Looking Back to See: A Country Music Memoir

Images

The famous Trio Club, showplace of the South. From the collection of Maxine Brown. This is a picture of the second Trio Club, which later burned. This is where Elvis, Scotty, Bill, and other artists would come when they came through town.They loved Momma’s cooking, and if she didn’t cook them something at home, she’d have them come to the Trio restaurant and supper club, where she would always feed them. From the collection of Maxine Brown. Tom and Billie Perryman threw this party at the Mimosa Tea Room at City Lake in Gladewater,Texas, in honor of my parents ’ twenty-fifth anniversary in 1955. Included in this picture are all the guys we had been working with and loved dearly. Clockwise from left are Floyd and Birdie Brown, Norma, Jim Ed, Scotty Moore, Bill Black, D. J. Fontana, Floyd Cramer, Red West,Tom Tall, Jimmy Day, Elvis Presley, the Perryman family, Maxine, and Bonnie. From the collection ofTom and Billie Perryman,Tyler,Texas. Maxine took this picture when The Browns were backstage with Elvis at the Louisiana Hayride in 1955. He was just coming out of the bathroom. From the collection of Maxine Brown. Elvis Presley and the Browns at the Trio Club in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, December 15, 1956.The Trio Club was Elvis’s favorite hangout in the early days; he loved Momma’s cooking. He came by for a visit with us on his way to the Louisiana Hayride, where he was making his final appearance before heading to Hollywood to make his first movie.This picture appeared on the front page of the Pine Bluff Commercial. Elvis looks so sad . . . I wonder why? Courtesy of the Pine Bluff Commercial; photographer Bruce Clegg This snapshot was taken at the Jimmie Rodgers Celebration in Meridian, Mississippi, in 1956. From the collection of Maxine Brown. The three Browns at the Ozark Jubilee, wearing costumes made by Nudie’s of California. From the collection of Maxine Brown. J. E. and Maxine performing a duet on a televised broadcast of the Ozark Jubilee. From the collection of Maxine Brown. Bonnie, Eddy Arnold, Maxine, and Jim Ed. From the collection of Maxine Brown. Maxine and Bonnie singing on the Ozark Jubilee with Webb Pierce while J. E. was in the army, in 1957. From the collection of Maxine Brown. Del Wood, Jim Reeves, Dick O’Shaughnessy, Herb Shucher, Eddy Arnold, and Bonnie Brown.This was at a press party hosted by RCA prior to our first European tour in 1957 (I think I was in the bathroom). Courtesy of RCA. This was taken at the Andrew Jackson Hotel, outside the hospitality suite of Tree Publishing Co. during one of the DJ conventions promoting Tree. Roy Horton, Jim Ed (in white coat), the Tree Publishing Co. secretary, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Bonnie, and Johnny Cash. I was, no doubt, off somewhere looking for the tree! Courtesy of Les Leverette, Nashville,Tennessee. Our first trip to Germany, sponsored by the European Armed Forces in 1957. Back Row: Billy Harlon,Tommy Hill, Hank Locklin, Louie Dunn, Jim Reeves, Mary Reeves, our escort officer, Janice Martin, Maxine Brown, Del Wood. Front Row: Bobby Garrett, Dick O’Shaughnessy, Leo Jackson, Bonnie Brown, Jim Ed Brown, and Tommy Russell. From the collection of Maxine Brown. Above: Maxine, Bonnie, and J. E. on stage in Germany in 1957. From the collection of Maxine Brown. Right: Norma, our baby sister. Norma was a great sub for Bonnie and me when we were sick or pregnant, and also for J. E. when he was in the army. From the collection of Maxine Brown. Raymond when he was a baby. He is being held up by Momma in front of one of her beautiful quilts, which she made at the Herschel Thrower Country Store. Maxine was about four and J. E. was probably two. From the collection of Maxine Brown. Herschel Thrower’s store. He sold it to Frank and Pearl Williams about 1946. From the collection of Maxine Brown. Bonnie and Maxine.This was taken outside our farmhouse after we had it painted white (we were coming up in the world!). I would guess that we were about five and eleven. From the collection of Maxine Brown. J. E., Maxine, and Raymond, at the ages of about four, six, and two. From the collection...