|
| MACKEY MORTUARY |
|
|
| COURTESY, TOM BRISSEY COLLECTION |
This second location of the Mackey Mortuary was constructed in 1926-1927 on N.
Main St. at Elford St. The photo was made in 1938 or 1939. Mackey's remained at
this location until 1969 and then moved to 291 by-pass. This building was a bank from 1969 until it was demolished in 1998.
"I'm southern born and southern bred, and when the times comes, I intend to be southern
dead."
C. Miles Smith-aka-"Ralph From Ben Hill"
Hats off to some of the great sponsors over the years who kept the Big "Q" 's four
towers of power up and hummin'.
1)
Greenville had three great "mom and pop"- owned record shops during the Big "Q"
's heyday: Carol's in the Wade Hampton Mall; and Mary's and Lowe's which were both located on South
Main. Here's a 1967 co-op ad campaign Carol's did with Warner Brothers/Reprise Records.
| CAROL'S RECORD SHOP *** |
|
|
| RUN TIME = 5 MINUTES |

2) When it came to promoting the Cornell Blakely
Show on the Big "Q", we always applied the W.O.T.T. rule. W.O.T.T. meant, Way Over The Top. If it wasn't
pumped up and Way Over The Top, then we weren't trying hard enough. And this was only the "introduction"
to Cornell's show! Can you imagine what the rest of it sounded like? The reason the intro was long form was to give Cornell
ample time and opportunity to insert his genuine "jive" throughout. Our injected explosions of joy
served as the pretext for Brother Blakely to respond in kind. And that he did!
| CORNELL BLAKELY INTRO |
|
|
| RUN TIME = 3 MINUTES |
3) Rex Osteen Chevrolet-Communication cultural disconnect between the Upstater and the Brit. (the late, great
John Hudson-it was his account- and an overly proper Teddy Vee)
| REX OSTEEN CHEVROLET-MID 60'S |
|
|
| RUN TIME = 60 SECONDS |
4) It was the mid 60's,
we were still really into Stanley Kubrick's 1964 blockbuster film. So we wondered one day...how would Dr. Strangelove
have gone about promoting Noel Belue's morning drive show on the Big "Q"?
| DR. STRANGELOVE PROMOTES NOEL BELUE |
|
|
| RUN TIME = 1:15 |
5) Welcome to the incredible Ghana Motel and
Restaurant! Some of this country's great R & B acts played the Ghana during the club's many years of operation. The
Ghana was run by Cecil(actually Secief) Clements and Ms. Mary Duckett. We once met a young performer from Macon
who played the Ghana. Like Ronnie Dove, another very popular southern performer, most people outside the South
had never heard of Otis Redding. That would change soon enough and everyone who witnessed him tear down the house
that night knew it. Greenville natives, Mose Dillard, and Peebo Bryson were also extremely popular Ghana regulars. We
couldn't get enough of 'em.
| THE GHANA ROCKED!!! |
|
|
| RUN TIME = 3 MINUTES 20 SECONDS *** |
*** Citations: Carol's Record Shop
“Creeque Alley” Performed by the
Mamas and Papas-1967 Written by John Phillips and Michelle Gilliam Phillips Produced
by Lou Adler Publisher: American Broadcasting Music, Inc. (BMI) Dunhill
Records- Distributed by ABC Paramount, Inc.
Ghana Motel and Restaurant "My Elusive Dreams"- Performed by Moses and Joshua- written by Billy Sherill and Curly Putman Papa Don (Schroeder) Production,
Pensacola, Fl.
|