Kevin Thornton – Artist Spotlight

The Music

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November 26, 2019

Artist / Band Name: Kevin Thornton / Thornton

Genre: Country-Blues Fusion

Raised in Okolona in north Mississippi, Kevin Thornton taught himself to play the guitar. He started songwriting around 18, which lead him to learn guitar. He will be recording his third album at Tweed Studios in Oxford.

If you had to describe yourself, what would you say?

I write songs; some are hippie licks, some are rocking, and some are just plain ole country and blues. I was raised on cornbread and shotguns. I taught myself how to play guitar, and have my own style of beating on the guitar to have percussion. I live to make music.

Who or what would you say has been the greatest influence on your music?

I think just growing up in Mississippi lends itself to shaping and cultivating folks musically. There is a reason why our road signs say “Birthplace of America’s Music.” I think it is our accent and dialect, which often rounds off and shortens words, that helps with songwriting and singing in general, This corruption of words makes it a lot hell of a lot easier to create rhyme schemes.

Waylon Jennings and Howlin Wolf are two huge influences on my singing style, but lyrically everyone from Too Short to Bob Dylan have had an impact on me. And I will mix song lyrics together in a second. One of my more interesting pieces is a hip hop Fusion of Merle Haggard, Nelly, and my own stuff thrown in.

Favorite song you’ve composed and the story behind it?

The song is called “Change.” The story? Well, one evening there was a lot going on at my house. People coming and going, and just a bunch of overall mischief. I was sitting in my living room, playing the kazoo and guitar while an old acquaintance of mine ate chicken breast, (bone and all!), while he sat there on the floor ranting about how good the chicken was. It was at this point that I realized that maybe it was time for a “change.” And the song was born nearly fully formed right then and there.

If you could meet any artist, living or dead, which would you choose and why?

i would have to say if given the opportunity i’d like to meet Mississippi’s own Mr. Fred Mcdowell. That dude was an alien or something. I thought Hendrix could play guitar, but he’s nothing compared the unearthly skills of Mr Fred Mcdowell. Also Linda Lovelace.

Most embarrassing thing ever to happen at a gig?

Nothing comes to mind as far as true embarrassment, but I was once asked by a bar manager to stop playing because someone wanted to hear “Roller Coaster of Love” on the jukebox. And I’ve played empty gigs for 3 out of 4 hours before, but I have learned you gotta perform like there is a full house anyway or the stragglers that do come in will not stay at a dead and quite bar.

What was the most significant thing to happen to you in the course of your music?

I met my wife Sommer, while playing at the old Boondocks in Tupelo. Now THERE was a place and a scene. Scott Chism was running open mics and doing the all booking. The Bad Hand came out of there, Vinyl Dust, Vinnie C, Jon West… It was quite a time and a unique place for Tupelo. It truly was a golden age musically at Boondocks.

I started writing better songs, and I’m still striving to be myself on stage and just let it all hang out there. I won the Miss 98 “Smoking the Stage” songwriting contest a few years ago.

If music were not part of your life, what else would you prefer to be doing?

Writing. I wrote a 100,000 word novel that has been sitting in my desk for years now. I have been meaning to get back on it, but I am lazy like that. I really just wanted to write a novel, but I doubt if even 10 people have ever read it. But music will always be my outlet.

Do you have any recommendations for other local artists that our readers should know about?

John West and Vinnie C

Interested in seeing your own artist profile highlighted here on Our Tupelo?

Simply click HERE and fill out our form!

How To Survive Holiday Photos

MyLove Barnett

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November 25, 2019

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Holiday photos can be frustrating and exhausting, but it’s still kinda mandatory that you at least get a few pictures of the family for posterity. The problem? Taking a GOOD family photo will bring you to the very edge of insanity. Here are some helpful tips for how to take the perfect family photo:

1. Time your photos well. About 45 minutes past nap time seems to be a popular time for the self-elected photog to jump up and shout, “Hey everybody! Let’s grab a picture of the WHOLE family while we’re all here!”

Poor clueless Cousin Jack. He means well; he’s just never tried to get a cranky two year old to sit still and smile on command.

Holiday smarter this year and form a preemptive strike! As soon as everyone has arrived, and preferably before your holiday feast (see #2), gather the fam bam for a quick photo shoot. Everyone should be a bit more jolly at the beginning of the visit.

2. Take pictures before you eat. Perfectly prepared parent though I’m sure you ARE, (you probably have an extra change of clothes and ten metric tons of baby wipes in your diaper bag!), not everyone will have come as prepared, and cranberry sauce isn’t really a good look on anyone.

3. It’s almost impossible to get more than two people at a time to look in the same direction; work it. I know most people would prefer a full-on formal portrait with everyone sitting straight and smiling deeply into the camera lense, but 98.54% of the time, that’s not going to happen, and that cruel expectation is what causes a majority of photo frustration.

You probably don’t want a picture to include the back of someone’s head, but other than that, it’s perfectly okay if not everyone is staring at the same spot. And if they are, it’s probably that gravy stain on your shirt (see #2), but that’s okay, too.

4. Don’t be afraid to use bribery. “If everyone will just look this way and smile, I promise to only take three pictures, and then we’ll have pie!” Who could say no to pie?

5. If you have a very large family, skip the props. You don’t need a bale of hay or shafts of corn stalks or even a Christmas tree when you have a ton of people in the photo. Focus on the important stuff and skip the nonsense. It probably wouldn’t hurt to have Grandma or one of the kids holding a sign with the year or family name on it, but anything else is taking up space that you probably don’t have in the frame.

6. Know your camera’s limits. I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but your iPhone 4 is not going to take a great photo of 40 people scrunched up in the dining room, unless they’re piled on each other’s laps (see #7). And even then, it’s still going to cut off two or three people on each side. Break up the family into smaller bite-sized groupings for a family collage later if you have to. Or go outside if the weather’s nice, so that you can get far enough away to get everyone in frame. Or you could, you know, dig out a real camera. (Or spring for a newer iPhone, but I’m not ready to sell a kidney on the black market to afford that yet.)

7. Squish everyone together. It’s entirely possible that your family isn’t all lovey-dovey with people they see only a couple times a year, and it’s also entirely possible that one of the kids needs a diaper change, or Great-Uncle Gus passed wind, and the smell is wafting across the group as we speak. Even so, they’re going to have to tighten it up and get ALL up in each others’ personal space if you want this picture to actually contain everyone who’s supposed to be in it.

8. Don’t forget to GET IN THE PICTURE. They make tripods and auto-timers for that. Or you could just take turns swapping out grown-ups behind the camera. You could even call a neighbor over to snap off a few. Just make sure you don’t turn into the invisible-always-behind-the-camera lady. Floof your hair and pop a kid in your lap, and BOOM, you’re ready to go.

9. Don’t spend hours snapping impromptu family pictures. Kids get bored and cranky. Adults get bored and cranky. If you haven’t gotten some good pictures by now, they aren’t going to get any better the longer you drag it out.

10. When all else fails–screw it and use Photoshop. Massive amounts of wine and Photoshop have produced large amounts of some perfectly ~~mediocre~~ decent family pictures. No shame in it. In fact, it’s probably less stressful and much quicker than trying to get the kids to sit up straight and be still for a once-a-year photo with all 37 first cousins.

Christmas Tree Poll

POLLS

MyLove Barnett

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November 24, 2019

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On Thompson Hill: Socks and Splits

Thompson Hill

Jerry Thompson

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November 23, 2019

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Friends, aint it funny how you remember things that you used to do, and now wish you hadn’t done them? Well I do!

I used to make sport of old people who had to wear them little socks with the little grips on the bottom — sort of like a mudgrip tire tread!

And these old people always had to be shuffling their feet like they was dusting the floor while they was walking along, just to keep from falling because the floor was slick!

Well, I can add making fun of all that to a long list of things I won’t ever do again! Here is why:

We have laminate floors in part of the house — you know, we got them when everybody said to get rid of the carpet cause it was bad for your health!

Well, I’m here to tell you that these darn laminate floors aint no better for you!

I looked up the words “Laminate Floor” and it turns out that it’s a French phrase that means TOO POOR FOR REAL WOOD!

Anyway, I was just getting up the other morning, and I put on some [regular] socks, and started to walk into the kitchen…but then I decided to turn and go to the porch instead.

That’s when all heck broke loose! My big ole feet decided to go in two opposite directions!

That dang floor was slick as glass!

Now folks, ya’ll that know me know that I’m tall — six feet and seven inches — and most of that is legs! AND on top of that, I got size 14 feet, which means I would have been even taller if the good Lord hadn’t turned down so much for a foot!

And i’ve never been graceful, so my mind already knew that my body couldn’t do the splits like my feet and legs were thinking they were going to do!

Somewhere in the middle of this, I managed to catch hold of the countertop corner, and I tried to correct my legs. Well, I overshot the landing and cut an almost perfect flip! And I say “almost” because one of my ankles got caught on my front teeth!

I guess this laminate floor did help some, because I only slid part of the way under the couch!

It took me a while to get my breath, but man, it sure did feel good to get it back!

I was sort of hazy when I first came to, with Pam standing over me asking, “What the heck are you doing down there? And why is your ankle bleeding? Now get up from there and clean up that blood! You aint supposed to get moisture on my new laminate floor!”

And life goes on, on Thompson Hill.

Man Kicked Out Of Library For Using Computer To Do Actual Work Requiring A Computer

The Chew

Zach Bragg

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November 22, 2019

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Man Kicked Out Of Library For Using Computer To Do Actual Work Requiring A Computer

TUPELO – On Monday, at the Tupelo branch of the Lee County public library, Brian Dufresne of Tupelo was asked in no uncertain hushed words to exit the premises. The reason? He was using a computer for legitimate work requiring a computer.

One user at the computer station recalls the whole scenario as bizarre.

“I was sitting there, minding my own business, searching for pictures of celebrities’ feet, and this guy sits down next to me and opens up a spreadsheet or something. Like he thought he was better than me.”

When asked about the alleged incident, Dufresne submits that it wasn’t a big deal.

“I was typing out a bibliography. My printer at home was out of ink, and I have a paper due this week.”

Lee Presley-Gills put his online poker game on hold to tell how he remembers it.

“Bibliography? No, he was making a list of books is what he was doing. Why do you need to make a list of books? We’re in a library. Ain’t nothing right about it, if you ask me.”

The library staff were caught completely off guard by the alleged act.

“We’ve never seen someone do anything like this in our media center,” one librarian reports. “We weren’t trained on how to handle this kind of situation.”

“Our regulars spend hours on stuff like games, social media, and trying to circumnavigate our firewalls to access blocked sites. He really caused quite a disturbance. We didn’t have any choice but to ask him to leave.”

Dufresne has since decided to buy a new ink cartridge.

Is This How The End Begins?

My Front Porch

MyLove Barnett

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November 21, 2019

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I’m sitting in the back corner of a Fred’s Dollar Store that feels completely desolate and deserted — except for the pharmacy, which is overrun and understaffed due to all the local sickies going around, and an apparent tide of technological issues that make everything seem apocalyptic.

As I sit here waiting my turn, three of the overhead fluorescents start to dim and flicker, off… and on… and off… and on… and I wonder if this is the beginning of one of those dystopian movies about a plague that wipes out all of humanity, after it begins in one little tiny rural town and sweeps through unchecked.

::cough::

They call out a name. I didn’t catch what it was, only that it wasn’t mine. An older man, white but browned by a lifetime in the fields, slowly creaks to his feet and ambles over. Cash is exchanged. He discreetly coughs into a blue cotton handkerchief, and then stuffs it back in the bib pocket of his well worn overalls, and shuffles toward the exit like time doesn’t exist. He shoots me a look with watery aged eyes and a toothless grin.

“Nice evenin’, ma’am.” His voice sounds like honeyed gravel.

From my side, I hear, “I can’t wait any longer. I have to go pick the boy up from school.” It’s my mother-in-law. She had given me a ride up here, but now she needs to leave.

“Go ahead,” I tell her. “I need to stay and wait on this. They’ll be closed when Eric gets off from work.”

She promises to come back after the school pickup run is over.

Now I am alone. Alone with the flickering lights and the plague-riddled elderly pharmacy customers.

This could be the end.

“Mizz Barnett?” a disembodied voice calls from behind a computer bank hidden inside one of the “consultation” windows. I shoot to my feet and head over.

“Would you believe they have his birth date in the system wrong?!”

Yes. I would believe that. We’ve only been doing business here every month for eight years. Why would his birthday be in the computer correctly, after all.

I check the clock on my phone. I’ve been here nearly an hour already. I hope we can get this cleared up before his next birthday.

I sink back down into the (thank you dear lord sweet baby jesus) very comfortable waiting chairs. I text my husband angry things. He texts me back excuses and platitudes. I consider how peaceful a prison stay sounds, as I plot all the torturous ways I will vent my ire of this day.

An older black lady strides out from behind the counter and pauses next to me. I look up inquiringly. She seems to need to say words. Like, she needs to say some things.

“Bad day?” I say sympathetically. She huffs and begins counting out change from her pockets. I assume she’s about to hit the exit door for a cigarette. She’s got the “whew damn, I need a cigarette” look on her face. I am well acquainted with this look. I feel it all the way down in my soul.

“Girl, I’m going to get me a Pepsi. LORD, I need a Pepsi right now.”

Honey, from the looks of this place, you need something stronger than a Pepsi. She tells me they had to call in reinforcements, so they have two extra people in from another store, and it’s still not enough. The drive-through line never empties. The waiting room is packed. The phone has rung incessantly since they opened this morning. And now, everyone’s insurance is popping in random errors all over the place.

A man at the other consultation window slams a phone receiver down angrily. He’s been on that phone — the pharmacy’s landline phone — the entire time I’ve been here. I tried (not very hard) not to eavesdrop, but it was obvious he’d been on with his insurance carrier. Now, he’s back at the pickup window. “To hell with it,” he grits out. “Let me just pay cash for it. I aint got time for no more of this nonsense.”

A blonde woman with a “let me speak to the manager” haircut sweeps up to the counter.

“I need my pickup now. I can’t wait any longer. I’ve got to go get my kids from school.”

They tell her it’s not ready yet. She is one pissed off soccer mom. “I cannot drive all the way out there and then come back all the way out here today. I don’t have the gas money. Can you not just give me part of it now, and I can come back and get the rest later in the week?”

They tell her they can’t do that, but I see them hand her some part of her order. Money is exchanged and she says she’ll try to be back before closing but it might be tomorrow. She leaves. I sit in silence for a while.

I hear murmuring from behind the counter. A lady says “Do you have Barnett straightened out yet? Oh okay. I’ve still got his sack up here.” Everyone snickers, me included.

“BARNETT” The lady at the cash register calls. I go up. “We’ve got you now, hun. I’m so sorry about this.” I mumble platitudes and sympathy for their plight. “Sign there for me” she points to the electronic signature machine. “There you go!” She smiles brightly and hands me the bag.

“Umm,” I mutter, hating to look a gift horse in the mouth, but honor demanding that I do so. “Do you not want any money?”

“Nope. It’s all taken care of! Have a great evening, hun!”

But now, I have to decide where to go from here. My mother in law isn’t back yet. It’s cold outside, but hot in here. It’s about two miles to walk home. I decide to walk outside the store and call her to see where she is.

I walk out and hit the open air, thankful for the coolness after the suffocating heat from inside the store. I dial her number, and wonder if the twinge in my lower back is real, or if it’s just in my head, a psychosomatic reaction to the thought of trying to walk home.

I decide that I’m going to go ahead and walk, and see how far I get. The phone rings and rings, but no answer. I can see the park across the street, and it seems like a good distance to walk in the sunshine and maybe swing for a while.

I make it to the edge of the parking lot before my mother in law’s grey car whips in. “They get you took care of?”

“YEP” and I tell her about the computer error with his birthday. We briefly talk about that before conversation turns to irritation at the last minute nature of all this nonsense. We share a companionable ride home griping about her son. That’s how we bond.

She drops me back off at home and says she might come over later. I juggle my keys and the pharmacy bag as I reach for the doorknob, but as I turn it out of habit, I notice that I didn’t even lock the door on the way out.

Lord help us all.

I am desperately unprepared for the pending zombie apocalypse if I can’t even remember to lock the front door. I hope you are all much better prepared!

$15 Gift – Thanks for Giving from Vitalant and Todd’s Big Star

The Community

MyLove Barnett

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November 21, 2019

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$15 Gift – Thanks for Giving from Vitalant and Todd’s Big Star

Donors to receive $15 voucher to Todd’s Big Star

TUPELO, MS — From Vitalant:

November is a time when many make it a point to recognize everything for which they are thankful. As we serve our patients with the gift that only donors like you can give, we are most thankful for you. When you donate blood, you’re giving patients a second chance — something they are thankful for as well.

All blood types are needed, especially type O and platelet donations.

Heading into the holiday season, Vitalant is asking donors to donate now to ensure that blood is ready to serve patients when it is needed.

This time of year, blood donations decrease by over 20 percent — while blood usage goes up due to increased travel and other accidents.

Vitalant relies on donors to donate regularly, especially during the holiday season when your donation is vital. Blood is needed every 2 seconds in the United States and the need stays constant, regardless of any holiday.

Donate today to help a patient out tomorrow.

When you donate with Vitalant at the donation center — located at 4326 South Eason Boulevard in Tupelo — on November 25, 26, and 27, the first 60 donors each day will receive a $15 voucher to use toward the purchase of a turkey, ham, or any other item from Todd’s Big Star located at 1400 Main Street in Tupelo.

Vouchers are distributed on a first come, first serve basis and are available while supplies last.

To find a Vitalant donation center visit vitalant.org or call 877-25VITAL.

Blood donation takes about an hour from check-in to refreshments. Donors can save about 20 minutes by completing their Fast Track Health History the day they donate. It’s at vitalant.org.

Volunteer blood donors must be at least 16 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. Additional height/weight requirements apply to donors 22 and younger, and donors who are 16 and 17 must have signed permission from a parent or guardian.

Contact: Mitzi Breaux 
mbreaux@vitalant.org 
337-298-9342

About Vitalant: Vitalant is the nation’s second largest community blood service provider, supplying comprehensive transfusion medicine services for nearly 1,000 hospitals and health care partners for patients in need across 40 states. Vitalant inspires local communities to serve the needs of others and transform lives through the selfless act of donating blood. Every day, almost 5,000 blood donations are needed to meet the needs of people throughout the country, and Vitalant’s 780,000 donors supply 1.8 million donations a year. In addition to blood products, Vitalant offers customers transfusion services, medical consulting, quality guidance, ongoing education, research and more. For more information and to schedule a donation, visit vitalant.org or call 877-258-4825 (877-25VITAL). Join the conversation about impacting the lives of others on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. *United Blood Services and Lifeblood are now Vitalant*

Tupelo Spirit Nominees Needed

The Community

MyLove Barnett

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November 20, 2019

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Tupelo Spirit Nominees Needed

The Oren Dunn City Museum wants to recognize individuals who have moved Tupelo forward by noting them in the museum as having the Tupelo Spirit.

“We’re asking the public to nominate individuals, past or present, who have that spirit of cooperation, community building, responsiveness, and who love Tupelo to be in consideration of standing out in our museum as possessing the Tupelo Spirit,” said Leesha Faulkner, curator of the Museum.

To nominate someone, please submit a name, and then in 100 words or less, tell us why that person exemplifies what we know as the Tupelo Spirit.

The categories are as follows:

Chickasaw Nation
Early Tupelo
Tupelo Sports
Tupelo Music
The Tornadoes of 1936 and 2014
Hospital on a Hill
Rebuilding Tupelo
Tupelo Schools
Before and After Desegregation
Tupelo – First TVA City
Tupelo – a Mississippi Leader.

The Museum has begun with the first of its Tupelo Spirit individuals in sports – Frank Dowsing.

Everyone is invited and encouraged to please help add more names!

Nominations may be sent to:
Leesha Faulkner – Oren Dunn City Museum
Leesha.faulkner@tupeloms.gov   
662.841.6438

Josh Knighton – Artist Spotlight

The Music

MyLove Barnett

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November 20, 2019

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Artist / Band Name: Josh Knighton

Genre: Americana / Country

Josh Knighton is a songwriter from Baldwyn, MS. He is currently working on his first full length album.

“The one thing about music that appealed to me the most when I started learning guitar was believing there was a chance that I might make something great. I’m still chasing that carrot, but it never really gets old. I’ve had the chance to make some songs that I’m proud of and meet some dear friends along the way. I’m a very lucky duck to get to share my music. I’ve gotten by so far trying to write about what I know and what the world looks like from our little corner of the south. I’ve always been captivated by country music — the real kind, the kind that tells stories of real life in all its glory and disappointment. All I want is to make music that I can be proud of. And hell, if anybody else likes it, then that just makes it even sweeter.”

Who or what would you say has been the greatest influence on your music?

My family is almost always on my mind when I write. I come from a long line of tough, hard-working, down-to-earth folks on all sides. That’s the kind of person I want to be, and that’s the kind of people I want to write about. And I can’t ever write anything too bad, because I know my Mom will hear it.

Favorite song you’ve composed, why it’s your favorite, and/or the story behind it?

The one I hold closest is probably “Red Clay.” I love the song because of the people in it and the people who helped inspire it. It’s my most personal song by far, and I think a few people like it alright. But “Last Place State” is the song that seems to register the most with people. We’re Mississippi, last in so many categories. We’re poor, undereducated, sparsely populated, and still fighting to overcome a history dominated by oppression and violence. Yet this is my home, made up of my people. The one little backward southern state that has given more to music than any other state. To me it’s a complex feeling. I tried to capture it in the song.

If you could meet any artist, living or dead, which would you choose and why?

One of these years, I want to meet Patterson Hood, of the Drive-By Truckers. I want to tell him “thank you” for years of well-written, belligerent, irreverent, dirty songs about the south. You’ve given me something to shoot for. Granted, when and if I do meet him, I’ll likely clam up like a 10-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert.

Also, it’d be fun to spend some time with Jonny Fritz. He’s the most intriguing weirdo on Earth, and I love his music.

Most embarrassing thing ever to happen at a gig?

One time (at least once every time I play) I tried to do something cool on guitar. Embarrassing myself is a vital part of my act.

What was the most significant thing to happen to you in the course of your music?

Seeing my lyrics in a tattoo was a pretty big deal, just knowing that it meant that much. I’d probably be making up songs whether anybody ever gave a damn or not, but fortunately some have. When anyone tells me that something I’ve written means something to them, it just fuels the fire, and it makes me want to come up with something else worth singing.

If music were not part of your life, what else would you prefer to be doing?

I’d like to be writing fiction, or maybe blasting Nashville’s ass on some blog for the endless wave of tailgate songs. I also like doing carpentry and leather work, really making anything with my hands.

Interested in seeing your own artist profile highlighted here on Our Tupelo?

Simply click HERE and fill out our form!

“Baby Shark Live!” Coming To Tupelo

Events

MyLove Barnett

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November 19, 2019

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“BABY SHARK LIVE!” TO MAKE A SPLASH IN TUPELO APRIL 26, 2020!

Take an adventure into the sea with Baby Shark as he joins up with his friend Pinkfong to sing and dance through some of your favorite new and classic songs!

Baby Shark Live! is a state of the art enchanting kids spectacular .

In this one of a kind concert experience young fans will be dancing in the aisles as Baby Shark and friends, go on fun adventures to learn and meet new friends!

ONE SHOW ONLY

Some of the hit songs include, Baby Shark, Five Little Monkeys, Wheels On The Bus, Jungle Boogie, and Monkey Banana Dance!

Tickets go on sale Friday, November 22 at 10:00 AM at the Arena Box Office and Ticketmaster. Prices range from $27 to $61.