Chapter 55: Tennessee Jack

Tue, Nov 24, 1970

Grateful Dead & New Riders of the Purple Sage, Day 1 of 6, RCMH, NYC, 8pm.

“All the folks down in Lynchburg, Tennessee

Been working hard for good ol’ boys like me

I don’t wanna be the one to tell ‘em

That stuff that they’ve been selling

Ain’t working like it should

But I damn sure wish it would

Whiskey’s supposed to drown the memory

I’ve gone from one to one too many

And the thing that really gets me

Is how your memory drowns the whiskey

Maybe it’s the bar or the stool I’m on

Maybe it’s the band and the sad old song

That keeps me buying rounds

That keeps me turning down

Any girl that wants to danc

And you ain’t giving them a chance

Whiskey’s supposed to drown the memory

I’ve gone from one to one too many

And the thing that really gets me

Is how your memory drowns the whiskey

Girl, I’m living proof that 80 proof

Ain’t got a shot at touching you

Whiskey’s supposed to drown the memory

I’ve gone from one to one too many

And the thing that really gets me

Is whiskey’s supposed to drown the memory

I’ve gone from one to one too many

And the thing that really gets me

Is how your memory drowns the whiskey

Yeah the thing that really gets me

Is how your memory drowns the whiskey

All the folks down in Lynchburg, Tennessee

Been working hard for good old boys like me”

Drowns The Whiskey—By Jason Aldean

Today, we Flew to Louisville, KT, as we were welcoming into the fold, a major Liquor Company, the Brown-Forman Distillery.

It was Run by the 3rd Generation, George Gavin Brown, 3rd, 27yo.

Brown-Forman was the Owner & Distiller for Jack Daniels & Southern Comfort, plus a few more lessor Brands.

We spent the day, getting to know George, really liking him & his Southern Drawl.

In the Afternoon, we Flew to the Jack Daniels HQ & Distillery, in Lynchburg, TN. George was our Tour Guide. It was fascinating, but I was getting Tipsy, from all the 2nd-Hand Whiskey fumes.

We spent the Night in Lynchville, at the Home of the Master Distiller, Frank Bobo. He had spent his Career at Jack Daniel’s, learning his Trade from previous Masters.

Cold iron shackles, ball and chain,

Listen to the whistle of the evenin’ train.

You know you bound to wind up dead,

If you don’t head back to Tennessee Jed.

Rich man step on my poor head,

When you get back you better butter my bread.

Well, do you know it’s like I said,

You better head back to Tennessee Jed.

Tennessee, Tennessee, there ain’t no place I’d rather be,

Baby won’t you carry me back to Tennessee.

Drink all day and rock all night,

The law come to get you if you don’t walk right

Got a letter this morning, baby all it read,

You better head back to Tennessee Jed.

I dropped four flights and cracked my spine,

Honey, come quick with the iodine,

Catch a few winks, baby, under the bed

Then you head back to Tennessee Jed.

Tennessee, Tennessee, there ain’t no place I’d rather be,

Baby won’t you carry me back to Tennessee.

I run into Charlie Fog,

Blacked my eye and he kicked my dog,

My doggie turned to me and he said,

Let’s head back to Tennessee Jed.

I woke up a felin’ mean,

Went down to play the slot machine,

The wheels turned around, and the letters read,

You better head back to Tennessee Jed.

Tennessee, Tennessee, there ain’t no place I’d rather be,

Baby won’t you carry me back to Tennessee.”

Tennessee Jed

By Jerry Garcia & Robert Hunter

Wed, Nov 25, 1970

Grateful Dead & New Riders of the Purple Sage, Day 2 of 6, RCMH, NYC, 8pm.

“On the first part of the journey

I was looking at all the life

There were plants and birds and rocks and things

There was sand and hills and rings

The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz

And the sky with no clouds

The heat was hot and the ground was dry

But the air was full of sound

I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name

It felt good to be out of the rain

In the desert you can remember your name

’Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain

La, la...

After two days in the desert sun

My skin began to turn red

After three days in the desert fun

I was looking at a river bed

And the story it told of a river that flowed

Made me sad to think it was dead

You see I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name

It felt good to be out of the rain

In the desert you can remember your name

’Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain

La, la...

After nine days I let the horse run free

’Cause the desert had turned to sea

There were plants and birds and rocks and things

there was sand and hills and rings

The ocean is a desert with it’s life underground

And a perfect disguise above

Under the cities lies a heart made of ground

But the humans will give no love

You see I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name

It felt good to be out of the rain

In the desert you can remember your name

’Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain

La, la...”

A Horse With No Name

By Dewey Bunnell

Today, we Flew to Lexington, KT, as I wanted to meet an old lady there.

Blue Grass A/P, LEX, was directly across the Highway from Keeneland Racetrack, Stables & Racehorse Auction.

Keeneland’s neighbor on its East Side, was Calumet Farm. Lexington was Horse Country fo sho.

Calumet Farm, 3301 Versailles Rd, Lexington, KT, was begun in 1924, by W.M. Wright. His son Warren Wright, Sr, then took over in 1932. After Warren died in 1950, his wife, Lucille Parker Wright Markey, 73yo in 1970, then Ran Calumet Farm, from 1950-1982, when she died.

Calumet Farm, had a total of 762 Acres of rich Kentucky Blue Grass, which was found to have the best Minerals, that caused Horses Raised there, to have Stronger Bones, always a good thing for Racehorses.

Unfortunately, one of her younger In-Laws took over in 1982, until he ran Calumet Farm into the Ground. He constantly overreached financially. The f/u’s name was John Thomas “JT” Lundy.

In 1990, JT went too far, Drugging his #1 Stud Horse, Alydar, so Alydar broke his Leg while Running. Alydar had to be Put-Down. JT killed Alydar for the Insurance Money.

It wasn’t until later, that the Feds put it all together, & put the Asshole on Trial. He would be Convicted of various Conspiracy Charges. That was after the f/u though, shortening Alydar’s Life by years, let alone all the Sires he would have had. There was untold amounts of money he stole from Calumet Farm, because he couldn’t handle the shame of causing Calumet Farm to go into Bankruptcy.

Alydar was famous, because of the 1978 Tripple Crown, where Alydar Lost to Affirmed.

With each successive race, Alydar narrowed Affirmed’s margin of victory; Affirmed won by 1.5 Lengths in the Kentucky Derby; by a Neck in the Preakness; & by a Head in the Belmont Stakes.

George Brown, our new Partner, knew Mrs Markey well, so he set it up for me to meet her. She was the gracious Southern Belle, offering us a Mint Julep.

I slipped a Doozie in her drink, as I had volunteered to fetch them, as her Housekeeper made them for us.

As we were talking, I admit to using my MindBending on her. I gave her the Suggestion to Partner with me now, as I put disturbing thoughts in her Head, of the future of Calumet Farm, after her Death.

Mrs Markey was charmed by all of us, Ali, Barbie, Bambi, Ryder & Pug Red. She drove us all around in a long Golf Cart, that had Room for 10 People. There was a Training Track, Stables, Stud Stables, & ones for the Broodmares. All the Buildings, Stables, etc, were Painted in a now famous Green, Red & White, that went great with the White Board Fences. The Fences separated all the Fields, Paddocks, etc.

Mrs Markey made an impulsive decision to Trust us. She still felt great, as she’d Live another 12 Years, but when I mentioned JT Lundy, she shivered. JT was married to Mrs Markey’s oldest Daughter. She said she didn’t trust him, so she said OK to our offer. We would Own 50%, letting her continue to Operate Calumet Farm, until her Passing. We’d Learn from her & her Staff during that time

These are all the Tripple Crown Champions that Calumet Farm Trained.

1. Whirlaway, 1941

2. Pensive, 1944

3. Citation, 1948

4. Ponder, (Sire of Pensive), 1949

5. Hill Gail, 1952

6. Iron Liege, 1957

7. Tim Tam, 1958

8. Forward Pass, 1968

9. Strike The Gold, 1991

10. Rich Strike, 2022

More Tripple Crown Winners have been Trained at Calumet Farm, than at any other Stables.

Currently, Calumet Farm has 265 Broodmares & Foals, as well as 15 Stud Stallions, 8 kept at Calumet, the rest out on Loan, in Ireland, Canada, Florida, Greenwich, CT, etc.

Wow, 2 for 2, Jack Daniels, via Brown-Forman, & now Calumet Farm.

We were setting up new Jet Aviation FBO’s, at Louisville Muhammad Ali A/P, SDF, Taking over the FBO at the NE area.

We’d have another in Lexington, at the Blue Grass A/P, LEX, buying the NexGen Jet FBO. It was all by itself, off the shorter East-West Runway.

A 3rd FBO, went to the small A/P near the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, TN, the Tullahoma Regional Airport. Its Runway was only 5,501’ Long, but still OK to Land our NetJets G2’s at.

“Well a man come on the six o’clock news

Say somebody been shot, somebody’s been abused

Somebody blew up a building, somebody stole a car,

Somebody got away, somebody didn’t get too far, yeah.

They didn’t get too far.

Grandpappy told my pappy, “Back in my day son,

A man had to answer for the wicked that he had done.

Take all the rope in Texas, find a tall oak tree,

Round up all of them bad boys, hang them high in the street,

For all the people to see.”

And justice is the one thing you should always find,

You gotta saddle up your boys, you gotta draw a hard line

When the gun smoke settles we’ll sing a victory tune

And we’ll all meet back at the local saloon.

We’ll all raise up our glasses against evil forces, singing,

Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses

We got too many gangsters doing dirty deeds,

Too much corruption and crime in the streets.

It’s time the long arm of the law put a few more in the ground.

Send them all to their maker and he’ll settle them down.

You can bet he’ll set them down.

And justice is the one thing you should always find,

You gotta saddle up your boys, you gotta draw a hard line

When the gun smoke settles we’ll sing a victory tune

And we’ll all meet back at the local saloon.

We’ll all raise up our glasses against evil forces, singing,

Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses

Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses

And justice is the one thing you should always find,

You gotta saddle up your boys, you gotta draw a hard line

When the gun smoke settles we’ll sing a victory tune

And we’ll all meet back at the local saloon.

We’ll all raise up our glasses against evil forces, singing,

Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses

Singing whiskey for my men, beer for my horses”