ONE LAST WORD
The first word we ever heard about
the National Hollerin’ Contest came to
us in a story from John Thomas, of
Dunn, which we published last spring.
Following that notice, the hollerin' de¬
velopments moved so rapidly that this
leisurely journal — geared not at all for
the fast pace of news reporting — was
quickly left by the pack.
Anyhow, there is usually something
more to be said, and it seemed fitting
that the last word should come from
the same fellow who said the first one.
As it turns out. the last word is far
from said; or. as John put it. "The
Hollerin’ Ain't Over Yet!'' In brief,
the folks down at Spivey's Corner liked
the taste of national attention so well
that they have announced the Second
Annual Hollerin' Contest, to be held
there on June 20. 1970.
What happened on June 28, 1969 at
the first Annual National Hollerin'
Contest has by now been too well pub¬
licized to bear much retelling. Suffice
it to say that Spivey's Corner, unin¬
corporated. the little cross-roads com¬
munity which in Sampson County
claims some 100. or less inhabitants,
will never be the same again.
Nor will Dewey Jackson, the 70-
year-old champion of America's first
hollerin' event, who lives in nearby
Rose boro.
Of course the real story is what hap¬
pened before and after the hollerin’
event. Here's how John Thomas re¬
constructs the affair:
The whole thing started when Er-
mon Godwin, Jr., a Spivey's Corner
citizen who is cashier in a Dunn bank,
and two Dunn radio men. started talk¬
ing about “hollerin’ " on the air one
day. It was suggested such a contest be
held.
Then a story got in State Maga¬
zine about the affair, in fact two. and
the event got on the road.
Only two persons did the promo¬
tion. Godwin and one other, a Dunn
radio news director.
Prior to the contest they ran up a
mammoth telephone bill and postage
bill. They've run up another one since.
Hut they paid for no advertising in
newspapers or on radio and TV. It just
got there by reason of "hollerin'."
Godwin has friends all over the na¬
tion whom he corresponds with regu¬
larly on tape. He got in touch with
them all — friends in Los Angeles,
New Orleans. Baltimore, New York,
up in North Dakota and down in
Georgia, to name a few; they got in
touch with their local TV and radio
stations; and before long people every¬
where knew what "Hollerin'" was all
about, and at no expense to the con¬
test.
(For vour information. "Hollerin'"
is what rural people did before tele¬
phones when they wished to let their
neighbor, a mile or so away, know if
they wanted anything or they were
OK. Somehow, the neighbors always
heard and answered.)
In a little while the major TV' net¬
works came into the act. Charles
Kurault. one of Walter Cronkitc’s
special correspondents, called and said
that CHS was going to be at the contest
scene. The lluntley-Brinklcy team then
sent their own crew with special events
man Donald Kiker. Added to this
Time Magazine sent two pretty young
ladies up to cover the event. Time used
a whole page on it too. two weeks later,
in the “Music" section of the magazine.
Prior to the contest, both the UPI
and the AP started carrying stories on
their press wires all over the nation
and the world. As a result stories from
Spivey's Corner came out in such
stayed papers as the Wall Street Jour¬
nal. The New York Times and the
Atlanta Constitution. Many columnists
in many cities talked it up; and there
John Thomos' eloim thol there were more re¬
porter* thon spectators ot the event mo* hove
been slightly eiaggc'oicd. Estimofes of the
crowd ronged from 3.500 to 11,000.
7*
Chompion hollcrer Dewey Jockson, of Roscboro,
who won the 1st piece trophy ond gold mega¬
phone for his hollered rendition of "What a
Friend We Hove in Jesus."
Jackson, who started hollering 70 years ago,
cvploms: "My mammy slopped me on the bottom
the doy I wo* born, ond I oin't quit hollerin'
yet." — N. C. Travel and Promotion Div. Photo.)
was hardly a paper in North Carolina
that failed to carry the “Hollerin'"
story. TV and radio stations ate it up.
Governor Robert Scott proclaimed
June 28. 1969 as "National Hollerin’
Day in North Carolina," and that was
that.
On the day of the event there were
more TV, radio and newspaper re¬
porters at the event, almost, than spec¬
tators. They came from Richmond. Va.
and Columbia. S. C\, from New York
and Atlanta, Ga.
When it was all over Dewey Jackson
won the Hollerin’ title of the nation,
while a pretty young miss from New
Orleans, La.. Jeanie Brown, won the
woman's "Callin' " event.
There were plenty of entries in each
category, too. and from all over.
Then came the aftermath. Godwin
and his radio sidekicks thought the
action was over, but for a month later
there were still stories appearing in
such papers as Grit.
Word about the contest was heard in
the fields of Viet Nam through the
military radio network. It appeared in
Stars and Stripes the officialmilitary
news organ of the U. S. forces.
And people began calling up Champ
Jackson in Roscboro so much he
( Continued on page 31)
THE STATE. August 15, 1969
