Funny you bring this up when I have tickets to see Gee Watson in Greenville Tx next week. We were never pals but crossed paths many times growing up near Paris Tx. You knew Gene was around by the swarm of girls. In addition to injoying his music phrases,places and names in his songs bring back memories of growing up.
Employers usually ask what was your favorite job to which I said bell hop at the Sheraton-Dallas Hotel in mid 60s. Some people were so different in private you might fail to recconize them but a few projected the same persona making them hard to miss. Brother Dave Garner had his coon hound on a leash and spoke in the familar way that made him famous. Tex Ritter was one of my childhood heros and I almost went off to hide and cry when he came in with a young man barly out of his teens. The two spoke and behaved in a fashion that demonstrated effection and love for one another and the youngster came accross a bit feminine. That really bugged me until,,,,,,,,,I saw Three's Company and realized why Old Tex was so fond of his young sidekick. I was relived but ashamed of myself at the same time. That experience has alowed me to be a little less judgemental of folks.