Garland Anthony "Tony" Thompson

LHS '64

? - October 21, 2011

Collins Wynn, sent in this email: "From Keely Thompson Cook on Tony's Facebook page on 30 October 2022. We, as a family, want to notify friends of Tony Thompson that he passed away suddenly on October 21st. Our family has remembered him in a private memorial. We covet your prayers and thoughts and wish to have privacy during this difficult time."

If anyone has a link to an obituary please let me know and I will include it.

Goodbye to The "Killer"

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

Jerry Lee Lewis, known for hits such as “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” died Oct. 28 at his Mississippi home, south of Memphis, Tennessee. He was 87.

From Wikipedia, “Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935 – October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "the Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made his first recordings in 1952. His rock and roll career faltered in the wake of his marriage to Myra Gale Brown, his 13-year-old cousin once removed. His popularity quickly eroded following the scandal and did not have much chart success in the early 1960s. His live performances at this time were increasingly wild and energetic.

Lewis made a transition into country music and had hits with songs such as "Another Place, Another Time". This reignited his career, and throughout the late 1960s and 1970s he regularly topped the country-western charts; throughout his seven-decade career, Lewis had 30 songs reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Country and Western Chart.”

I believe it was because of the scandal of marrying his 13-year-old cousin he was forced to make appearances in smaller venues, one of which was Huntsville at the time. This could be the reason the advanced tickets to his show at the Coliseum were only $1.50 and $2.00 at the door. I missed the early sale and had to pay the $2.00 to see him. Here is what I had to say about it in my book.

Saturday, April 11, 1964

102nd Day - 264 days to follow

Clear

A rock-and-roll cultural event was taking place in Huntsville on that night.  Once again a big-name entertainer was putting on a show.  "The Killer" was coming.  Almost too late, my friends and I decided to buy tickets for the show and go to see the legend for ourselves.  The box office was already closed, preventing us from getting the discount one-and-one-half-dollar tickets for the ones purchased in advance.  Instead, we had to pay a ridiculous two dollars at the door.  That was twice the normal cost of dances and required some extra thought as to whether or not it was worth it.  To me, it was a high price to pay, but Jerry Lee Lewis didn't come to town every day and nationally-known entertainment was still a rarity.

So I took the opportunity to see a true legend of rock-and-roll.  Jerry Lee Lewis was still riding high with his music in 1964.  For the present, he was still known for his past hits and his showmanship.  If there were one thing that you could say about him, it was that he was a showman.  The Coliseum would rock that night with Jerry Lee pounding on the keys of his piano, ripping off his jacket and swinging it over his head, and finally taking off his shirt so that he could stay cool while he beat on the keys.  The sweat would pour from his brow as he kicked the piano stool away and stood erect as he slammed the white and black keys.  The place roared as he grabbed the big silver mike and stood on top of the piano singing at the top of his voice.  The man could gain control of an audience.  

On that night in 1964, my friends and I stood in the crowd on the dance floor and lived a part of that legend.  Stood was a poor choice of words, for no one could stand still while he was performing, and the dance floor was rocking.  Even at two dollars a ticket, it was worth it.  We were not sitting in seats in an auditorium watching a small figure on a distant stage highlighted by a colored spotlight.  Instead, we were within 25 feet of the performer, in the middle of a dance floor, and we were able not only to listen but to dance madly to the show and music.  Most concerts today are put on for people to listen to, not to participate in.  It made quite a difference to be able to dance when the music moved you and to not be confined to a numbered and rowed seat, with security guards making sure that you didn't leave it.  "Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!"

Does anyone else remember attending this performance?

Jerry Lee Lewis - "Great Balls of Fire"

"Great Balls of Fire" is a 1957 popular song recorded by American rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records.  It was released as a 45rpm single on Sun 281 in November 1957. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard pop charts, No. 3 on the R&B charts, and No. 1 on the country charts. It also reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. In the 1986 film Top Gun, LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (portrayed by Anthony Edwards) plays the song in a bar with his family and Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise).

Well, I returned from our seven-day cruise to the Caribbean with three bottles of Mexican Vanilla and Covid. On the last day of the cruise Sue came down with some flu-like symptoms but not me. I got all stopped up the day we got home and since I was giving her Covid tests I took one myself. All three of hers came out negative, and my two came out positive. It is a mild case I do believe, and my symptoms are basically a low-grade fever and chills one night and a nose that could compete with Niagra Falls.

I called my doctor's office and he gave me a prescription of Paxlovid and I have one more day to finish my treatment. When it applied for FDA authorization, Pfizer presented data from a clinical trial conducted between mid-July and early December 2021. The data showed that participants (all of whom were unvaccinated) who were given Paxlovid were 89% less likely to develop severe illness and death compared to trial participants who received a placebo. 

 Basically, I am tired and do not have much of an appetite, and I have already lost the weight gained from the plentiful supply of food on a cruise ship.

Last Week's Questions, Answers, Comments

David Mullins Sr., LHS ‘64, "Thank you for your continued commitment to getting all of us old Generals up to speed. I certainly appreciate you. Love me some Chuck Berry music. Glad y’all had an awesome cruise."