FERLIN HUSKY

CONNECTIONS
BY DAN MILLER
April 6, 2006

Did you ever see the old PBS series "Connections", where everything is somehow connected?

Well, let's see..... could there possibly be a connection between the Tennessee State Senate, my cousin's '57 Chevy, and Ferlin Husky?

Maybe.

It was late in the summer of 1957.
My older cousin Lloyd Scott and his wife had traveled from Atlanta and -- at the apparent invitation of my parents -- were spending a week at our home in Augusta.

It was a wonderful week for me.
Lloyd and his wife were lots of fun.... and he was driving a brand new '57 Chevrolet.
As I recall, it was two-tone.... sort of aqua blue and white.

One day Lloyd asked me to ride with him to the car wash.
He was meticulous about that car, and had it washed every few days.
I heard him go to great lengths to tell the car washers that he didn't want detergent used on the car -- only gentle soap.

(Now, here comes one of the moments when I recall exactly where I was when I first heard a particular song on the radio.)
(And, by the way, I don't understand why memory works that way, but it does.)

As cousin Lloyd left the car wash, on the radio Ferlin Husky was singing a really pretty love song titled "A Fallen Star".
Lloyd.... who had become my hero that week.... commented on what a nice song it was, and how much he liked to hear Ferlin Husky sing.

And he was right.... it was a lovely song, and Ferlin was a terrific singer.
From then on, I paid close attention to the music of Ferlin Husky.

Many years and miles later, I was interviewing Ferlin, and I told him how much I enjoyed that song.

Over the years, every time I cross paths with Ferlin, I find him to be a kind, decent and funny person.
I consider him a friend.

Today (Thursday April 6th) I went to the Senate chambers at Tennessee state capitol to stand with Ferlin as he was honored by our state senators.

He had invited me.

As I stood there, I thought about the strange and wonderful connections in life..... like the connection between the Tennessee State Senate.... Ferlin Husky.... and my cousin Lloyd's old '57 Chevy.

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