Story behind Grandpa Jones shotgun
I recently took a trip down to the Museum of Appalachia in Clinton, Tennessee. I was able to capture a few photos and stories in relation to Kentucky country music and thought I would share them. Stay tune for more stories and photos!
 |
| Grandpa Jones shotgun in the Museum of Appalachia |
Grandpa Jones was a well known comedian and singer on Hee Haw and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Grandpa Jones was a native of Henderson County, Kentucky.
John Irwin Rice collected items for the Museum of Appalachia. On display are many of Grandpa Jones personal items, including his shotgun. Below is the inscription and story as told by Rice:
(“There was times when we just about lived on the rabbits I killed with that little shotgun” Quate from Grandpa)
When we started talking about including him in the Museum’s Hall of Fame, I told Grandpa I was interested in personal type items – things that represented his various interests, in addition to items relating to his musical and entertainment career. So, one of hte pieces he selected was this 410 guage shotgun which belonged to his Father. The following are some of the comments he made relative to this piece.
“My daddy bought that little shotgun when I was just a boy. We lived on the old Todd place near Smith Mills, Kentucky. We just moved from one little place to another back then.”
“He bought it new from Lambert and Brisham Hardware Store for $9.98. That thing’s killed many a rabbit and it’s a good thing it did, for that’s about all we had to eat. They was ten children, and I tell you times was hard. I hunted more than the other boys – hunted about all the time when I wasn’t working, and my brothers called me ‘Dan’l Boone’.”
Over the years, Grandpa acquired a large collection of expensive hunting guns, but his favorite was always a little shotgun he got from his father. I was most pleased that he volunteered to let me have it for his exhibit – on January 31, 1993.
Stay tune for more stories of Kentucky country music musicians, instruments, and songs. If you enjoy what you read, be sure check us out on Facebook and bookmark this website.
Jessica Blankenship is the owner and founder of Kentucky Country Music website with over 20 years experience in music journalism, concert planning, photography, and promotion. Jessica is a Kentucky Colonel and alumni of the 2019 Leadership Kentucky BRIGHT Class and a recipient of the Laurel County’s Ten Under 40 Award. Listen to her each week on WFKY on Friday mornings for the Nashville News Roundup.