footage on Edwin Place (Street) in Asheville a couple of weeks ago.

Missing Aunt Marilyn

A year ago today Aunt Marilyn died very unexpectedly.  I personally miss Aunt Marilyn on many levels.  She was always thoughtful and considerate, and I remember how she expressed love, concern and compassion for my siblings and me when my mother was in the hospital dying, and then after my mom died.  Aunt Marilyn stepped up big-time, offering us whatever support we needed.  I know my sister Leslie, living in Headland, particularly appreciated her.  Below is a wonderful note Aunt Marilyn sent just after Mother passed away.  Like her own mother, Aunt Marilyn loved letter writing - really just appreciated the art of it, and the thought behind how personal it was.  She always had a lovely handwriting.  Yet even when her neuropathy flared and symptoms affected her ability to write (like this note, I'm sure), she'd still send cards when she felt the call.  Says a lot!  On a lighter subject, she enjoyed coffee, and I do too.  When I'd visit, or call her up and tell her I was coming to town, she'd say, "Well, I've got some good coffee."  Something like that.  And she'd have a sweet roll or piece of cake to accompany it.  She was quite bright (really an understatement), so she clearly knew that coffee and a quick sugar buzz was the perfect prelude to jumpstarting a good conversation.  And it was!  The stage was set.

circa 2000 

(I had returned to Headland to visit after my travels around Asia)

Playing Cards

Don F. McClendon and Marilyn Espy (McClendon)

circa late 1950s.  Espy home on Main Street, Headland, Alabama

 

Notice my Slama Bama shirt on right - Guessing 1984.

Slama Bama again Nov. 30!!!

w/ Headland classmate, Kiley Elmore

Kade & Babs

 

I've been on a little Robert Redford kick lately, having recently seen The Company You Keep and All is Lost.  But honestly, I've seen a fair share of Redford movies the past ten years - some oldies and some new ones.  In 2004, Kade and I bought a couple of slices of New York cheesecake and some sandwiches at a little deli in Manhattan (yes, that Manhattan), and walked to Bryant Park, where they were showing an outdoor movie - All The President's Men.  The movie was very good, and the venue was spectacular.  Then not that long after we'd moved to Asheville, I saw perhaps my favorite Redford movie, An Unfinished Life, co-starring Morgan Freeman.  When you consider the movie's message, I rank it as one of best films I've personally seen - in the category with Dead Poet's Society and Good Will Hunting.  But I can't stop there.  I didn't know about Ordinary People.  My brother Mark told me about it, and then I rented it one evening, and we watched it together.  Extraordinary, especially if you have some serious dysfunction in your family.  We could identify.  

As I was thinking of this blog post, I did a quick Google search for Robert Redford movies.  Up came some others I'd seen - some standouts, really.  Out of Africa, The Clearing, Sneakers, and, of course, The Natural.

When it comes to Babs, outside of her role as Ms. Focker in Meet the Fockers, a super funny flick, I haven't really paid close attention to her films.  That said, when I was living in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), likely due to feeling a bit homesick or just bored on a weekend, I watched parts of Funny Girl, a film in which Barbra Streisand won an Academy Award.