Jean Shepherd: Sometimes Your Heroes Are Not Who You Thought They Were...

[rwsmith]

Andy Griffith visits Goose Creek..

Everybody turned out to see Andy Griffith when he visited Goose Creek, SC. He was grumpy and unfriendly and everybody was turned off. He later explained that his manager inserted that in his itinerary without telling him and he was very tired and not up for the visit. Stuff happens. I don't think it would have cost Jean anything to sign your napkin, though. It took more effort to put you off than it did just to sign it.

 

[ditrina]

Big fan of Jean Shepherd here too Blues7. WOR was always on in my house. My mom and Dad were big fans of Rambling With Gambling. I also listened to my transistor radio secreted under my pillow, but what I was listening to was music on WNEW-FM.

WNEW.. 1130 AM on your Dial..Home of William B. Williams.. He coined the phrase.....
" The Chairman of the Board " referring to Frank Sinatra.

 

[rwsmith]

That was...

I thought Jean Shepherd was a female country singer that recently passed away.

That was Joey Feek of the Joey and Rory Duo. 40 years old. Dam cervical cancer.

 

[mtgianni]

I never heard Shep on the radio but was a big fan of his books.

 

[rwsmith]

Often, kids are discounted......

I hear ya, Rick.

I think the thing that troubled me so much, and which I expressed to Jean Shepherd at the time, was how a poor, child of the Depression like himself could turn a cold shoulder toward a kid who couldn't afford to buy his book but was an ardent fan and admirer.

It seemed so out of character for a raconteur whose stock in trade was telling tales of his youth during those hard and lean years.

"Go away kid, ya botha me." Well, kids grow into adults that buy (or don't buy) books.

 

[S&W ucla]

That was Joey Feek of the Joey and Rory Duo. 40 years old. Dam cervical cancer.

Jean Shepard (82) was the female country singer who passed away 25 Sept, 2016

Jean Shepherd was the storyteller who passed away 16 Oct,1999

 

[armenius]

Some people do not wear fame very well,sad to say.
Back at the Confederate Air Force (original not PC name,,)AirSho' 76 The Fighter Aces Association had a meeting ,and during the day made many announcements that Pappy Boynton ,who at that time was widely known by the TV show Baa Baa Black Sheep,was signing his autobiography of the same name.My 10 year old son was a big fan but had no book.He asked for an autograph,and Pappy in a very rude fashion said "you buy a book you get one." My son's heart was broken.About that time I saw someone who looked like a fullback rapidly walking along the flight line.I said I'll bet he will give you an autograph.He ran and caught the man who was surprised at the request and signed in a pleasant fashion.The gentleman was Gabby Gabreski,one of our greatest Fighter pilots in WWII and Korea.A man with real class!

 

[model70hunter]

Never heard of Jean Shepherd. I do love the Christmas Story, it perfectly describes me in growing up. I thought that anyone who could come up with a character that so many Identified with was an excellent observer who put it on paper very well.

I too had a transistor radio, it was similar in size to a pack of cigarettes. Mine had an ear plug. I went to bed at night listening to the St. Louis Cardinals or WLS of Chicago or KAAY in Little Rock both of whom played the devil music, Rock and Roll.

With my razor blade radio I picked up local Ozark stations who played , little Jimmy Dickens and such late at night. Working up to a transistor radio opened my world.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Also never heard Shep on the radio.
Read some of his stuff, love that movie!
I guess that I thought he was a funny clever guy.
Never had a Prexies burger either.

 

[blues7]

Nice story, armenius. I'll bet your son never forgot the moment he met a real American hero.

 

[GKC]

Everybody turned out to see Andy Griffith when he visited Goose Creek, SC. He was grumpy and unfriendly and everybody was turned off.

I've read in several different articles that in real life, Andy Griffith was nothing like his TV persona. We need to remember that in so many cases, these celebrities are playing characters, and not themselves...and sometimes money and fame give them an unwarranted sense of self-worth.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Know a dude who owned a store in Santa Fe.
Carol Burnett was One of his customers.
I say, was Carol funny?
He replied, not that I could tell. She came across as just another old grouchy rich woman.

 

[blues7]

Know a dude who owned a store in Santa Fe.
Carol Burnett was One of his customers.
I say, was Carol funny?
He replied, not that I could tell. She came across as just another old grouchy rich woman.

I've got a story to tell similar to this...I'll post it up in a bit.