Grit & Grace 2007 Honors Area’s Musical Legends

By Chris Manson October 4, 2007 Issue

Jeremiah Campbell’s involvement with Freeport’s annual Grit & Grace production—subtitled The Official Folk Life Production of Walton County, Florida—dates back to 2001. This year’s show, Songs of the Home Grown Legends, marks the third time Campbell is writing and directing.

As cast members pile into the Freeport High School auditorium for a Monday night rehearsal, Campbell reflects on the six previous Grit & Grace shows. “It’s been an evolution,” he says. “It was inspired by Swamp Gravy, the official folk life production of the state of Georgia.” Initially, Grit & Grace hired a professional theater company to come in and do the whole thing from the ground up. “And they gave them a hefty check. Then someone said, ‘Why can’t we utilize our talents without hiring someone?’ They did, and now it’s gotten to the point where we have a job to do every year, and we find all the right players.”

Campbell estimates there are about 50 people involved with the production—25 to 30 actors plus ushers and backstage crew. He says 99 percent of the people putting on the show live in Freeport and DeFuniak Springs. The funding for Grit & Grace comes from ticket sales, memberships, and grants. An executive board ensures there is funding, insurance, and a facility for rehearsals and performances. The board also handles press and ticket sales.

Each year, Grit & Grace focuses on different aspects of Walton County’s history. Songs of the Home Grown Legends zeroes in on the region’s rich musical history. Campbell says, “We took two men who had nothing in common. Pappy McCormick walked the straight and narrow, whereas Potter Brown had a different philosophy. But both of them had ‘whatever it is’ — that strange aura where you find yourself drawn to them. As a result, they had quite a bit of influence on those who loved and knew them.”

McCormick took the young Hank Williams on the road and frequently played the Grand Ole Opry. Legend has it that McCormick blew WSM Radio’s transmitter with his electric guitar. He was born in lower Alabama and later settled down in DeFuniak Springs.

Potter Brown still has family in Walton County, and anyone familiar with Dread Clampitt, Duke Bardwell, or the Steenos certainly knows a little about the man. In addition to the song-heavy production, Campbell says the pre-show and intermission will feature entertainment from some friends of McCormick and Brown.

Campbell has written three songs for this show, including Mama’s Car, an infectious tune performed by a group of enthusiastic children. There’s also the late Jim Cooper’s song that opens and closes the show and material penned by Duke Bardwell and Brown. Plus some of the old bluegrass standards Brown frequently sang.

“I didn’t even know Potter when I came up with the idea for Pappy,” Campbell says. He learned of Brown’s colorful history when he started his band the WaCo Ramblers and began to pal around with Dread Clampitt.

Except for himself, Campbell says everything is new this year. Grit & Grace 2007 boasts a new technical crew led by Mark Wise, assistant technical director on loan from Okaloosa-Walton College’s Arts Center. Playground Recording Studios is providing sound support. The cast ranges in age from six to 60.

Jim Garrett, winner of two Stage Crafters awards for supporting actor, portrays Pappy McCormick. “I read this book a few years ago, The Man Behind the Scenes: Hank Williams and Pappy McCormick by Juanealya McCormick Sutton (Pappy’s daughter). When Jeremiah approached me and asked if I wanted to play Pappy, I said, ‘Heck, yeah!’” Garrett says.

“He’s almost a forgotten figure. He invented this four-sided lap steel guitar called the Contraption.” Garrett says McCormick recordings are hard to find, although a local radio station had a copy of Steel Guitar Rag, a number Garrett will perform in the show. He also tracked down some old footage of McCormick on the Internet. For the Grit & Grace show, Garrett learned to play lap steel.

Danny Davis says he never acted in his life, but “playing Potter isn’t very difficult because I think we were quite a bit alike.” He ran into Garrett outside the Funky Blues Shack and discovered Campbell was having difficulty casting the role. “I got involved and can’t get out of it now,” Davis says. “I’ve really enjoyed hanging out with these guys. I’m really doing this out of memory for Potter. He was a good guy, and I always liked him.”

Performances are at the Freeport High School auditorium Oct. 5, 6, 12, and 13 beginning at 7 p.m. Matinee performances are Oct. 7 and 14 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for senior citizens, Grit & Grace members, and groups of 10 or more; and $8 for students.

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