Legends Jan/Feb 2012

mississippilegends.com 1

&P R E S E N T S

Cavalleria Rusticana

I l TabarroFebruary 28 and March 1, 7:30 p.m.

Mannoni Performing Arts CenterHattiesburg, MS

TICKETS 800.844.8425or www.southernmisstickets.com

P R E S E N T S

Love Is a Many Splendored ThingV A L E N T I N E P A R T Y

Fabulous Music! Gourmet Hors d’oeuvres!Live auction of luxury vacations and more!

Tuesday, February14, 2012, 7p.m.Beautiful Antebellum Mount Repose

TICKETS 601.446.8280 or www.natchezfestivalofmusic.com

N A T C H E Z

F estival of Music

P R E S E N T S

June 9 - 23Hattiesburg, MS

TICKETS 800.844.8425or www.festivalsouth.org

MUSIC ART FOOD FUN

P R E S E N T S

Saturday, April 21, 2012Thalia Mara Hall

Jackson, MSTICKETS 601.960.2300

or www.msopera.org

T H E E L I X I R O F L O V E

WILDWESTOPERA

EXCEPTIONALEVENTS NOT

TO BE MISSED

*

4 january. february 2012

meridiansymphonyorchestra.com

TICKETS: (601) 696-2200 � MSO: (601) 693-2224

Family event begins at 6 p.m. at the MSU Riley Center

Friday, March 23, 20127:00 p.m.

There’s something for everyone at this family concert featuring music from favoriteDisney® classics like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Mary Poppins and more!

Before the show begins, your little music lovers can meet and pose withDisney characters, plus explore our interactive music zoo.

T I C K E T S O N S A L E N O W

Friday, March 23, 20127:00 p.m.Symphony Doo-Dah


Publisher �� Marianne Todd execuTive ediTor �� Jayne cannon creaTive direcTor ��shawn T� King coPy ediTor ��chris banks designer ��shawn T� King

adverTising salesWayne ammons - 601-613-7039Wayne@Mississippilegends�com

heidi hackbarth - 601-596-4955 heidi@Mississippilegends�com

Ken Flynt, director - 601-479-3351Ken@Mississippilegends�com

editorial - 601-604-2963 editor@Mississippilegends�com

contributing writers: billy howell, riley Manning, James denton, susan Marquez and constance cowart

contributing photographers: chip english, Kingmond young, brent Wallace and Theron humphries

Web calendar tech: James sharp (www�Mississippilegends�com) email calendar submissions to James@Mississippilegends�com

legends would like to give a special shout-out to our fine printer, cJK Print Pos-sibilities of cincinnati, ohio, and special thanks to Mark Wurm, Jamey cullup and

all the great pressmen at cJK for their outstanding excellence in service, consistent work quality and continued dedication to blue south Publishing�

copyright 2012� all rights reserved� no portion of this publication may be repro-duced or reprinted without express permission of the publisher� The opinions and

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ity of services expressed in advertisements� all advertisers assume liability for all content (including text representation and illustration) of advertisements printed

and assume responsibility for any resulting claims against legends or its affiliates� Materials, photographs and written pieces to be considered for inclusion in

legends may be sent to P�o� box 3663, Meridian, Ms 39303� unsolicited materials will not be returned� legends is free and distributed through tourism offices, wel-come centers, restaurants, theaters, casinos, and institutions of higher education� if

your business, agency or industry would like to offer legends, please contact us at editor@Mississippilegends�com�

For more information, write to editor@Mississippilegends�com� More information, including a comprehensive, up-to-date calendar, may be found at

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About our cover 3 doors down rocked bluesville and raised more than $250,000 to help gulf coast chil-dren and Mississippi national guard troops� Formed in 2003, the acclaimed Mississippi band uses its talent to shine a spotlight on its charity, The better life Foundation�

cover photo by chip english

Contents january / february 2012

Music

6 From Madama Butterfly to The Elixir of LoveThe Mississippi Opera goes from the Depths of Tragedy to the Heights of Comedy

14 Opera for BeginnersTake a Chance on this Inspiring Art Form

16 3 Doors DownThe Mississippi Band Rocks Bluesville While Raising Money to Help Others

Features

24 A Day of DanceHattiesburg Amateurs Limber up to Dance Like the Stars

28 The Magic of Alan SandsMississippi’s own “Sand Man” Takes his Show on the Road

34 Curious about George?Find out how this Lovable Little Monkey Found a Home in Mississippi

44 Sweet FarewellsGood-bye to the Barbours after Eight Great Years

56 Book Review: Buryin’ DaddyPutting my Lebanese, Catholic, Southern Baptist Childhood to Rest

60 The Journey of Josh HaileyJackson’s Most Eclectic Photographer sets out to Find America

62 What’s Shakin’ Around the State?

culinary arts

40 The New Luis BrunoIf you Thought he was Eclectic before, try his Caribbean-Spanish with a Twist of Thai Cuisine


• • • • letters from our readers • • • •Dear Readers,

Let’s talk.

In our first year of publication, we were proud to bring you a wide variety of stories about Mississippi’s rich arts and entertainment industry. Our goal has been to spotlight the unique culture of our state and publish stories that are meaningful, fun and unexpected to our readers.

As we travel around the state, we are pleased to see that we’re succeeding. Wherever our staff goes - from concerts to juke joints, hometown festivals to galas, restaurants and museums to theaters and coffee shops - LEGENDS’ readers tell us they can’t wait to see what we’ll do next.

And that’s where you come in. We’d like to hear from you, to start discussions right here on the pages of the magazine. Let’s chat across the back fence. Share your thoughts, comments, perspectives, stories and ideas. Know a person we should be writing about? Tell us!

As we move into our second year, we want to continuously improve. Our readers are key to that goal. So drop us a line. You can email us at [email protected]. Or, if you prefer more formal correspondence, write to us at P.O. Box 3663, Meridian, Miss. 39303. Just make sure that you include your name, address and phone number so we can verify your letter and ask questions if we need to. We look forward to hearing from you!

Marianne

16 44 6

34 40

letter from the publisher

Dear Legends,

Who would think that I would be eating the best omelet ever at South

Bound Bagels of Hattiesburg and pick up an elegant, well-written

magazine called Legends that told me I was eating an omelet cooked on

a grill from the early 1900s in an awesome track-side restaurant owned

by a very cool and interesting couple?

I thoroughly enjoyed that article, along with the one on the plantation

(Cotesworth). I plan to visit the area again. Thanks for the inspiration!

Caroline Parsons, Tuscaloosa, AL

Dear Legends,

Many thanks for the beautiful story about Cotesworth. Your coverage

has helped to showcase one of Mississippi’s great historic structures

and will be invaluable with our preservation efforts. The beautiful

photographs in your story will make all who see them wish to visit

Cotesworth for themselves and help spread the word about our work to

make Cotesworth a cultural and heritage center for future generations

to enjoy. I applaud your efforts to showcase Mississippi in such a positive

and beautiful way. LEGENDS Magazine is another of our state treasures,

and I look forward to each new issue.

Sen. Lydia Chassaniol, Carrollton, MS


The nation's 10th oldest continually operating opera takes listeners from the

depths of tragedy to the heights of comedy

Words and photographs by Marianne todd

Maestro Jay Dean rehearses with the orchestra the day before the opera is to open.


music feature


The young and beautiful Cio-Cio-San enters the stage at Jackson's Thalia Mara Hall, and in complete despair lifts

the knife to her chest. Moments later, in walks her husband, who has broken her heart. He holds her in his arms as she dies. With the orchestra playing softly, the curtain is drawn, ending the story for the weeping audience. “It's an opera that always brings tears to the eyes of listeners,” said Maestro Jay Dean. “It's an opera surrounded by feelings of heartache and love and being betrayed. You can take this music to a whole other level of communication, because music says what words cannot. It grabs you and draws you into the story.” The story of “Madama Butterfly” was performed in November by the Mississippi Opera. It is one of two major performances hosted within a six-month stretch. “We normally perform one in the top 25 per season, but this season we have two in the top 25,” said Sherry Castle Boyer, executive director of the Mississippi Opera. Dean said an enormous amount of work is put into each performance, starting with hiring talent. “I listened to 100 singers over three days,” said Dean, who

auditioned singers from New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago – and Mississippi – for the five primary roles alone. He listened to even more for the more than 40 supporting secondary and chorus roles. Performers arrive in Jackson three weeks before the scheduled performance for what will be a demanding set of rehearsals. Dean said he is tough. “It is critical from the minute that they arrive that their role is completely memorized,” he said. “If they show up and it's not, we'll replace them. I'm probably more hard-nosed than most people but I'm not going to sit around for two weeks waiting for someone to learn their role.” Since the singers receive coaching before they arrive for rehearsals, the orchestra and performers can concentrate on timing, spacing and movement. Dean works with the orchestra. The stage director determines movement and facial expressions. “'Madama Butterfly' is very complicated,” Dean said. “It's hard to simulate a traditional Japanese walk in a kimono.” The cast rehearses in chunks of 10 or 20 pages before making a full run-through of the script. Costumes are created and arrive


for fittings. Elaborate staging is built using Mississippi builders and artists. Lighting is set. Make-up sessions and wig fittings take place, and then the cast is ready to move from rehearsal hall to stage. “It's an exercise in extreme time management,” said Dean, who must make the 200-mile round trip to Jackson from his home in Hattiesburg daily for each rehearsal. In 1904, the original performance of “Madama Butterfly,” written by Italy's Giacomo Puccini, was received poorly due to late completion and inadequate time for rehearsals. Three months later, after Puccini split the original two-act performance into three and made other revisions, “Madama Butterfly” met with huge success. It is said the opera is based on a real-life story that took place in Nagasaki in the early 1890s. The story centers around Cio-Cio-San, a 15-year-old girl living in Japan and Pinkerton, the Naval officer who arranges a marriage with her. A marriage broker, Goro, warns Pinkerton that while marriage contracts can be canceled on a month-to-month basis, Cio-Cio-San takes the matter very seriously. Pinkerton ignores the advice of the marriage broker, marries the girl and then shortly after returns to the United States without her, promising he will return in the spring. Cio-Cio-San meanwhile gives birth to their son and waits for her husband's return. When he returns three years later, he brings with him his new American wife. They ask Cio-Cio-San, or Madama Butterfly, for custody of the child. “Butterfly agrees because that's all she knows to do – obey her husband,” Dean said. “So she tells them to come back in a hour and they can have the child. When they leave she blindfolds the child and then kills herself. It's a story that probably wasn't uncommon then.

OPPOSITE: More than 40 singers and actors support the five main roles of "Madama Butterfly."

TOP: (left to right) Daniel Snyder as B.F. Pinkerton, James Martin as Sharpless and Corey Trahan as Goro.

MIDDLE: Eleni Calenos as Cio-Cio San BOTTOM: Calenos and Snyder as Cio-Cio San and B. F.

Pinkerton on the heels of their arranged marriage.


It happened at a time when there was condemnation of American imperialism and expansion into China. In the end, Butterfly reasons that it's better to die than to live with dishonor because her child will not be accepted without a father.” Dean said despite his familiarity with “Madama Butterfly,” it still draws him in emotionally. “Puccini is the No. 1 opera composer in the history of the world,” Dean said. “When you go to a movie today and you hear all that great music that reaches out and grabs you and touches you, all those writers know the operas of Puccini. In fact, they are intimately familiar with the operas of Puccini. The emotion is in the music. It's in the melodies, the harmonies, the texture and tone colors.” But not all operas are tragic. On April 21, the Mississippi Opera will bring Gaetano Donizetti's “The Elixir of Love” to Thalia Mara. “The opera is an opera buffa, which means it's a comedy,” Boyer said. “It's an Italian comic opera characterized by everyday common settings, simple things, an everyday dialect.” The story is of Nemorino, a peasant who is in love with Adina, a wealthy land owner, “and she soundly rejects him,” Boyer said. “He cannot imagine how he will win her love.” The story whirls around the antics of Dr. Dulcamara, the “charlatan of all charlatans” and his elixir that is “guaranteed to cure all ills.” However, it takes at least 24 hours for the potion to take effect – or just enough time for Dulcamara to get out of town. “This is a fabulous opera because the music is so simple and beautiful,” Boyer said. “And we're setting it against a western theme, which is just going to be a stitch.” Boyer said she encourages people who have never experienced opera to take a chance on “Elixir of Love.” “There is such a misconception that opera is only for the very elite, and that it cannot be understood because it's being sung in another language,” she said, but superscripts with English translation are fixed atop center stage so that the viewer can read along, she said. “Opera actually was a political way to talk about the times,” she said. “Many operas never made it to stage because they were so pointed politically the sovereign would hear it and say, 'Not

OPPOSITE: Calenos and Snyder sing of their happiness over their new marriage. The opera "Madama Butterfly" is said to have been based on a real-life story. TOP: Despite his familiarity with "Madama Butterfly" Maestro Jay Dean says the opera still draws him in emotionally. MIDDLE: Snyder's character, B.F. Pinkerton, is counseled by Goro to take the marriage seriously. Goro is played by performer Corey Trahan. BOTTOM: Snyder and Calenos in act one. The sets for "Madama Butterfly" were all created and painted by Mississippi artists.


The Mississippi Museum of Art and its programs are sponsored in part by the city of Jackson and the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau. Support is also provided in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency,

and in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

March 3 – July 22, 2012

Fe a t u r i n g nearly eighty original drawings of the world’s most delightful monkey and other characters, this exhibition tells the dramatic story of their creators’ escape and survival.The annie laurie SwaiM hearin MeMorial exhibiTion SerieS

mississippi museum of art380 south Lamar street Jackson, mississippi

1–866–VieW art 601–960–1515

H. A. Rey, final illustration for “This is George. He lived in Africa,” published in The Original Curious George (1998), France, 1939–40, watercolor, charcoal, and color pencil on paper. h. a. & margret rey papers, de grummond children’s Literature collection, mccain Library and archives, the university of southern mississippi.

Curious George, and related characters, created by Margret and H. A. Rey, are copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. © 2012 by HMH. Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey is organized by the Jewish museum, new York, and is supported through a bequest from the estate of Lore ross.

Follow us on twitter Like us on Facebook

Are you curious?Are you curious?WWW.msmuseumart.org

in my court.' Opera is a commentary on the times or the human condition. “How many people haven't been smitten by someone who is simply unattainable and who sets out to win love by whatever means they can? It's the human dynamic, and it's a total immersion into an art form.” Boyer said she first experienced opera in college and has since not been the same. “Once you realize you can read what they're singing in English, and the music washes over you, and you see scenery that transports you to another place and time, your mind is checked out for two-and-a-half hours and you're immersed in that experience. I guarantee you'll be a different person when you walk out of that opera.” l

want to go?Donizetti's “The Elixir of Love” is scheduled for

April 21 at Jackson's Thalia Mara Hall. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.msopera.org.

For more information, call the Mississippi Opera at 601-960-2300.

DiD you know?opera was the foremost form of entertainment in Europe in the 19th Century and still enjoys a wide audience today around the globe. The art deco movie palaces of the 1920s took the place of opera houses as the most popular form of entertainment – but only for a time. The invention of television drastically further reduced audience numbers. The good news is live opera is making a comeback in the united States. According to The American, an online magazine of the American Enterprise institute, the u.S. now has more opera companies than Germany and nearly twice as many as italy, and roughly as many Americans attend live opera performances each year (20 million) as attend nFL football games (22 million).


O By ConSTAnCE CowArT

music feature

opErA For BEGinnErS

If black ties and formal evening gowns dance through your head at the mention of the word “opera,” then chances are, you're not familiar with this misunderstood

and intimidating, yet beautiful and captivating art form. If you've read thus far, chances are you're willing to give opera a try, and I'm delighted to lead you there! First, the basics. What is opera? Simply, an opera is a performance in which singers – wonderful, fabulous, beautiful singers - tell a story accompanied by an orchestra with scenery – wonderful, fabulous, beautiful scenery - acting, costumes and sometimes dance. People from all walks of life enjoy this unique and inspiring form of entertainment. Although opera is often erroneously associated with the upper echelon of society, it does not require a college degree to appreciate. It doesn’t matter whether you have a Ph.D. or a grammar school education. Chances are, if you're willing to buy a ticket to the opera, you're bound for the deep emotions and immense enjoyment opera provides. Opera is often thought of as being housed in ritzy and lush venues, but it can also be enjoyed in a more informal atmosphere. There is a wide selection of venues available. Movie theaters are now showing opera broadcasts from opera houses like the Metropolitan Opera in New York. You can hear opera singers perform in pubs and restaurants

– or in your own home. Libraries offer them for viewing at no charge. If you're in Mississippi, a trip to Jackson's Thalia Mara Hall is all that's required. There are six different voices in opera, ranging from soprano (the highest) to the bass (the lowest). In between are mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor and baritone. Each voice has different characteristics. The hero is usually a tenor and his lady most commonly a soprano, but all of the other voices fill important roles. Operas have been written in many different languages, including Italian, French, German, Russian, English and Czech. The music of the opera takes on the character of the language, so most operas are performed in the original language, but viewers are able to follow the action by reading


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the English supertitles projected above the stage. Don't worry about losing the emotion of opera to supertitles. Remember Julia Roberts' character in the movie “Pretty Woman?” Richard Gere's character had taken her to see her first opera. So moved was her character upon seeing “La Traviata,” her emotion was clearly visible to screen viewers. This can and does happen in real life. What a treat for the soul! For me, the discovery of opera came after my children were grown. I had gone back to college, and to fill in spare time between art and art history courses, it was suggested that I take choir. Until then my singing along with the vacuum cleaner hadn't been that bad, so I agreed. Before I knew it, I was headed to Carnegie Hall. I thought, “I can do this!” Then I was handed a folder with Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and Handel’s “Zadok the Priest,” both in Latin. I was panicked but found comfort in the company of nuns and priests who assisted me in honing my Latin. I selected a long black polyester dress from the choir closet and rode on a bus, a train and a plane to New York and sang at Carnegie Hall – in Latin. That was the beginning of my journey to explore the world of music, which eventually brought me to opera. Now when I hear an aria (a song for a single voice) I get chills. On a recent visit to Paris, I attended an opera performed in Czech. Naturally, it had French subtitles. I speak neither, but with the modern miracle of the Internet, I was able to find a translation before I left for the performance. It was nonetheless beautiful and inspiring. Operas you might want to explore are “Carmen,” “La Boheme,” and “Tosca.” For a laugh, “The Marriage of Figaro” is a splendid choice and a wonderful testament to the surprising comic nature of Mozart. Whether you're laughing or crying, you won't be disappointed. I’ll see you at the opera! – Constance

Constance Cowart serves on the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Opera. Additionally, Cowart serves on the Natchez, New Orleans, and Mississippi Opera Guilds, works with Opera Volunteers International and has served as president for the Baton Rouge Opera Association.


cover story

Words by billy HoWellPHotograPHs by CHiP englisH

3 doors down How Bluesville got ROCKED, U.S. soldiers got BaCKED and Gulf Coast children got a HanD Up .

The Mississippi-born band 3 doors down is rocking the state in more ways than one. They use their spotlight not only to call attention to their music but to raise money - and awareness - for a charitable organization they founded to help improve the lives of children in Mississippi.

Band members are passionate about The Better Life Foundation, which they founded in 2003. In November, the group held its eighth annual benefit concert, raising $250,000 for the organization.

oPPosite: 3 doors down front man brad arnold in concert with the band at bluesville, Horseshoe casino, tunica.


Held at Bluesville at the Horseshoe casino in Tunica, the event, sponsored by the Mississippi National Guard and Paul Benton, a Biloxi attorney and supporter of the Better Life Foundation, included a charity motorcycle ride, raffle for a custom-built motorcycle, a silent auction and a live performance by 3 Doors Down, Seether and One Less Reason.

Formed in 1995 by three childhood friends in Escatawpa, 3 Doors Down includes founding members vocalist Brad Arnold, guitarist Matt Roberts, and bass player Todd Harrell. Joining the band two years after it was formed was guitarist Chris Henderson, followed by Puddle of Mudd drummer Greg Upchurch seven years ago.

The band’s 2002 debut album, “The Better Life,” reached the No. 3 spot on Billboard’s Hot 200 chart, selling more than 4 million copies in the first year after its release. In 2003, on the heels of critical acclaim for its breakout album, 3 Doors founded The Better Life Foundation based on a desire to assist children and young adults with disabilities in the Gulf Coast region.

“From what I see and the people I talk to in the music industry, a lot of bands create charities and they might raise 10 grand, and that is all good, but when they realize what this band really does … it takes 3 Doors Down to the next level,” said foundation board president Mark Smith. “People don’t see them just as a rock band; they see them for what they do.”

The foundation has since expanded its outreach to include

national charities, as well as providing assistance to individuals and municipalities along the Alabama and Mississippi coast following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. In addition to raising around $3 million over the last eight years for some 50 charities, the band supports American soldiers through financial assistance, media attention and time working with those less fortunate.

“We love the hands-on stuff,” 3 Doors front man Arnold said. “We consider all the great work done in the name of the foundation as an extension of our family.” He attributes the band’s fans, staff and organizations with whom it works for doing what is required to touch the lives of children and others in need.

The 8th Annual benefit at Bluesville showcased a silent auction with guitars signed by Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Bush, Chris Daughtry, Nikki Sixx and many other notable rock and country musicians. Also auctioned was sports memorabilia signed by Brett Favre, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hank Baskett, Danica Patrick and a host of professional and college athletes. According to the band, donations from the auction will be made to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and the Mississippi Emergency Relief Fund.

Prior to the silent auction, the Dixie Thunder Run motorcycle ride, led by 3 Doors band members Arnold and Roberts, cruised from Southern Thunder Harley Davidson in Southaven to the Tunica Roadhouse for a rider reception. Joining the band members on the ride were 300 bikers, including MSG David


oPPoSIte: The event included a charity motorcycle ride from

southaven to Tunica, the dixie Thunder run, led by band members

brad arnold and guitarist Matt roberts�

LeFt: amber raymond is surprised by the return visit of her husband,

sgt� edward raymond, from duty in iraq�

rIGHt toP: The event showcased a silent auction with guitars signed

by Kenny chesney, Miranda lambert, bush, chris daughtry,

nikki sixx and other notable rock and country musicians�

rIGHt MIDDLe: This custom bike, courtesy the better life Foundation

and bourget bike Works raised more than $80,000 for the Foundation�

rIGHt bottoM: Joining the band on the dixie Thunder run were

300 bikers, all in support of the better life Foundation�


From what I see and the people I talk to in the music industry, a lot of bands create charities and they might raise 10 grand, and that is all good, but when they realize what this band really does … it takes 3 Doors Down to the next level.”

“


Spencer who was home for three days from his Iraq duty station. Spencer was last year’s raffle winner of the Citizen Soldier III Bourget custom-built motorcycle. The bike is named for “Citizen Soldier” a song written by 3 Doors Down in honor of the men and women who serve with the National Guard. This year’s event marked the seventh year the foundation and Bourget Bike Works have joined together to give away a custom-built motorcycle.

This year’s Citizen Soldier IV motorcycle, valued at $73,000, raised more than $80,000 to benefit the foundation and two organizations, Soldiers Helping Soldiers and Operation First Response. Both organizations offer aid to deployed or wounded soldiers and their families who are in need of assistance.

“We support service members nationwide, all branches, with financial aid to help pay for their homes, their groceries, utilities and to help with transitioning when wounded and during their recovery,” Operation First Response President Peggy Baker told

Front man arnold said the band’s new album, “time of my life,” was written from the heart and conveys the ups and downs the band has been through.

the band members as she accepted a check for $20,000 from The Better Life Foundation. “We couldn’t do this without guys like you helping us out.”

A highlight of this year’s event was unveiled during the raffle for the Citizen Soldier IV motorcycle won by David Cline of West Virginia. The band had previously selected Amber Raymond from Jackson, a volunteer with the National Guard, to select the raffle ticket during the drawing held at inside the casino. As the mother of two young daughters was set to draw the winning ticket she was surprised by the return of her husband Sgt. Edward Raymond, who is stationed in Iraq.

“I am overjoyed,” Sgt. Raymond told the band and a teary-eyed audience as he hugged his wife and held his daughters. “I am so glad to be here with these girls.”

The Mississippi National Guard, the foundation and the band members had been working on the surprise for more than five months. The unexpected reunion was the first time in a year the Raymond family had been together.

Brig. Gen. Mitch Brown and Lt. Col. David Barton with the Mississippi National Guard were on hand for the event, along with more than 20 soldiers who helped out with the auction, raffle and motorcycle ride. Barton said the Mississippi Guard is fortunate to partner with the charity-minded 3 Doors Down and The Better Life Foundation.

“They come to some of our events and talk to our new warriors who are coming into the Guard and we do part sponsorship for this event each year,” Barton said.

Before the show, band members spent time with soldiers, their families and children and answered a few questions about their recently-released album, “Time of my Life.”

Lead singer Arnold is proud of the new album, saying it was written “from the heart and soul,” and showcases all the ups and downs the band has been through over the years, while still breaking new ground. Six songs from the new album were performed during the concert along with representative songs from each of the earlier four albums. After each song, Arnold profusely thanked the audience for its support of the band and the foundation as well as American soldiers and their families.

The professional and personal success of 3 Doors Down may be summed up in the words of bass player Harrell: “What you see is what you get. You don’t come to our show and hear us using a lot of “cheap heat,” or hear us screaming the F-word out to the crowd. We just let the music talk and speak for itself.” l


toDAnCE like no one is watching

dance feature

Hattiesburg amateurs limber up to dance with the ‘Stars’

By SuSAn MArquEz phoToGrAphS By BrEnT wALLACE

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE COSTUMES FOR JORDAN WHITTLE.

“When I got the call to participate in Forrest General Hospital’s local competition, I had visions of doing a tango and wearing a red, sparkly dress,” she said.

Not quite.

Instead, Whittle was dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and cowboy boots for her performance. Her partner was professional Cody Johnson, owner of Southern Ballroom in Petal. A dance instructor for 15 years, Johnson said the “Dancing with the Stars” television show has been great for his business. “It raises awareness of ballroom dance as both an art form and a great way to exercise.”

This year’s event is set for Saturday, Feb. 25, with the highlight of the eighth annual event being the “Celebrity Dancing with the Stars” competition. Catherine Strange, co-author of the “Fearless Entertaining” books, and John Brown, assistant to the mayor in Hattiesburg, are two of the contestants. “I can’t wait to meet

my dance instructor and begin learning the steps,” Strange said. “With a love for taking everyday items and turning them into something unexpected, I am looking forward to turning the tables and entrusting my dance instructor with that job.” Additional dancers and judges were still being confirmed at press time.

“Those contestants better get ready,” said Anita Wright, deputy director of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission and a contestant last year. Partnered with professional Nathan Easterling, Wright danced the jive to “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley while wearing an orange and white striped jumpsuit.

“It was extremely hard,” said Wright. “I used to dance in high school, but that was at least 10 years ago. While I exercise regularly, the workout I got from dancing did not compare. It made me have a new respect for the stars who dance on TV. I was sore, but I loved every minute of it.”

Chris Bowen, who is a supervisor for Forrest County, agreed with Wright. “Going through that experience showed me that I’m not as young as I used to be.” Bowen said he was surprised at the athletic prowess a dancer must possess. Bowen got instruction from Johnson, and partnered with his wife, Lisa.

“We practiced about an hour and a half daily for a week in the studio, and more at home. My knees aren’t in the best shape, so I really felt it.”

The couple did the hustle to “Whip It” by Devo. They put together their all-black

Chris Bowen, dancing with his wife, Lisa.


it was extremely hard. i used to dance in high school, but that was at least 10 years ago.”“


dancing outfits from their closet at home. Bowen said he is more at ease in the woods than he is on the dance floor. “If you told me I’d have to dance in order to go to the woods, I’d put on some dancing shoes right now.”

Even though Whittle didn’t get to wear a sequined costume for her dance, she said she was thrilled to be a part of the event. “We did a West Coast swing, which is like a slow step dance,” Whittle said. “I took dance classes as a child, but never anything like this, and I had never danced with a partner.” Whittle describes herself as a perfectionist and said she gets uptight when things don’t come easily to her.

“Jordan’s biggest challenge was being nervous,” said Johnson. “Dancing is like walking. I can’t change the way you feel when you move, but I can change the way you look. I told her to just learn the steps first, then we’d work on technique. She was a good sport, and worked really hard. She even did a couple of lifts with me. Once she got past her nerves, she just went for it.”

Whittle said learning the dance was one

of the hardest things she’s ever done. “We spent two hours a day for two weeks, and that was while I was in school and working.” The senior marketing major at the University of Southern Mississippi said the competition was smaller in scale to the television show, but parallel on a local level. “I was very impressed with the thought process behind the event. The staff at Forrest General did a great job planning everything.”

Unlike the television show, the “Celebrity Dancing with the Stars” competition uses recorded music. Whittle and Johnson danced to “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” by Big & Rich. “I was originally going to wear a cowboy hat, but with the lifts, I was afraid it would come off, so I scrapped that idea. In hindsight, I probably should have bedazzled my T-shirt for some extra glitz.”

Bedazzled or not, the judges loved Whittle and Johnson’s performance. The couple won first place. “When I was back for the 2011 Miss Mississippi Hospitality Pageant, they asked me if I had done anything interesting during my reign. I told them I learned to dance.” l

DiD you know?Because dance is such a great way to get the

heart pumping, Day of Dance has become one of the national events presented by the

Spirit of Women network of hospitals. “Forrest General is one of two hospitals in the state

that are in the Spirit of Women network,” said the hospital’s marketing and communications

director Michelle Leslie. The other is the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.

“There are proven health benefits from dancing, including reduced risk for heart disease, lowered

blood pressure, improved stamina, increased flexibility and improved bone health,” said

Kathy Emmons, marketing and communications specialist and Spirit of Women coordinator at Forrest General. Dancing can even help

prevent Alzheimer’s because it exercises the brain as much as it does the body, she said.

“Dancing is a never-ending experience.”

want to go?What: Day of Dance for Your Health

When: Saturday, Feb. 25. Events start at 9 a.m.; dance contest at 10 a.m.

Where: Lake Terrace Convention Center, Hattiesburg

Cost: Free

More info: www.forrestgeneral.com

Anita Wright dances with pro partner Nathan Easterling.

Jordan Whittle performs with instructor Cody Johnson.


TheSand Man

It could have been a scene from a movie. A 3-year-old climbs into his father's old Chevy station wagon and the pair head out on the road. The rear of the car is packed with props for their magic show, one they will perform in city after city as they make their way across the northeastern United States. The Jewish boy from New Jersey with the dark, curly hair has just lost his mother. By his father's side, both in the Chevy and on stage, he will receive the education that will set the course for his lifetime. “He had a puppet stage that looked like a coffin, and he had a suitcase,” said Alan Sands, the boy in the real-life story who is now a man. “He would do Kiwanis or Knights of Columbus or a Blue and Gold dinner for Cub Scouts. We went to school programs, hotels and resorts, summer camps. People would say ‘Wow that must be really cool to have a magician for a dad.’ Well, yes, he was in the limelight but that was normal in that was what he did. He

entertained. I didn’t know a different world apart from that.” At 51, Alan Sands is still climbing into his truck loaded down with equipment and duffle bag of tricks as he traverses the coun-try, performing in one town after another. It's the only life this Mississippi magician/stage performer, knows. “I actually prefer entertainer. It’s in my blood and soul,” said Sands, who moved to Meridian in the ’90s to be nearer to his daughter. He maintains a home there while on the road. Sands, known by fans as The Sand Man, is a third-generation performer. While his grandfather was a dentist by profession, he found a hobby in magic. It was Sands’ fa-ther, George Sands, who turned that hobby into a profession. He was responsible for inventing the basis for all rope-based tricks used by magicians and illusionists today. He also published 17 books on magic, all of which the younger Sands grew up reading.

By riLEy MAnninGphoToGrAphS By kinGMonD younG

T h E M A G i C o F

alan sands, known by fans as the sand Man, has been practicing magic since the age of 3.

artist profile


“Sands became certified in clinical hypnosis as well as stage hypnosis and uses techniques and material one might find in a college psychology course to befuddle not one, but a dozen audience members at once.” Here, audience members believe they're on the scariest roller coaster ride of their lives.

Photograph by Marianne Todd


Sands’ mother had been a performer as well, an amateur ven-triloquist. When she died, his father took his young son on the road, bringing him in constant contact with the performance. Sands would assist his father on stage during the act, as well as help set up and tear down their sets with each performance. Before he began his formal education, Sands could perform basic coin and card tricks. “But he never shoved it down my throat,” Sands said. “It was a sort of osmosis between working with him on the show and spend-ing long hours in a car with him on weekends.” Sands said he learned best by imitating and innovating what he saw and learned. He started with balloon tricks and began “real magic” as a teenager. Attending college in San Francisco, he found support everywhere for his art; the Bay area alone is home to al-most 10 comedy clubs, he said. He teamed up with his college roommate for a time, and the two worked as street performers to pay their way through school with the tricks laid out by Sands’ father. However, what gave Sands an edge was his father’s savvy insight into the business of entertaining. “My father had two interests: magic and chess,” Sands said. George Sands had a knack for identifying potential markets – fairs, amusement parks, schools and malls, places where many different types of people would be present. These types of venues helped shape his act into a versatile and universally appealing pre-sentation, Sands said. Sands has remained faithful to his father’s strategy, and has expanded his repertoire to include casinos and corporate events. Equally at ease in a bar or a conference room, his fun, informal at-titude is contagious and spreads quickly. His shows are fast-paced and quick-witted; while younger audience members are captivated by the tricks, Sands includes enough word play and double-enten-dre to keep the attention of adults as well. “I used to make a balloon dog, put it inside a balloon heart and say ‘look, a heart with a dog on,’” Sands said with a laugh. In fact, business strategy is what led Sands to his biggest claim to fame: hypnosis. He first began dabbling in hypnosis to draw in more money, but as he continued his practice with it, he became more interested with the nature of the human mind. Sands became certified in clinical hypnosis as well as stage hypnosis and uses tech-niques and material one might find in a college psychology course to befuddle not just one, but a dozen audience members at once. “I also found that the audience enjoyed it more to see its mem-bers involved, to see their friends get on stage and become the stars,” Sands said. Because he completed college classes in computing and ac-counting, crafts and wood-working, he builds his own stage props,

34 july. august 2011


keeps up with his own finances, and does his own taxes, making him an independent one-man show. Being Mississippi-based forced Sands to maintain a national-touring show. To date, he has performed in 46 states. “I might wake up in Nebraska one day, in Iowa the next, or on the beach in Florida, the mountains of Alaska or on a golf course in Hawaii,” he said. The well-traveled Sands seems to connect most with the types of audi-ences Mississippians in particular appreciate. He remembers performing for a family-owned car business, handed down from father to son much like his own. He remembers a local bank that hosted a reception for its employees, thanking them for their loyalty and hard work. He particu-larly recalls performing for a crew of construction workers after a hard day’s work of laying pipe for a natural gas line. He said the nature of their work as mysterious to Sands as his work was to them. “They were big, bearded, intimidating men,” Sands said with a laugh, “but I had them in stitches; one came up to me afterward and said he laughed so hard his face hurt.” Sands likes to see how long he can hold their rapt attention with hypnosis and parlor magic - sometimes for two and a half hours without so much as using the restroom or ordering a drink. The intrinsic reward for Sands, he said, is to distract them, to take them to a place where their

problems no longer exist. The biggest payoff to him is when someone ap-proaches him after a show and tells him how much better he made them feel. “I love entertianing,” he said. “It's a drug, and there's nothing else out there like it. I love making people laugh and bringing them on an emo-tional roller coaster, removing them from their reality and having them transfixed, then holding them there.” l

Want to book him ?Contact Alan Sands via

www.alansands.com or call (800) 892 2287


Curious about George?

feature

How the beloved little monkey fended off Nazi Germany and found a gentle home in Mississippi

By JameS Denton

Millions remember reading about the hijinks of a little monkey named Curious George, but few know Mississippi is home to the creator’s original materials. The Mississippi Museum of Art will soon be the backdrop of this curious story, one that takes its viewers from the height of German occupation in France to a welcoming and cozy home in the heart of the deep South.

As part of the Annie Laurie Swaim Hearin Memorial Exhibition Series, the exhibit titled “Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H.A. Rey” will be on display from March 3 through July 22. The materials are on loan from the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi.

In name recognition, the Curious George series by H.A. and Margret Rey may trail only

Margret and H.a. rey, the creators of “Curious george.”


illustration for “this is george. He lived in africa.”


Dr. Seuss books as the most easily remembered children’s books for baby boomers and later, their own children. The de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection houses the world’s largest set of original sketches and papers written and crafted by the Reys.

The Curious George series survived World War II, flying under Nazi radar before making its home on the USM campus. It took a daring bicycle ride from Paris in June 1940 to save the book, and possibly the lives of the Reys, from the approaching German troops. According to Ellen Ruffin, curator of the de Grummond Collection, that bike ride was a trip that saved the Curious George manuscripts and led to a series of events culminating in the papers arriving in the library’s archives.

“The de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection is one of the premier children’s literature collections in the United States, if not the world,” Ruffin said. “We are very fortunate to have the collection at USM. Lena de Grummond semi-retired and came to USM in 1966 to teach students majoring in library science. She wanted to enhance the availability of materials for her students so she began writing, in longhand, as many as 100 letters per week to authors in hopes they would respond in their own handwriting.”

One of the authors who responded was H.A. Rey. He fought for Germany in World War I, but “He was not much on war, though. While afield, he became an amateur astronomer and would sketch the stars. He also liked to sketch exotic animals at the Hamburg Zoo to hone his art skills. He could not afford to go to art school,” Ruffin said.

Rey moved to Brazil after the war and made money selling bathtubs. Margret followed him to Brazil and they eventually

married. Their wedding invitation, which features the couple engaged in their favorite pursuits (writing and illustrating), will be part of the exhibit at the Mississippi Museum of Art. They honeymooned and ended up living in Paris from 1936 to 1940, but moved away from the city as the political atmosphere became more threatening to Jews.

During this period, H.A. Rey worked on children’s books, and in one sketch he created a giraffe with monkeys hanging from its neck. His wife urged him to continue developing the characters,

Ruffin said, and the monkey who would one day be called George was born. Rey began illustrating more stories surrounding the mischievous monkey protagonist with Margret writing the text.

The Reys had returned to Paris before the German forces began to invade France, and as German Jews, they feared for their lives. H. A. decided to take parts of old bicycles and build two bicycles that would serve as their transportation out of Paris. They left Paris with the manuscripts of “Curious George” on their backs, escaping hours before the Nazis reached the city. They worked their way to Portugal, Brazil and then on to North America.

“While on the surface the antics of a monkey entertain us, in reality they serve to teach us important life lessons about perseverance, bravery and optimism,” said Betsy Bradley, director of the Mississippi Museum of Art. “The Reys’ personal story is one of triumph in the face of danger. Through George, they reveal their own heroics that, in the end, uplift and inspire their readers.”

Some of the original artwork will be displayed at the Museum’s spring exhibit. At the end of the exhibit’s tour, the

“They left Paris with the manuscripts of “Curious George” on their backs, escaping hours before the Nazis reached the city. They worked their way to Portugal, Brazil and then on to North America.”

new year greeting card, 1942.

Unpublished drawing, 1960s


Margret and H.a. rey at a Curious george book signing.


materials will return to the de Grummond Collection.

Robin Dietrick, curator of exhibitions at the MMA said she’s unsure how much of the state’s population is aware that Curious George makes its home in Mississippi.

“By showing these works in Jackson, it helps share this Mississippi collection with the public. Besides that, however, it is simply a fun exhibition where visitors can come with their children to see the original drawings, or come and relive their own youth, which I will be doing on a regular basis during the run of the show.”

Ruffin said the de Grummond Collection continues to grow.

“If you have something you are going to throw away, send it to us. If you have already thrown it away, send us the trashcan,” said Ruffin, referencing the words of the collection’s creator. “That is how this collection started.”

The Reys’ collection is one of 1,300 the de Grummond Collection has on hand. The Reys never met de Grummond in person, relying instead on hand-written letters to grow their friendship. After Margret’s death in 1996, the remainder of the estate papers were transferred to the collection at USM.

“The move by the Mississippi Museum of Art to bring the Curious George exhibition to Mississippi is tremendous,” Ruffin said. “The Museum has worked very hard to bring this collection

home to Mississippi, and it will be the finale of an outstanding tour across the country. This exhibition is not only for children and families. It is for everyone to better understand the story of how two individuals survived the Holocaust. The collection of Margret and H. A. Rey shows a remarkable testament to the human spirit and we are honored that the Mississippi Museum of Art is featuring such an important exhibition.” l

curious george saves the day: The art of Margret and h� a� rey is organized by

The Jewish Museum, new york, and is supported through a bequest

from the estate of lore ross�

Most of the art and documentation in the exhibition has been loaned by the de

grummond children’s literature collection, Mccain library and archives, The

university of southern Mississippi (usM)�

curious george saves the day: The art of Margret and h�a� rey is made possible

locally through support from the robert M� hearin support Foundation� additional

support is provided by Trustmark bank, blue cross & blue shield of Mississippi, The

clarion-ledger Media group, and the Jackson convention & visitors bureau� support is

also provided in part by funding from the Mississippi arts commission, a state agency,

and in part by the

national endowment for the arts, a federal agency�

black color separation for “Finally, the show was on.”


Want to go?“curious george saves the day: The art of Margret and h� a� rey”

opens March 3 at the Mississippi Museum of art�

activities will be available for the entire family from 10 a�m� to 2 p�m�

admission: $12 adults, $10 seniors, $6 students�

Final illustration for “one day, george saw a man... “

Final illustration for “He crawled into bed and fell asleep at once.” black color separation for “at breakfast george’s friend said... “


Caribbean-SpaniSh • • • with a twist of Thai • • •

Anything is possible with Chef Luis Bruno in the kitchen

worDS AnD phoToGrAphS By MAriAnnE ToDD

cuisine

Thousands of miles away in what seems like another lifetime, Luis Bruno was just a kid surrounded by

impossible circumstances. Living in New York, the teenager struggled to make sense of the deaths of three of his family members, lives lost to drug addiction and hard living on the inner city streets of the Bronx. He had been working in his parents' neighborhood supermarket since boyhood, and then in his brother's upstate New York pizzeria. His mother had sent him there in hopes Bruno would receive a better education. “I had friends who were 16 and 17 with kids still living in the neighborhood in the Bronx, and I didn't want that life,” said Bruno, who is now executive chef at The Palette Cafe by Viking, housed at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson. “I always wanted better, so I moved to Florida and went to culinary school.” After graduation in Clearwater, Bruno

landed his first professional culinary gig preparing lunches for a hotel in Jackson. From there, he made his way to the Mississippi Governor's Mansion, cooking for the Kirk Fordice administration. Five years later, armed with the high-pressure experience of making creative menus for high-ranking officials, Bruno struck out on his own with the creation of his restaurant, Bruno’s Eclectic Cuisine. The restaurant featured the flavors Bruno had grown up on, a colorful and diverse menu of Spanish and Caribbean-inspired cuisine. Despite its success, Bruno closed the restaurant in 2003 due to his uncontrolled weight and diabetes. He had gained 150 pounds alone at culinary school and had allowed his health to continue to decline. “Doctors gave me five years to live, and I had to do something drastic to change that.” On an 800-calorie-per-day medically-supervised liquid diet, Bruno lost 160 pounds in a

little more than five months. “It was easy,” he said. “When I was craving something, I'd just make a lot of it and feed everyone else. If I wanted something sweet, I didn't make just one dessert, I made a lot of desserts. I was eating with my eyes and curing my cravings through other people.” The newly-slim Bruno returned to the Governor’s Mansion at the request of then-incoming Gov. Haley Barbour and he remained there until 2009. These days, Bruno, 42, spends his time creating menus for lunches, events and weddings at the museum. “I love it here,” said Bruno behind an easy smile. “I have a fun job, and I love being surrounded by art every day. What I’m doing now is so different from working in a hotel or restaurant. Here, the art comes first, and the food is second, although being around all this art makes me feel more creative. I have to turn out


Luis Bruno, executive chef for The Palette Cafe by Viking, Mississippi Museum of Art.


food that compliments the art.” His favorite creation: Thai Beef Salad created with thinly-sliced beef, shallots, green onion, cilantro and fresh mint and served with Jasmine rice and cucumber salad. “It's spicy with cilantro, and I love all those herb flavors,” he said. Other menu faves include The Big Louie, a grilled sandwich of vegetable and chicken that was once the mainstay of his restaurant, and Carnitas, a slow-roasted pork loin with avocado, salsa verde and crumbled queso fresco on soft tortillas. In keeping with his Puerto Rican roots, “we're all about the flavor and not about the spices,” he said. “These are the flavors that I grew up on.” The Thai cuisine, inspired by a chef who taught Bruno the culinary similarities between Asian and Caribbean-Spanish dishes, pairs well with the overall menu. “A lot of the ingredients are the same, but

Thai relies more on spice and Caribbean-Spanish is more flavor,” he said. The dessert menu changes weekly, he said, but ranges from lemon cake to creme brulee, stuffed cheesecakes to pies. Brunch features Frangelico cream cheese stuffed French toast, huevos rancheros, Spanish omelet and grilled smoked pork chop. “In addition to being a great cook, Luis is a people person and his vivacious personality commands any room he enters,” said MMA marketing director Jenny Tate. “Last Tuesday during lunch hour, he stopped to take photos with a group of ladies visiting the museum for a tour.” Tate's favorite Bruno dish? “If I were to choose one Luis Bruno concoction that ranks at the top of my list, you wouldn't get a fair answer. Chef Luis knows how to satisfy my sweet tooth. It's very hard

resisting sampling all of the sweets in the dessert case each week.” Bruno said his future holds a planned and highly anticipated renovation of the cafe and its menu and the publishing of his second cookbook, slated for 2012. His first cookbook, available in local stores and on Amazon, is titled “Don’t Feel Guilty, Eat It!” He also has big plans to assist in downtown Jackson economic development. “Shame on me. That's all I can say,” he said. “All those years at the Governor's Mansion and I never got involved. Now I'm living downtown. I'm working downtown. And I'm getting involved. It's a great job, one that I'm loving. I love to bake. I love to cook. As long as I'm making people happy, I'm happy, too.” l

Writer Susan Marquez contributed to this story.

PICTURED ABOVE: TOP LEFT & FAR RIGHT - Fried oysters and shrimp in cocktail sauce; TOP CENTER - Chocolate brownie toped with whipped mousse; BOTTOM LEFT - Red velvet cream cheese cake; BOTTOM CENTER - Lobster and crab tortillas

Lunch a The Palette Cafe is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday though Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The cost is $5-$10 for a menu featuring soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts.WanT To go?


“IF I WANTED SoMETHING SWEET, I DIDN'T MAkE juST oNE DESSErT, I MADE A LoT oF DESSErTS. I WAS EATING WITH MY EYES AND CurING MY CrAvINGS THrouGH oTHEr PEoPLE.”


a Farewell to the

BarBoursGood-bye to the popular couple who

endured catastrophe and restored pride in their beloved state

Gov. Haley Barbour settles into a comfortable chair in his office.

His hair is slightly more silver than when he moved into the office at the top of the Sillers Building in downtown Jackson eight years ago. The lines in his face have deepened a bit, too, but as much from smiling as worry. Together, they provide a mature distinction to the popular governor, who along with his wife, Marsha, has placed Mississippi in the nation’s limelight as a great place to live and visit and who have begun to alter the nation’s perception of this Southern state with a distantly notorious past. “Early in our administration we decided to create and promote a Blues Trail, which proved to be very popular,” Barbour said. “It’s a product of a desire to have more destinations and more reasons for people to come to Mississippi.” The Blues Trail, which features 135 stops marking historical sites relative to the men and women of Mississippi’s blues industry, later gave birth to the Country Music and the Civil Rights trails.

But the administration’s early work in tourism had just scratched the surface. During Barbour’s administration, the casino industry continued to flourish, even in the face of the country’s worst natural disaster, Hurricane Katrina, and the subsequent man made disaster, the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil well spill. Museums – like the multimillion dollar B.B. King Museum in Indianola, began springing up around the state. The Mississippi Development Authority and privately-sponsored Mississippi Grammy celebration began drawing attention to the state’s overwhelming number of musical artists. The Creative Economy

Movement was born, enticing the economic growth of our creative potential. The phrase “The Birthplace of America’s Music” was coined. And Mississippi began ushering in a claim to fame that couldn’t be exceeded by any other “top 50” list. In short, Mississippians began to discover, appreciate and cultivate what other states knew all along – the presence of an undeniable legacy and heritage unlike anywhere else.

Publisher's note: Before becoming publisher of LEGENDS, I had the honor of being photographer to Gov. and Mrs. Haley Barbour. As the Barbours prepare to leave the Mississippi Governor's Mansion, I talked with them about their journey and their hopes for the future of the

state. In recognition of their eight years of dedication, hard work and personal sacrifice, LEGENDS bids the Barbours farewell with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation. We thank you for your service to our state and for your dedication to furthering our arts and entertainment industry.

Governor and Marsha, you will be missed.

worDS AnD phoToGrAphS By MAriAnnE ToDD

At the inauguration gala ball, 2007.

feature


TOP LEFT: Visiting with victims in the Kiln. TOP RIGHT: Long days and exhaustion for Barbour and President George Bush. MIDDLE LEFT: Comforting survivors in Biloxi. MIDDLE RIGHT: Ensuring supplies are plentiful at a Biloxi Catholic church. BOTTOM LEFT: Visiting MED 1, a makeshift hospital anchored in a Gulf Coast Wal-Mart parking lot. BOTTOM RIGHT: Finding shelter for a Kiln family.

Rebuilding Mississippi aa


“Mississippi is the birthplace of America’s music, and we also have the natural beauty of our coast, the river, a history made rich by the Civil War and the Civil Rights era,” Barbour said. “The entertainment industry and the arts that make it up are a big driver of our hospitality industry.” It is an industry that is not to be underestimated, he said. “We may not always think of it as economic development, but the development of the hospitality industry leads to jobs and prosperity,” Barbour said. “People may arrive here with a negative impression, but they leave pleased. They like what they see and who they meet.” Hospitality industry jobs create income for skilled and unskilled workers, workers who never completed high school, or workers over 40 who never received a degree or job-specific training, he said. “The arts and entertainment industry equals tourism, which equals jobs, which equals economic prosperity.” Along the Gulf Coast alone, hospitality and leisure jobs account for 22 percent of the private industry workforce, a figure that has risen since the latest U.S. Labor Bureau 2009 statistics with the creation of new casinos, hotels and restaurants.

Casino revenue alone in Mississippi topped 2.5 billion in 2010, creating a substantial source for hospitality jobs for both skilled and unskilled workers and $266 million in state tax revenue. With the development and promotion of the state’s arts and entertainment industry well underway, Barbour said he’d like to see the state increase its economic potential through the development and promotion of the state’s hunting and fishing resources, both of which are abundant and renewable. “Our white tail deer hunting is as good as anywhere in America, in fact, better,” he said. “We have great fishing on our Gulf Coast and along our river, which is the largest unaltered river in the U.S., but we’re nowhere near developing that part of our economy. I worry that we’re not creating the investment and job potential and quality of life that we could if we had more of an economical view of our hunting and fishing industries. We haven’t done much to commercialize it, but think of what people pay to fly-fish in Idaho, hunt in Montana. They’ll pay to fish and hunt here, too.” And Barbour himself is joining the creative economy team as

Marsha Barbour sits in the remains of the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library at Beauvoir, getting help for the Biloxi landmarks. The library is slated to re-open this year.


“We may not always think of it as economic development, but the development of the hospitality industry leads to jobs and prosperity.

People may arrive here with a negative impression, but they leave pleased. They like what they see and who they meet.”


an artist. After leaving office, he has plans to write a book about leadership during mega-disasters, a subject he’s all too familiar with since leading the charge to successfully rebuild the state after coastal disasters, tornadoes in his hometown of Yazoo City and flooding in the Delta. With the names and addresses of the thousands of volunteers who came to Mississippi in the days following Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, he has a large potential audience, he said. And profits from the project will be donated to the charities which came to lend Mississippians a hand, he said. He’ll also spend his time traveling and making speeches, a job for which there is a large demand, he said. “I’ve got to work. I can’t just not work,” he said. “I’ll keep an office here and my office in Washington, and we’ll live in Yazoo City. I anticipate making a lot of speeches and working to beat Obama.” Likewise, his wife, Marsha, plans to continue work with the Marsha Barbour Community Center, established in Pass Christian during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The center, offering community classes in dance, yoga, martial arts and computer science and after-school care and community events, was dedicated to Barbour as a tribute for her having quickly mobilized help for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

TOP: The Barbours have long been supporters of Mississippi tourism. Here, they are pictured at the Governor's Conference on Tourism in Meridian. MIDDLE: Supporting Boy Scouts in Long Beach. BOTTOM: Marsha Barbour receives an honorary award - a steel magnolia - for her work in the aftermath of Katrina. The site of the awards ceremony later became known as the Marsha Barbour Community Center in Pass Christian.


MPC 16554.1 Legends Magazine ad (8.875”x10.875”) __________Spell Check ________Prod. Artist ________Art Dir. ________Copywriter ________Copy Editor ________Creative Dir.

________Design Dir. ________Prod. Mgr. ________Acct. Exec. ________Acct. Supv. _____________________________________________Client ________________Date

T h e L e g a c y L i v e s O n

Mississippi Power extends profound appreciation to Marsha and Haley Barbour for

their commitment to the State of Mississippi. Their leadership and dedication to

this state is unsurpassed. The diligence and perseverance they showed us following

Hurricane Katrina and with the Together We Rebuild initiative is a true inspiration.

What a powerful example they are to every Mississippian.

Thank you.


TOP LEFT: With actor Ray Romano and author/humorist Jill Conner Browne. TOP RIGHT: With drummer Sam Carr at the Mississippi Governor's Mansion. MIDDLE LEFT: Grammy Awards at the Mansion with Hartley Peavey, right and Jerry Lee Lewis, center (Great Balls of Fire!) MIDDLE RIGHT: Sharing a laugh with Morgan Freeman. BOTTOM LEFT: Grammy awards with Marty Stuart and Hartley Peavey. BOTTOM RIGHT: Saying hello to Iron Chef Cat Cora.

leading the chaRge...a


TOP LEFT: At the 2011 Grammy Awards with dummer Cody Dickinson. TOP RIGHT: In support of Mississippi Rising in Oxford. MIDDLE LEFT: At the Mansion with musicians Jesse Robinson and B.B. King and with B.B. King Museum Foundation President Bill McPherson. MIDDLE RIGHT: In support of the 2011 Mississippi Grammys with Hartley and Mary Peavey. BOTTOM LEFT: Marsha with B.B. King during a party at the Mansion in which they honored the popular musician. BOTTOM MIDDLE: Honoring Mississippi musician Bo Diddley. BOTTOM RIGHT: Barbour being presented with an award by musician Paul Overstreet in appreciation for reclaiming Mississippi as The Birthplace of America’s Music.

foR the aRtists of Mississippi a


The Katrina experience, she said, taught her resilience and perseverance. “I take with me many emotions,” she said. “Nostalgia about the past eight years, anticipation of the next step in life – and at the top of the list is pride – pride in the people of the State of Mississippi.” Barbour said she also plans to continue the reading program she began eight years ago. “Going to schools and reading to the students is something that I have loved doing as First Lady, and I do hope they will call on me,” she said. She also hopes to see the state’s arts and entertainment industry continue to grow. “As Haley and I have traveled the state, we have seen so much growth in industry, agriculture and especially the arts,” she said. “The arts will

continue to thrive in Mississippi with events such as the Mississippi Grammy Awards, International Ballet Competition and the Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts, to name a few. The wonderful museums and the new Mississippi Children’s Museum have helped us give our children the chance and encouragement to pursue their own artistic dreams. Whether we think of it or not, we all have some form of creativity inside of us.” Barbour said she is reminded of a quote that sums up their journey to the Governor’s Mansion and beyond. “Life is only 10 percent what happens and 90 percent how you choose to respond,” she said. “You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails.” l


book review

“Buryin’ Daddy” is a haunting, candid memoir written by Yazoo City native Teresa Nicholas. Her story opens in the 1950s with the author innocently reaching for sunbeams, dancing beneath the front door’s transom in her grandparents’ home, evidence she had once been a happy child. Nicholas’s steel-trap memory and vivid descriptions provide the reader with fading glimpses of a time and place familiar to generations of Mississippians. Emotive and permeated with melancholy, Nicholas eventually secures a truncated sense of peace and forgiveness. Descended from Baptist sharecroppers on her mother’s side and Lebanese Catholics on her father’s, Nicholas’s “mixed” family moved when she was 5 years old from her cozy grandparent’s house into a dilapidated duplex down the street. Thus begins her familiarization with the duality known as “Cartoon Daddy” and “Angry Daddy.” The duplex provides the setting for Nicholas’s authoritarian father to rule the ramshackle roost with an iron hand void of tolerance. The house was an embarrassment to the family. She longed for the day she could escape her father’s narrow views and “heavy hand.”

“When we’d lived at Grandma’s, I hadn’t had much awareness of time,” Nicholas wrote. “But inside the duplex, time stretched out. I blamed Daddy. It was Daddy who’d given me this sense of time misery.” Peopled with characters representing the confluence of cultures—black and white, hill and Delta, Catholic and Baptist—the core narrative recounts the strained relationships between the author and her indomitable father. Two decades after leaving Yazoo City, Nicholas returns home for a month from her successful publishing position in New York to bury her father and assists her mother with transitioning to life without Daddy. Assuming her father died

penniless, she and her seemingly helpless mother - who had never written a check, paid a bill, or gone shopping - were surprised to find that the patriarch had actually squirreled away a small fortune. The remainder of the book deals with the author’s mother learning to adjust to life without her husband and with Nicholas starting the process of forgiving as she discovers reasons her father behaved as he did.

author TErESA niChoLAS publisher university press of Mississippi, Jackson pages 293

review by Billy Howell

Buryin’ DADDy: puTTinG My LEBAnESE, CAThoLiC, SouThErn

BApTiST ChiLDhooD To rEST


“We had all been shaped by the memories of only a few events - Daddy by betrayal and uncertainty, Mama by death and hardship.” “Buryin’ Daddy” is not a feel-good book, but readers with an affinity for the Deep South or those struggling with the past can find reflective solace in Nicholas’s forthright remembrance. “Maybe I would never know him, but at least I could say that I knew something of what life had done to him,” Nicholas writes. “And finally, I could forgive him, too.” l

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feature

The journey of a lifeTiMemississippi’s josh hailey

sets out to find america

if Josh Hailey has it his way, he will have

found a creative Mississippian in every state

before the end of the year.

“I’m looking for people who love Mississippi,

but who have started lives somewhere else and who

give that Mississippi hospitality to everyone they

know,” said the Jackson-based photographer and

filmmaker.

The endeavor is just a small part of the

enormous project Hailey, 30, set out to accomplish

at the beginning of the year. PhotAmerica will

document the changing lives of Americans in 2012.

The yearlong project will take Hailey through

50 states in 50 weeks, mostly in his ‘92 Chevy van,

which has been gutted to make room for “sleeping

quarters, artwork, people, whatever I want or need,”

he said. “It looks like the Mystery Mobile. I have a

P.A. rigged to the front so I can talk to people.”

Although he has been a photographer for years,

this is Hailey’s first film and publication project.

“I want to make an impression on the artistic

community, but more importantly, the American

public,” he says.

The idea for the project was born on his trip

back to Mississippi, where he had taken a freelance

photography gig for the Mississippi Development

Authority, from Los Angeles.

“As I was moving back I stayed with random

people in each state,” he said. “I stayed with a

psychic in Phoenix and a Jehovah’s Witness family

in Roswell, New Mexico. “I ate dinner with them,

ate breakfast with them. I listened to their stories,

and I was inspired.”

When the Occupy Movement set in, Hailey

said he knew he needed a task that would make a

dent in the way Americans view themselves.

“It was the first time that I’ve see in my lifetime,

that people actually went to the streets and listed

some grievances of the things that aren’t right right

now,” he said. “I’m not one to sit and watch. I want

to share stories so that everyone knows they’re in

the same boat.

“One question I’ll be asking is, ‘Are you proud

to be an American?’ I want to know if they are or

aren’t and what shaped them in the last five, 10 or

20 years,” he said. “I want to know what they would

do to make America a better place. It’s grassroots,

but I want to talk to people when they’re not stuck

behind the Internet or working at their corporate

jobs.”

Hailey raised $23,000 on Kickstarter to fund

the project. He’ll be living in his van and accepting

the generosity of people who take in “couch surfers”

much the same as he did on his trip from Los

Angeles to Mississippi.

“These are people who are letting others use

a spare couch or room for people pursuing these

types of adventures,” he said. “In return you do the

same for them when they come to your city. They’re

loving people who like to meet people from around

the world and share stories.”

At press time, Hailey was gearing up for a flight

to Hawaii, where he will kick off the project. By

Editor’s note: this is the first of a six-part series that will

follow mississippi photographer and filmmaker josh hailey

throughout the united states on his journey to discover

who we americans have become in 2012.

mississippi photographer/filmmaker josh hailey is set to take

his ‘92 chevy van across the united states to document the vibe

of americans in 2012.

By MariannE Todd PhoTograPh By ThEron huMPhriEs


the second week in January he will have come back

to the South in hopes of garnering some warmer

temperatures through the winter months.

“I’m trying to stay warm the whole time, but

I’ll take what I can get,” he said. “I’m not a big fan

of snow.”

He’ll tackle Alabama and Florida and move

through Texas in March. From there, the trip is

planned in a counter-clockwise path. He should

be moving into Oregon and Washington in April,

then into middle America. He’ll fly from Boston to

Alaska in August.

The job will entail photographing and filming

people and places from each of the 50 states,

“creating an eclectic patchwork of images and

stories of Americans from a range of backgrounds.”

By documenting the rapid changes that have

taken place in America, even over the last 10

years, Hailey said he has designed the project to be

thought-provoking and inspiring, highlighting the

ever-changing mindset of Americans.

The project also includes keeping a daily journal

and tweeting and sending artwork to editors who

will help with preparing canvases and film editing

for final display.

In December, PhotAmerica will culminate in

a documentary film and photo exhibit that Hailey

hopes to take on the road. A book is slated for

publication in mid-2013, he said.

Haley said he’s looking forward to visiting

the states to which he’s never been – Montana,

Wyoming, Ohio and Michigan excite him the

most, he said.

“I’m going to be an ambassador for Mississippi

the whole time,” he said. “I’m going to give out

music CDs and t-shirts. I’ll have a package to give

to everyone. I’m going to be telling them how

cool Mississippi really is, breaking some of those

stereotypes. It’s been a good year for Mississippi.

We’ve had some positive national attention. There

are some really intelligent, caring, forward-thinking

people mixed with our stereotypes, and people need

to know that.”

As for being on the road alone, Hailey said he

has no fear.

“When you’re on the road by yourself you learn

a lot about yourself,” he said. “You have peace of

mind. And then I’m not one to meet a stranger.

I like people too much.” l

For more information about the project, to follow

Hailey’s journey, or to contribute, visit www.

photamerica.com. Readers who would like to

be photographed or interviewed can contact

Hailey directly at (601) 214-2069 or email

[email protected].

What’s shakin’ around the state? biloxi Jan 20 - Kenny G- Beau Rivage Casino Resort - www.beaurivage.com - 228-386-7444 Jan 21 - Top of the Hops Beer Festival - Mississippi Coast Convention Center - www.topofthehopsbeerfest.com - 228- 594-3700 Jan 28 - John Michael Montgomery- IP Casino Resort & Spa - www.ipbiloxi.com - 800-436-3000 Feb 10 - Willie Nelson - Beau Rivage Casino Resort - www.beaurivage.com - 228-386-7444 Feb 10 - Kansas - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - 228-374-7625 Feb 14 - Kelly Clarkson- Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - 228-374-7625

clarksdale Jan 26-29 - Clarksdale Film Festival - Clarksdale - www.jukejointfestival.com - 662-624-5992

cleveland Jan 31 - Bruce Levingston with Special Friends and Guest Artists - Bologna Performing Arts Center - www.bolognapac.com - 662-846-4626 Feb 24 - Bettye Lavette - Bologna Performing Arts Center - www.bolognapac.com - 662-846-4626

columbus Feb 17 - Walter Parks - Rosenzweig Arts Center - www.columbus-arts.com - 662-328-2787

gulfport Jan 12-15 - MTA Community Theatre Festival - Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College - www.mta-online.org/statewide-theatre-festivall/2012-festival - 662-323-1097 Feb 21 - 42st Annual Krewe of Gemini Night Parade - Downtown Gulfport - www.kreweofgeminigulfport.com/ - 228-539-9692

hattiesburg Jan 27 - Joe Crown Trio - Bennie’s Boom Boom Room - www.bennysboomboomroom.com - 601-544-7757 Feb 1 - James Mcmurtry - Bennie’s Boom Boom Room - www.bennysboomboomroom.com - 601-544-7757 Feb 3 - Col. Bruce - Bennie’s Boom Boom Room - www.bennysboomboomroom.com - 601-544-7757

hernando Now through Jan 26 - Smithsonian Exhibition “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music” - DeSoto County Museum - www.mshumanities.org/index.php/programs/new_harmonies - 662-429-8852


jackson Jan 14 - MSO Bravo III: The Grand Meets the Great - Thalia Mara Hall - www.msorchestra.com - 601-960-1565 Jan 17 - “Spamalot” - Thalia Mara Hall - www.kesslerbroadway.com - 601-960-1537 Jan 28 - MSO Chamber II: Mozart by Candlelight - Belhaven Univ. Center for the Arts - www.msorchestra.com - 601-960-1565 Jan 31 - Contemporary Dance in Mississippi - Millsaps College Recital Hall - www.millsaps.edu/news_events/arts_lecture.s - 601-974-1130 Feb 11 - MSO Pops II: Your Song - The Music of Elton John - Thalia Mara Hall - www.msorchestra.com - 601-960-1565 Feb 17 - Kinky Friedman - Duling Hall - www.ardenland.net/shows.html Feb 25 - MSO Bravo IV: Exotic, Eclectic and Electric - Thalia Mara Hall - www.msorchestra.com - 601-960-1565

meridian Jan 6 - The Sucarnochee Revue - Temple Theatre - www.jackyjack.com/ - 601-693-5353 Jan 28 - The Pointer Sisters - MSU Riley Center - www.msurileycenter.com/ - 601-696-2200 Feb 3 - The Sucarnochee Revue - Temple Theatre - www.jackyjack.com/ - 601-693-5353 Feb 12 - Hairspray - Temple Theater - www.meridiantempletheater.com - 601-693-5353 Feb 16 - Garrison Keillor - MSU Riley Center - www.msurileycenter.com/ - 601-696-2200 Feb 25 - The McKameys - Temple Theater - www.meridiantempletheater.com - 601-693-5353

natchez Feb 11 - Big River Jamboree - Natchez Shrine Temple - 601-442-9651

ocean springs Jan-Feb 18 - New Art Exhibit “Narratives; Inside and Out” - Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center - www.themaryc.org - 228-818-2878 Feb 25 - Celtic Crossroads - Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center - www.themaryc.org - 228-818-2878

oxford Jan 17 - Travis Tritt - Lyric Theatre - www.thelyricoxford.com - 662-234-5333 Jan 21 - Blind Mississippi Morris - Rooster’s Blues House - www.roostersblueshouse.com - 662-236-7970 Jan 30 - Kallen Esperian - Gertrude C. Ford Center - www.olemiss.edu/depts/fordcenter - 662-915-2787 Feb 9-12 - Oxford Film Festival - www.oxfordfilmfest.com - 877-560-3456 Feb 16 - The Lemonheads - Proud Larry’s - www.proudlarrys.com - 662-236-0050

southaven Jan 21 - Eric Church - DeSoto Civic Center - www.desotociviccenter.com - 662-470-2131 Jan 27 - Jeff Dunham - DeSoto Civic Center - www.desotociviccenter.com - 662-470-2131 Feb 21 - Riverdance - DeSoto Civic Center - www.desotociviccenter.com - 662-470-2131

starkville Feb 16-18 - Magnolia Film Festival - www.starkvillearts.org - 662-312-4430

tunica Jan 14 - Bobby Rush & Sir Charles Jones - Sams Town - www.samstowntunica.com - 662-363-0711 Feb 4 - George Jones - Sams Town - www.samstowntunica.com - 662-363-0711 Feb 18 - Gary Allan - Horseshoe Casino - www.horseshoetunica.com - 800-303-7463 Feb 18 - Pam Tillis & Lorrie Morgan - Gold Strike Casino Resort - www.goldstrikemississippi.com - 888-245-7529

tupelo Feb 22 - Riverdance - BancorpSouth Arena - www.bcsarena.com- 662-841-6528 Feb 25 - Jason Aldean - BancorpSouth Arena - www.bcsarena.com- 662-841-6528

vicksburg Jan 28 - Ron White: Moral Compass Tour - Vicksburg Convention Center - www.vicksburgevents.com - 866-822-6338

yazoo city Feb 16 - MISSISSIPPI BLUES TRAIL MARKER DEDICATION: Tommy McClennan/Robert Petway - www.msbluestrail.org


Meridian Main Street &Meridian/Lauderdale County Tourism Commission Present

Be a part of it! Contact us today for more information or to be a vendor.

601.693.7480 • www.meridianmainstreet.com

February 11, 2012 • Meridian, MississippiA FREE, day-long festival in downtown Meridian

featuring the Queen City Jam Session with live performances.

Main Street

• Krewe of Barkus Pet Parade• Krewe of Midas Parade• Gumbo Cook-off• Childrenʼs activities• Local food andbeverages vendors

• King Cakes for sale• East Mississippi/WestAlabamaʼs largest Mardi Grasstore — on site!• Special prizes for selectedcostumed revelers

*AD - LEGENDS MARDI GRAS 2-12:Layout 1 12/23/11 9:16 AM Page 1

POINT A

POINT BE

Myway,

not

the

highway

AMTRAK.COM

Amtrak and Enjoy the journey are service marks of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

Legends Jan/Feb 2012

Documents

Transcript of Legends Jan/Feb 2012