"Homeless" in Nashville..............

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 12 Sep 2008 2:16 pm

After Scotty's convention this year my wife and I stopped by Nashville for a couple of days. On Monday night we took in the Timejumpers at the Station Inn. After it was over we stopped by the MacDonalds on the corner of 12th and Broadway to grab a snack.

While waiting in the drive through, a very dirty and grubby young man who looked like he was homeless came up and knocked on the car window. I opened it a crack and asked him what he wanted. He said "I'm really hungry and need something to eat". I told him I didn't have any money to which he replied, "I don't want any money, I haven't eaten for two days, could you just buy me a hamburger or something?". He really looked bad so I said "Just wait over by the side of the lot and I'll bring you something.

We went through the line and I ordered him a couple of cheeseburgers, fries, and apple pie, and a drink as he looked pretty hungry and thin. We pulled over into a parking space and he came over. I handed him the drink and bag of food. He said "Thanks man, and God bless you!" For some reason I just said "What instrument do you play?" to which he answered "Lead Guitar". I don't know why but for some reason (maybe being in Nashville) I just knew he was a musician.

When we were walking on lower Broadway earlier in the day, we saw people playing for tips and such right on the street or in old closed building fronts. I really feel bad for some of these people as some of 'em were fairly ragged. It kind of made me glad that I chose to stay in LA when I was young and not go to Nashville..........JH in Va.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 12 Sep 2008 2:22 pm

God Bless you for doing that.
I do think you'll find that in every big City.

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 12 Sep 2008 6:42 pm

May GOD bless you Jerry for this act of kindness. GOD will repay you triple fold. Jody.

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 12 Sep 2008 7:20 pm

Hey Brother Jerry Hayes,in my days in Nashville most homeless people would hang out around the greyhound bus station And Post Office. Good deed Buddy! I myself at this time feed about 100 or more homeless people every month all over Southern California. I know for sure God take care of those who help others. My good buddy- brother Tom Lattimer(Pigeons Steel Guitarist) helps me once in a while. Sincerely in Country Music & all Styles,Leo J.Eiffert,Jr.

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 12 Sep 2008 8:50 pm

Kevin Barbieux lives in Nashville and has been doing a pretty successful blog for several years. Not a musician, though.

http://thehomelessguy.blogspot.com/

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 13 Sep 2008 2:01 am

At times I think Hollywood does people a huge disservice with the incessant stream of "A Star Is Born" type narratives - poor young kid arrives in the big city with nothing but an old gee-tar, a heartful of dreams and a-burstin' with talent... Hollywood loves to dramatize the 1-in-10,000 success stories, and buries the other 9,999 like your hamburger guy. He may have had more talent than Brad Paisley for all anyone knows, just less sense, cuteness & ingratiating "people skills" - or he just watched one too many Hollywood movies. You can't even move across country with less than $5,000 anymore, and $20,000 would be a whole lot better.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 13 Sep 2008 4:36 am

good for you Jerry..that was a fine deed.

tp

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 13 Sep 2008 7:01 am

Most of the urban outdoorsmen here in Atlanta just want money. I have NEVER had one come up and ask me to buy him a burger! That kid really must have been hungry. Good for you to do that.

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 13 Sep 2008 8:53 am

I'd really like to see someone make a TV special or something about the homeless in Music City as I'll bet a lot of 'em are musicians who are down on their luck for some reason or other. I know that there were some in LA who for lack of business sense, drug use, or whatever, couldn't make it. Some musicians can play their butts off but can't make change for a five dollar bill. It makes me sad to see these folks out there like that.........

Are there missions and such in Nashville where these guys can sleep at night and maybe get a little food?.........JH in Va.

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 13 Sep 2008 9:25 am

Dear Jerry:
Memory is a strange thing; your act of kindness followed by your intuitive question reminded me of a time in 1965 when I played in this street band in New Orleans. We had no professional asperations;more like college kids trying to make a litle extra dough.
We were walking down past Jackson Square with our guitars and there was this wino "sleeping" on the street as we passed by, he said, " You little punks can't play maybe you should hear a real guitar picker." My friend who was intrigued by his challenge said well go ahead and handed him one of our guitars. For the next half hour the guy did every original Jimmy Rogers song from T for Texas on down complete with yodels....amazing. He wanted us to buy him some wine so we took him into a local bar and ordered him a glass. He took one taste and said " This isn't wine.... I wanted White Port". We never saw him again...Peter

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 13 Sep 2008 9:47 am

Hey Brother Jerry,These kind of Scacred Heart programs are set up all over the world by the Catholic Church and all other Churchs. Don't you see that on your TV? LJ

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 13 Sep 2008 10:53 am

She probably Fed More young pickers than anybody in Nashville or extended them Credit,never on beer Though. If You had money, she would be happy to sell you the beer.

You Could get a bowl of pinto beans, a piece of cornbread and a glass of buttermilk in 1973 all for $.50 and she would let you charge it if you didn't have any money. I always paid Tootsie, There were some who never did.

You could get a bowl of Beef Stew at Linebaughs for $.50 or $.75, no credit extended that I know of and it was made by a young Randy Travis around that time.

God Bless Tootsie, without her, I would have starved.

You could get work in Nashville in the 60's and 70's, might not be picking, but somebody would put you to work. Shot Jackson employed a lot of people.

Truth is a lot of guys mistakenly thought they were too talented to do manual labor and were content to turn into bums rather than work.

There was a Union Rescue Mission in Nashville at That Time, never had to go there.

It wasn't easy in Nashvile during these times and it wasn't supposed to be, It was part of the test to see if you had the determination along with the talent to make it. Some Did

, Some Didn't

.

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 13 Sep 2008 1:08 pm

"Whatsoever you do to the least of these you have done unto me..."

Thanks Jerry...BF

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 13 Sep 2008 1:08 pm

Just ask " Marty Brown " from Kentucky who was on MCA records one time. LJ

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 13 Sep 2008 2:38 pm

John Floyd wrote:Truth is a lot of guys mistakenly thought they were too talented to do manual labor and were content to turn into bums rather than work.

I was waiting for a stupid remark like that. Way to go.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 14 Sep 2008 10:36 am

Jerry, may the good Lord offer you a home when you need it.

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 15 Sep 2008 6:09 am

"God bless the boys who make the noise on 16th avenue"

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 15 Sep 2008 7:51 am

Leslie (your comment) "I was waiting for a stupid comment like that..Way to go".. One can see you have never been to Nashville...The Sad truth Nashville does not have the market cornered on Homeless..Many people today sadly are a paycheck away from the street..In St. Pete there is a large number in tent city and with whole families...I'll bet New Orleans still has high numbers...In the 60s and 70s,80s all roads led to Nashville if a Country dreamer wanted to try his luck..They usually went with great guitars and equipment that quickly was pawned to eat..Not all made it And nowadays its close to the same only a lot harder without people like Hattie Tootsie Best and more expensive to get there...Hats off to all the full timers who stuck it out and are still earning a living and I'll bet they have war stories....

P Gleespen · Post by **P Gleespen** » 15 Sep 2008 8:47 am

Good for you Jerry. That was a very nice thing to do.

George Redmon · Post by **George Redmon** » 15 Sep 2008 4:28 pm

God Bless you Jerry, your wife, and your family.

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 15 Sep 2008 7:59 pm

Here's a local (Nashville) news video about Kevin, the Homeless Guy, from about 3 years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnsxKABkN3s

I was working a gig on Broadway a few years ago and a homeless guy (not Kevin) came up pestering me for spare change while I was wagging my equipment down the sidewalk. I told him I hadn't got paid yet, but if he cared to come back about 1:30 when I got off I'd slip him the price of a Quarter Pounder (or a 6-pack), if our tips were good, if he helped me. Boy, was I disappointed when he didn't show. LOL Ya just can't trust some of those guys.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 15 Sep 2008 10:44 pm

Joe Casey wrote:Leslie (your comment) "I was waiting for a stupid comment like that..Way to go".. One can see you have never been to Nashville...The Sad truth Nashville does not have the market cornered on Homeless..Many people today sadly are a paycheck away from the street..In St. Pete there is a large number in tent city and with whole families...I'll bet New Orleans still has high numbers...In the 60s and 70s,80s all roads led to Nashville if a Country dreamer wanted to try his luck..They usually went with great guitars and equipment that quickly was pawned to eat..Not all made it And nowadays its close to the same only a lot harder without people like Hattie Tootsie Best and more expensive to get there...Hats off to all the full timers who stuck it out and are still earning a living and I'll bet they have war stories....

I was criticizing John Floyd's remark that there are a lot of people who are content to be bums rather than work. I don't buy that argument.

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 15 Sep 2008 11:56 pm

Leslie, I know that statement is true for some people.

Every week I play a gig in a small town. There is a very nice guy (who never asks for money) who is homeless. I take him to Burger King, buy him a whopper and sit down with him while he eats.

He seems like a person of above average intelligence. He told me he used to be a school teacher, a tennis player while in college and he doesn't want a job. He said he's even been offered a job by the manager at Burger King and other people want him for handyman work. He won't take any of them. I don't know how he survives. I can tell you this... He's happy and content being a nice, likeable bum.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 16 Sep 2008 6:14 am

Les ,I don't know what world you live in..We have numerous people on our welfare rolls very capable of work but are content to sponge off the system...One case in point when I had my painting business I use to get off the interstate in Tampa to go to a job....There on the exit were people with signs "will work for food"...So I stopped and offered a days work at 10 bucks an hour and more if they worked out....They quickly said no and waited for the next sucker to come along give them money without having to earn it.I guess they were not hungry enough...I guess they needed the money but not the work

Two years ago we had a Canadian couple murdered off the Interstate near Tampa that had stopped to aid a "Hungry man".

Marc Jenkins · Post by **Marc Jenkins** » 16 Sep 2008 8:02 am

Joe Casey wrote:Les ,I don't know what world you live in..We have numerous people on our welfare rolls very capable of work but are content to sponge off the system...One case in point when I had my painting business I use to get off the interstate in Tampa to go to a job....There on the exit were people with signs "will work for food"...So I stopped and offered a days work at 10 bucks an hour and more if they worked out....They quickly said no and waited for the next sucker to come along give them money without having to earn it.I guess they were not hungry enough...I guess they needed the money but not the work Two years ago we had a Canadian couple murdered off the Interstate near Tampa that had stopped to aid a "Hungry man".

First, being on welfare is not necessarily the same as being homeless. You need an address to collect welfare. Also, I'll bet it takes PLENTY of work to panhandle! To sit or stand around and beg for money, inhaling exhaust and insults; that's a job I'd never do. As for the most unfortunate Canadian couple: Are we so easily convinced that the "Hungry Man" was actually hungry, or just deceptive?

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"Homeless" in Nashville..............

"Homeless" in Nashville..............

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