Back in '98, I put together a little flyer to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Dothan High Class of '68. The format was based upon the gossip column that appeared on the last page of Dothan High's student newspaper, THE SOOTSUS.
GEE DOWN!!!!
THE DHS GRAPEVINE 1968-2018
RHGN! SRS '68!
W. Brad Stephens really has some nerve pulling the Homecoming Queen out of study hall. SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD RUIN SOMEONE'S REPUTATION.
Remember Dothan Tigers,
we may be the Peanut Capitol of the World,
but we're also the Home of Akwell Industries!
No excuses for not "wrappin' things up!"
IS THERE ANY TRUTH to the conspiracy theory that R.E.'s dad was the mastermind behind the Ranchero Egg Wars? That weekly combat certainly helped the poultry business.
WARNING! BEWARE OF POISON GAS ATTACKS
when sharing a vehicle with F.J.
ONE THING YOU CAN SAY about Seniors '68-
at least no one in our class was named Norman Cumb.
WHATEVER happened to Calhoun?
E.Y.C. WILL FOREVER SEE the need of providing constant adult supervision on weekend trips to P.C.
Idden dat rite, Hollybo?
PRUDENCE FORBIDES THE GRAPEVINE from entering into the rumors about M.Y.F. at First Methodist. We absolutely refuse to enter any further into that sordid business!
REALLY, FELLAS, GUS was an innocent victim of a cruel practical joke perpetrated on an obviously intoxicated individual.
But what about Jack?
Dear reader, do not become addicted to this wicked, fascinating, unnatural and most destructive of crimes!
If thou hast entered into this trap, flee from the destruction both of body and soul that awaits thee!
REVEREND DR. HARPER SHANNON alone can save you from the final perdition of your soul!
SPEAKING OF THE BAPTISTS:Reverend Embry sho' do believe in the healing power of the layin' on of hands. Do dat boy believe in savin' souls or just in makin' 'em?!!!!
M.M., YOU REALLY SHOWED Lungz and the crowd that you really knew how to "lie like a dog" when you explained everything to Sheriff Barkley Gause after Curt & Russel got caught fighting over the JAX & The DIXIE.
WHO RANG THAT DOORBELL?
The Grapevine heard it was S.J.
ALIENS WEREN'T the only things that landed in Roswell, New Mexico!
Right, Bruce?!!!!
COULD YOU GET a 2-S deferment from Frenchie's College of Cosmetology?
WHO WAS THE TRUE LEADER of that dirty, vile, gross and degenerate lunch table? Between shooting birds & hunting squirrels, all they seemed to talk about was what they did while on PBR.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO TRUTH in those nasty rumors about those evening study sessions on West Main Street. They were for English tutoring only!
PLACES IN THE HEART: The Skyview, the Goober, Little P.C. above Newton,Porter's Fairyland, Kelly Springs, Blue Spring, Lake Seminole, the PX at Rort Fucker, the Green Front Store next to Barrentine's, Curb Service at the bootlegger's store in Baptist Bottom, Lokey's Ice House, Chandler's, Pete's Place, Dobb's, Oscar's Drive-In, Burger Chef, the Shamrock, Granger & Snell's, Buie's ,Creel's,Buddy's, Northcutt's, Jay's, Nip & Ernie's, Gabe's Fish Camp, the Dale Drive-In in Level Plains , the Coffee Drive-In in New Brockton, the Old Dutch, the Red Rooster, the Jetties, Phillip's Inlet, the Elk's Club Pool, Patricia Lanes,Compass Lake, The Busy Bee, the Barney Gray, the Spray,the Dip,the Jackson's house,the Houston Theatre, the Martin Theatre, the Rec Center and The Hangout.
RAISE HELL AND GO NAKED
SENIORS '68
Buddy Buie's address to the Saturday, March 28th, 2009 Dothan High Class of '59 50th Reunion:
Each one of us has a story of how we got from the corridors of DHS in 1959 to the Dothan Country Club tonight.
We all have been blessed just to be alive. Many of us have survived health problems. Some have had to overcome personal problems, financial problems, and other difficulties.
We all have our own bag of rocks to drag. But, here we are tonight, alive and well and ready to celebrate our 50th reunion.
I wish everyone here could share their stories with us, but Bobby Bottoms asked me to share mine.
I started writing songs in my head when I was in high school-probably in Miss Jones’ English class. I hated school from the time I began to the time I graduated. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my friends and all the fun times, but studying was not my strength.
I graduated from Dothan High School in 1959 with great distinction. The distinction was the fact that I was one of the worst students to ever walk those hallowed halls.
As you might remember, Bobby Goldsboro and John Rainey Adkins were our classmates, and they had a little band called the Webs. They weren’t good talkers but I was, and so I became their booking agent and manager.
But secretly I wanted to be a songwriter. I listened to Big Bam, WAGF, and WDIG all the time. I loved the songs themselves and I knew what I wanted to do.
John Rainey Adkins was the first person to take me seriously as a writer. My writing career began in the front seat of my 56 Chevy. We would sit in front of his house on Main Street and I would sing A-Cappella the songs in my head and he would pick them out on guitar. Later Bobby and I began writing together.
Our ticket to the big time was Roy Orbison. I brought him to Dothan when I promoted a concert at the Houston County farm center. He loved the band and hired them to be his back up band and I became his road manager.
Roy was from a tiny town in Texas called Wink. He was a dreamer like us and we all shared the small town experience. I believe that was one of the reasons we all related to each other so well.
Bobby left to go on his own when he had a big hit with Funny Little Clown. I went to New York with him as his manager and met everybody at United Artist Music.
One day Mike Stewart, president of UA called me to his office and told me that I was too young and inexperienced to be managing an artist with a top ten record. He said – I’ll make you a deal. You give up management and we’ll sign you as a writer. I really like your writing and I’m willing to advance you $75 a week for five years. There was no contract, just a handshake, but for 5 years a check would arrive at 1008 Irwin St, Dothan Ala, my folks home.
Later I saw him at award dinners and he’d always smile and say –“I knew you’d make it.”
From 1966 to 1980 my co-writers and I had around 30 billboard hits, including Spooky, Stormy and Traces of Love. One of my proudest achievements was when I formed the Atlanta Rhythm Section from a group of session musicians. Everyone said you couldn’t make a rock and roll group from a bunch of session musicians, but we did it.
From that endeavor came hits like So Into You, Imaginary Lover, Bother Me Tonight, and Champagne Jam. We wrote most of them on Lake Eufaula and I produced most of them in my Atlanta studio. In the 90s, I became enthralled with contemporary country music and had cuts by Travis Tritt, Wynonna Judd and Garth Brooks.
I list these accomplishments not to be boastful, but to make the point that big ole dreams come true in little ole Dothan, Alabama.
I remember Dothan in the post-war years, the soldiers were coming home and downtown was buzzing with enthusiasm. New businesses were starting and there was a feeling that the sky was the limit.
I miss Nip & Ernie’s, Oscars, Toms, Porters Fairy Land, Kelly Springs and Sky-View drive in.
.
I grew up believing good wins over evil and that friends and family are important. Dothan Alabama taught me these lessons and I am truly thankful.
I want to thank Bobby Bottoms and everyone on the reunion committee for their hard work.
A wonderful comment from the bass player for the Webs, Amos Tindall :
"It all started in 1961. Buddy borrowed $500 and promoted 4 shows with us, (The Webs) and Roy Orbison. He said that we need something besides the Louisiana Hay Ride coming thru here (the South). And the rest is history."
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