Growing up in the Golden Triangle

Greetings all, JR is busy tweaking his novel and working on promotion options (shhh, not supposed to tell you that). Anywho, he emailed me last evening and asked that I post something for you to read on the blog. Along with that email was an attachment, so without further adieu:

Everyone has memories of growing up in the town where they spent the majority of their youth. I have mostly bittersweet memories and I'm not sure if that is the case with everyone, but when you're an odd duck, it seems to be the norm. I wasn't most popular in school, I wasn't a "brain" or even a nerd. I was just somewhere in there amongst the crowd.

I did have a small group of like minded odd ducks that were friends of mine. That made all the difference in the world. I've heard others talk about growing up and the memories they hold and each of them are unique and resemble the type of town or city of their upbringing. To give you an idea of "My Golden Triangle" here are some one worded or phrase memories that I have:

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Pecan trees

Van Buren Elementary

Groves Jr High (formerly Woodlawn Jr High)

PN-G

Groves Golf Course

Leo & Willies

Drakes Drive-In

Drydens

Parkdale Mall

Lubys

Bruce's Supermarket

Refineries

Short Stop Convenience Store

West Groves Circle

Lamar University

Groves Kindergarten

Groves, Texas

More later regarding JR's novel, "The Long Road from Perdition"

What is it about Southeast Texas?

I've had professors tease me that only Blues singers come from this area, the rest o.d. and live their life as a memory held by others.  He was partly right.  There are ALOT of musicians from this area.  And, yes...most have a blues connection. 

I've already mentioned that Janis Joplin was our most famous resident but there are many others who have made a name for themselves.  There are also musical families that have passed the gift from father to sons and daughters to watch it glow in strength through the years.  If you grew up in the G-T area, you can only marvel at the number of talented artists that claim this area as home.  People in town use to joke that the musical bug was "in the water".  Maybe so, because there is a long list of the famous and not so famous.

Some of those artists are:  Edgar Winter, Johnny Winter, The Big Bopper, Harry James, Barbara Lynn Ozen, Blind Willie Johnson, Johnny Preston, ZZ Top, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Clay Walker, Mark Chesnutt, Wayne Toups, Jivin' Gene, George Jones, Tex Ritter, Tracy Byrd, Don (It's 5'o'clock Somewhere) Rollins, Becky Barksdale, Lisa Locke, Johnny Piggott and of course Janis Joplin.  That's just a short list.

There is something about living in this area that gives you a feel for living life in the fast lane.  It's the type of feel I tried to instill in Nicholas Fontenot's character in "The Long Road from Perdition".  Let's face it, ya gotta be tough to live in the South. 

Have a question about life here in Southeast Texas?  My new novel?  Drop me a line.  I'd love to hear from you.  I think I may listen to a little ZZ Top or maybe Edgar Winter.  Here in Texas, we just call'em neighbor.

JR Stone