Hotter Than a Pepper Sprout: A Hillbilly Poet's Journey From Appalachia to Yale to Writing Hit Songs for Elvis, Johnny Cash, and More by Billy Edd Wheeler

Author:Billy Edd Wheeler [Wheeler, Billy Edd]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: music, Genres & Styles, Country & Bluegrass, Folk & Traditional
ISBN: 9781947026025
Google: 5crsAQAACAAJ
Publisher: BMG Books
Published: 2018-04-03T23:20:58.623973+00:00

By the middle of November, we were ready to record fifteen songs for my album, plus “Rock Boll Weevil” on a second reel. A Cincinnati man recommended by Dr. Hovey came down with his wire recorder and charged me just $200 for the two-day session in the basement of the art building. I loved the acoustics there. Joan and I did duets on “Wind Spiritual,” “The Tailor and the Maid,” “Just So He Come,” and “Ain’t Going Home Soon.”

I had learned how to play her song, “Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley,” on the guitar, and the way she sang it gave me chill bumps. I had no idea what I would do with these tracks. I had no contacts with a recording company. But I didn’t worry about it. It was a milestone, even if it never got commercially released. I was busy working for Norris, and I still did solo shows for service clubs and other special groups. But I upped my fee to fifteen dollars. I accepted invites to sing at small student functions or get-togethers and charged nothing for those.

In mid-December, I thought about going to Highcoal for Christmas but ended up just letting Bob take home a nice Churchill Weavers scarf for Sister and a tie for Arthur. I had decided to register for Christmas Country Dance School. It was getting close to the time of year when most students would be going home. I thought it would be fun to be a participant and not a performer, freeing me to pick and choose the dances without having to schedule them around my singing chores. It also entitled me to dine with everybody at the college dining hall.

Norris invited me to have dinner with him, his wife, Hilda, and family of two girls and a boy. A friend of theirs was also present. I was introduced to a West Virginia girl named Judy Hayes. She was very good looking, with dark hair, and spoke with a voice that sounded somewhat West Virginian, but with a vocabulary more sophisticated than any girl I’d ever met in those hills of home. She had to leave early, but I hoped I’d see her again.

During Christmas Country Dance School, I enjoyed being free to dance without worrying about when I was going to be asked to perform. There was one older couple who seemed to be part of the New York group, and after one of the English dances, I saw the man talking to Bunn McClain. After some conversation, Bunn pointed at me, and the white-haired man walked over. His smile showed a row of perfect white teeth.

He said, “I was hoping you would be singing tonight. I wanted to hear you in person.” I looked questioningly at him. He went on: “I have listened to you sing folk songs on the Berea College Choir album.” I had totally forgotten about that album and was surprised he had a copy. “You have a way of phrasing that reminds me of Theo Bikel, though your repertoire is different.

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