36 - Wednesday, March 25, 1992 - North Shore News

4

Brown will keep his small-town roots

From page 2@

getting laid off, and | started talk-
ing to the Lord, asking him what
he wanted me to do with my life
and something told me to get up
and get to Nashville. And | got
down to Nashville. And see |
couldn’t afford to be sleeping in
hotels or anything, and I used to
sleep on the cree ‘ bank catfishing -
ail night all the time so t slept in
the alleys. } always made sure §
was well hid."’
Music Now: How many times
had you made that trip to
Nashville before it all clicked?
Brown: ‘I would say it was close
to a hundred. '{ started going down
there fresh out of high school. It’s
about two hours’ drive. Before |
got on the record label | had never
been out of Maceo except for
Nashville. Now I'm coming up to
Canada.”
Music Now: Will this be your
first trip to Canada?
Brown: “No, | was up on the
other side, in Toronto, | was on
. the fommy Hunter show with
Ricky Scaggs. It’s real weird, man.
(ause | thought, ‘Shoot, I'm leav-
“ng the countrv and nobody will
know me.” But thanks to my
videos and 48 Hours, | got off the
plane and | was walking through
’, the airport and three people knew
-me and recognized who | was —
_ that’s pretty wild.’
Music Now: Before everything
came together you probably
had a certain dream about
how everything would unfold.
Is anything really surprising
about how things are happen-
ing?
Brown: ‘Well | didn’t think it

Brown: “You ever watch the

Andy Griffith Show? That’s Maceo,

Kentucky. Actually when I'm on
my bus, I’ve got copies of the An-
dy Griffith Show on two tapes. |
watch it because it reminds me of
my home.”

Music Now: Do you have

Floyd the Barber in Maceo?
Brown: ‘No we don‘t have a
barber shop. We've got a post of-
fice, a grocery store and sailroad
track. But it’s the people that re-
mind me ot back home. Maceo is
a farming community. We raise
tobacco, corn, hay and hogs — !
used to milk 400 head of cows
with a milking machine.”

Music Now: Were the tunes

that showed up on High and
Dry songs you had been carry-
ing around with you or did

you write them for the project?
Brown: “They were songs that |
was carrying around, Like ! started
writing when | was 14 years old.
Old King Kong — i wrote that
song when | was 15. Honky Tonk

EASTER WEEKEND

“BEACH RESORT.)

©) PARKSVILLE, B.C.

Special — | wrote that when | was
17 years old. But Old King Kong, |
remember | wrote that back home
in the bathroom , because the
acoustics were good in there. We
didn’t have no electrical outiet in
the bathroom and | used to run
three extension cords together and
run them down the hallway and
make my little recordings. Even
back at 15 | knew where | wanted
to go with my music. And | knew |
had to go in there to get a good
sound. | couldn't afford to be in a
studio or nothing. | never was in a
studio until | went to Nashville.
I've got demo tapes with my
brothers and my sister knocking
on the door interrupting — we
used to get in fights all the time.”
Music Now: Was inusic a big

part of your family life?

Brown: ‘My mama and my dad-
dy used to sing. My daddy showed
me my first chord on the guitar. |
was probably about 12. 1 was get-
ting Dad's guitar out when he was
going to work when | was about

ot

nine. See, we weren't supposed to
touch it. Daddy didn’t know the
minor chords. He just knew the
major chords. So | started wat-
ching how he made his chords.
Then | started watching Hee Haw.
And Pop Goes Country was on
back then, and | started watching
how they made their chords. |
never had no music lessons in my
whole life.”

Music Now: The song Nobody
Krows seems to come directly
frora the heart. Do you
remember what inspired you to
write that particular song?
Brown: “I sure do. | remember
the day | wrote it. | wrote that
when all this stuff was going down
in Nashville. | was spending a lot
of time down in Nashville and
they were picking and poking at
me and offering deals. | was
meeting attorneys, and they were
offering ungodly amounts of
money. | came back home after
two weeks. A gcod friend of mine,
Ray Clayton, lived right next door

HEAK YE! HEAR YE!

Why not join us for a Cup of Tea?

. \
Join us March 24-31 for some ad

old-fashioned fun, raking

to me. ! went over and knocked
on his door and he wasn’t home. |
was reallv depressed and | wanted
to see him. | went back home, got
the guitar out next door and sat
down on the front porch steps.

He’ 8 the triend that !’m calling out
te.”

Music Now: I’ve got a media
clipping here that says Wal-

Mart Marty Hits The Road. The
story talks about you driving a
°69 Caddy convertible and
playing your music in cepart-
ment stores.

Brown: “Walt Wilson trom MCA
came up with that idea, and |
thought it was great. It was a great
way to get me out there with the
public.

We went ta 12 different states and
45 different places. | had old ladies
bringing canned jars of jelly that
they had made. I'd go and

there wouid be a couple of hun-
dred people and they’d know
everything about me. it was a big
step in my career.’

_APRIL 17-19

through our latest shipment

of antiques from Europe.

Browse. through olde world oa

handcrafted pine armoires, dressing
- chests, 2 rare French cherrywood

bedsteads, Deco-style draw leaf table

with 4 chairs, unique Austrian pine bed;

complete with drapes. Plus, from our

prevailing “instore” collection, superior

quality 9 piece Hespler mahogany dining room. suite
, from the 40s, ornate Chinese opium bed, Canadian round

oak pedestal table with four leaves plus many, more one

of a kind items.

would happen as quickly as it did.
had virtually every major |:
publishing compan and record
“company in Nashville within about
a week and a half wanting to sign
me. | had been trying fresh out of
high school for years and then in
_-. one week the Lord just said ‘OK.’
~ 1 guess | feel kind of funny going to
places \ had never dreamed of go-
ing to, like Canada, and eating dif-
ferent food and stuff. A lot of times
t feel kind of funny because 2 lot
of the people think they have to
impress meso they take me to the - PRICE
most expensive f place in town - ate
when I'd rather just go down to . .
McDonald's. | guess | get that from $] 590 Parelt on double
__ my’small home-town raising. So . occupancy
“many (entertairvers) nowadays are | | . ,
-. in it for the money. ! got a little - Spend your days relaxing in
. boy’and alittle girl, and I just want |. our indoor pool, sauna and
to make enough to live comfor- - . _
whirlpool, enjoy a walk along

_ stably. See, it's dream to me. | want
to be a member of the Grand Ole the beach or cocktails in our
pub.

- Opry.”
: Music Now: Do you ever

TO RESERVE CALL:

1-800-663-7370

: worry about losing yourself to
the star machine? -
'* Brown: ‘They tried to get me to
Island Hall Beach Resort:
Box 340, Parksville, B.C.
V9P 2G5

mve to Nashville, and | told

them, ‘No way.’ I’ve got my own
Yel: (604) 248-3225
Fax: (604) 248-3125

Spend two restful nights at the
beach this Easter and enjoy:

% 2 nights accommodation
* 2 dinners

* 1 breakfast

w Easter Sunday Brunch
% Welcome reception

TOTAL PACKAGE

We will pay $2.00 towards your English style High Tea
complete with scones smothered In clotted cream and |
strawberry jaral Simply bring in a cepy of this ad to be
- stamped. Then mosey along to’
Murchies as our quest MM mmm...
This is too good t to misot

oo ae

-. little hide-out down there in
-Maceo. Maceo is a good town.””
Music Now: Can you give me
a mental picture of Maceo, it’s
- just a name on ihe map to
me. .

922-0213 i] |

This special event will be held at old Mariposa location, Park Royal North

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