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Atlanta Sidestreets | CURRENT AUDIO HIGHLIGHTS | SIDESTREETS FROM LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY

MACKEY MORTUARY
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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.

 

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THE EARLY YEARS

"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'.

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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 ***
CAROL'S
RUN TIME = 5 MINUTES

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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
CORNELL BLAKELY
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
REX OSTEEN
RUN TIME = 60 SECONDS

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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
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!!!
Speaker 1
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.