JACK GREENE THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT CELEBRATES BEING 83 YEARS YOUNG

JACK GREENE THE
JOLLY GREEN GIANT
CELEBRATES BEING
83 YEARS YOUNG
All Photo’s courtesy of Jerry
Overcast/LeeAnn Lallone
(Nashville, TN-1.13.13) 
I
was fortunate enough to be invited to Jack Greene’s 83rd birthday
bash which took place this past Wednesday, January 9th,  and it
was a great party for the man they call the Jolly Green Giant.  He was
surrounded with family and his friends in attendance at John A’s
restaurant on Music Valley Drive. 
A special thank you to LeeAnn Lallone
who brought all of this together.  LeeAnn has been with Jack for some
time and all of us in the country music industry owe her a great vote of
gratitude and thanks for the great job she has done and continues to do for
Jack and her support of his music..  In the picture Jack is with his
sister Ruth Humdley.
 
This picture is
LeeAnn and Jack with his beautiful cake.  LeeAnn really has taken care of
Jack through all of his health issues which now includes Jack being in the
later stages of Alzheimer’s disease and to have Jack sing at his birthday party
was not on the agenda, but he wanted to perform his two greatest songs, and
perform he did.  LeeAnn has been Jack’s eye’s and his
spokeswoman and has been a blessing through all of Jack’s health
issues.  No one at the party had any idea that Jack
is going
through
these problems because LeeAnn has worked so hard to make his career continue on with no
incident.  She has been a God Send to Jack and he has responded with so
many good things, but he proved
that beyond a
shadow of a doubt that Jack Greene is one of the great singers of all time in
country music.  E.T. would be so proud of his drummer boy.
Those in attendance that I recall were Jan
Howard and Jeannie Seely, Grand Ole Opry members, Dianne Sherrill, Don Ellis,
Helen Cornelius, David Frizzell, Johnny Counterfit, Becky Hobbs, Eddie Bayer’s
(12 time ACM Musician of the Year), Dallas Frazier (songwriter who wrote Jack’s
#1 super song “There Goes My Everything), Steve Hall  of Shotgun Red
fame, John A. Hobbs, Karen Wheeler, Tracey Houston, Ron Elliott steel guitarist
in the Jolly Green Giant Band, Dan Schafer who entertained superbly with his
electronic genius equipment, and what a great job he did.  Also in
attendance were two of the guitar players who played on the Opry spots for
Jack, Penn Pennington and Jimmy Capps. 
I know there are no doubt others
that I have missed and my apologies go out to them .  It was not done
intentionally. 
Sometimes when
you attend an event you go because you are invited, but at some of those
functions you are witness to something that is extra special, and this past Wednesday,
those who attended witnessed the super awesome performance given by Jack with
vocal background by Jeannie Seely (Jack’s former duet partner), and Dallas
Frazier writer of “There Goes My Everything,” and Penn Pennington
his guitar player, and Dan Schafer.  Jack sang two of the most awesome
songs ever written and recorded in the country music industry by one of its
most awesome  voices, Jack Greene singing There Goes My Everything and
Statue of a Fool.  Unless you were there to hear Jack singing you would
not believe how great his voice still resonates at the age of 83 years
young.  It was chiseled to the note of each song. What a super birthday
party for Jack Greene, and thank to LeeAnn Lallone for making it
possible.  I am thrilled that I was in attendance on this special day in
country music.
Now that all being said about how great
of an evening it was for Jack, it was a great evening for those of us who were
in attendance to be part of his celebration, but I was hoping that I would see
more Grand Ole Opry members at his birthday party.  I spoke with Jack for
several minutes, Jerry Overcast took a couple of pictures of us and I amazed at
how great Jack looked and sounded, and we are all looking forward to his 84th,
85th, and more birthday celebrations, so LeeAnn, get ready for 2014
and hopefully you will invite me again.
LeeAnn wishes to thank Ginny Foley and her
staff for the wonderful decorations for Jack’s birthday party.

Marty Martel©

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