By Paula Lidy

 

In a personal interview with Roger prior to the memorial service, he reminisced about his uncle.

"I remember the first time I got to meet him, I was probably between the are of 5 and 7," Roger said. "I remember that my friend and I had taken our billy goat down to Brush reek and we were late getting back me. When I got there, I got in trouble because my parents had 'ought that something had happened me, were worried about me, and were waiting on me to come home cause Uncle Burl had come to grandma’s house and they were wanting to go up and see him.

"Late that night we went up to grandma’s in Hunt City, and all of the nieces and nephews were there as well as all of his brothers and sisters," Roger said.

"The next morning, all of us kids wanted to see Uncle Burl because he was famous," Roger said. "We bugged grandma until she finally said we could go in to where he was sleeping. "We all pounced on the feather bed', and he was sunk way down in the bed," Roger said. "He just kind of opened one eye, and the first thing he said -- I'll never forget - was 'Have I had 8 hours yet'" and then got up. "I remember another time that he came back to Jasper County, we lived ~ East Decatur Street," Roger said. After he arrived, one of the first things they did was to find Gene Massey, who had played music with him. I remember they got two or three gallons of beer, and the two of em sat on stools in the middle of the living room and started singing.

 

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