An old folk song said it best, there’s got to be a Morning After. Sure enough there is. After going all night through early morning untethered to the Internet, finally got online. Course missed being able to do HazzardAyre radio last night so will make up for it on this coming Saturday.
When it comes to coincidences I don’t think there really are coincidences.
After all who would have thought that two people from two different geographic parts of the Union would have become not only such good friends but resembled in so many ways each other?
In February of 1981 after missing the Salt Lake City AutoRama with the General Jackson, it was determined that by hell or high water that our shop would have ye ole General Jackson at the 1981 AutoRama. In that year a popular movie was playing called the HollyWood Knights, that starred Robert Wuhl, Fran Dressler , Tony Danza amongst others. In that movie it showed the car hops at Tubby’s Drive In , wearing white vinyl zipper up the side go-go boots rather than the roller skates that was on American Graffiti . So in our infinite wisdom, our crew set out to find white go-go boots. At that point in history , go-go boots of the style were out of fashion and the few being sold were sold to drill teams and cheerleading squads of high schools. Who wore these? Twin Falls High School was the first, nothing, Burley High School, nothing, until a gal at Burley High said East Minco Junior High wore them. Of course they didn’t have, but what I discovered on this trip, was an aging 1970 Dodge Charger. Now to the uninformed the 1970 Dodge Charger and the 1969 Dodge Charger had only two minor differences. One was a small partition in the grill of the 69, where as the 1970 Dodge Charger was retrofitted with the grill from the 1968 Dodge Charger which meant the small partition was not in the grill of the 1970 model. The second difference between the 1970 and 69 was the 69 had the ignition switch in the dashboard, where as the 1970 model had the ignition key in the steering column. Outside of that the two cars are identical. With the unloading of $1,500.00 a restyled poor attempt at a Gen Lee was on its way to Hagerman, a rebuild and into the Salt Lake City AutoRama we went, the rest as they say is history.
Now then on that trip to the SLC Autorama, it was about the second night awake in a hotel room, I finally came to the conclusion that neither I nor Bro looked anything like Bo or Luke Duke. But I did bear a striking resemblance to Ben Jones aka Cooter. Like Cooter, I drove a tow truck at a rural hot rod shop where the General Lee was always parked.
So I made a call to the producers of the Dukes asked if I could duplicate the image, and so on, and in mid 1982 the official off TV real-to-life Hazzard County Garage was opened. Shortly after that the club came to be and you know the club today as the Knytes-of-Anarchy.
Over the years I have came to know many of the cast and off screen people of that show. But what really stuck was when in March of 1983 I wrote Paul Picard and told him the news of the passing of my mom. Daisy Duke, gave me a call, and asked if there was anything they could do? I replied, it would be nice if the cast or some of the cast would at least be at Mom’s funeral. Not only did she show up but just about all the cast except for James Best and Tom Wopat showed up. The other two had previous engagements but sent flowers. But for a big time California TV show to attend a fan and followers Mom’s funeral, placed the true feelings that the Dukes were more than a TV show , but a way of life. Which is why I have always been so dedicated to all things Hazzard and Knytes.
As I leave you here are two pics , me and Cooter and Ben(Cooter ) and wife Alma and Daisy, and me and Ellie May our Nurse GoodBody, see the resemblance?
As I close , I want to say, no one on earth could have as good a friends as I have with the entire cast of the Dukes-of-Hazzard and why I will not rest until the day , I can produce a fitting movie of the Dukes of today. Likewise , keeping the fire of Hazzard County burning. The Dukes Of Hazzard will live until Jesus comes. Maybe beyond.
Keep it tween the ditches.
L8R Ya’ll
Quote of the Day:
The two foes of human happiness are pain and boredom.
--Arthur Schopenhauer
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